A Hymn of Snakes

TWENTY SEVEN

Standing at the edge of the airport was the most nerve racking part of my day, other than being chased down by Amelia Bordeau asking me why I chose her. Kate coming to Romania was the highest point of my worries, not because of what anyone else had to say. I hadn't seen her in what felt like forever. That's why I forced Holstein to come, "Why do I have to be here?" He asked me as he leaned against the wall, the night was dark enough to imitate his dark complexion.

I forced a smile to my lips, hiding the truth. "Because you're one of my best friend's and I would like the two of you to get along." It was obvious that Holstein was attracted to Kate, as much as he tried to hide it. The peacemaker was bad at hiding his desires like every other man I've known.

"We get along." Was all he said as my face turned dead panned.

I was trying to hold back my laughter, it was very obvious about how Holstein felt. As much as he tried to act like he hated Kate, I knew the game the two of them played. No matter how much their fought the connection it would be hard to stop it, "You looked like you were going to puke when I told you she was coming." I said, his shoulders rising as if he was attempting to deny it. I sighed trying to give some insight, "She's a guest of the Duchess of Night, so put her in fancy dresses and treat her like a Lady." I mocked a curtsy for the amusement but he wasn't watching.

Holstein turned his head to the inside of the airport as he chewed on his lip, "When am I not a gentleman?" He asked me truthfully in the hopes that I would take my words back.

"That's a joke right?" I asked as the memories of our first born hatred came flooded back to me, Holstein and I weren't on the right foot when we first met. He never showed me that he even considered me an ally until this year. I guess he thought back then that I was an enemy, then again no one could have guessed what would have happened since then.

He was about to tell me something until a raspy feminine voice broke against the wind, her cherry red dyed hair came into view as Katelyn Chen descended onto Romania. "Two years of distance you'd think you would have called me earlier." She yelled as she ran after me and wrapped her arms around my neck, laughter filling her throat as the cold of her skin left ice prickles on my body.

I hugged her back as I let her down, the short girl jumped in her shoes as she pulled her bag back up against her shoulder. "You know why I couldn't." I told her, Ithe mocked Kate in my mind. I already knew the demon didn't like it when my attention was on another person.

"Yeah, I had the keepers show up to my job asking why their Captain dropped her ring in the road and ran like a Taylor Swift song." She said giggling, but it fell quick as her eyes bolted a gaze to the other Vampire. Kate looked him up and down a spark between her eyes as I sighed, she also had a thing for him. "Holstein." She said, the two of them blinder than bats clearly not understanding what they feel for one another.

Things were going to get a whole lot more interesting.

It was almost clear as glass when he pulled together a nickname, "Trouble." She turned away from
him, his frown dropping as he eyed Kate up and down. As if she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. "We should go before the sun rises." He suggested as we all agreed, stalking off back to the car as on the ride back we turned into a flock of crows. Talking about everything that has happened, these past few years.

Kate's laughed filled the car, soothing my panic as she showed me pictures of her travels.

When we returned to the castle, Kate's eyes looked like they were going to fall out of her face. She kept saying it was like living in the Princess Diaries and that I was Anne Hathaway. I was living her dream, we stepped down from the car as Holstein helped Kate as he took her bags.