Such a Prize

A Protector

Carlotta was just getting out of the tub when she heard the faint screams in the dungeons. She froze and listened as Athenodora wrapped a towel around the child and began to dry her off.

"Don't be frightened dear." She said calmly. "Alec is feeding as we speak. His thirst should be under control very soon."

When Carlotta was mostly dry, she began putting her clothes on. "What does blood singer mean? Or la tua cantante as Aro called it?"

Carlotta was confused when Athenodora didn't answer her. Instead, she unlocked the door once Carlotta was dressed and lead her into the room, which now smelled like bleach. Someone had cleaned up the mess Carlotta had made. She turned red rather quick, the embarrassment finally beginning to get to her.

Athenodora sat Carlotta on Caius' bed and held her tiny hands. "How do you feel?"

She gulped. "I'm scared."

Athenodora hugged her gently. "Don't worry, sweetheart. We'll figure out a way to make sure this doesn't happen again."

Carlotta pushed out of the hug and asked. "What was Aro talking about?"

Athenodora's lips formed a tight line. She was hesitant to tell Carlotta in fear of frightening her. "We'll discuss that later. Right now, why don't we read and... try to get our mind off of things."

Carlotta scowled. "I can't focus on reading."

"You haven't even tried."

"Someone tried to kill me. You think I can take my mind off of things and read as if nothing happened?"

Athenodora blinked, trying to piece together what her eyes were seeing and what her ears were hearing. 

Her eyes saw what looked to be a three-year-old child who shouldn't have any idea what death was and entailed, but her ears heard an adult who has been through so much in her life. She had forgotten that Carlotta was not a normal child, neither human, nor vampire, but both.

You couldn't talk to her as if she knew nothing, for already she was wise and knew much, much more than anyone seemed to give her credit for.

Everyone in the coven had ended up face to face with death on multiple occasions, and they eventually were unfazed by death altogether. 

However, Carlotta wasn't even a year old yet. The only deaths she had to witness was the death of her parents (Athenodora didn't count Carlotta's feeding habit for that was only natural). How could she be used to death?

Athenodora thought of the question Carlotta had asked twice now and decided to give her an honest answer instead of sugar coating it as one would normally do to a child her age. 

"All humans have different aromas and taste to each individual vampire. Some are stronger than others and therefore more potent to some. La tua Cantante is an expression to describe when a vampire catches the scent of a human whose blood is so alluring, that the vampire in question often loses control, whether they are thirsty or not. More often than not, if a vampire is to cross paths with a human whose blood, in a sense, sings to them, as the phrase suggests, the human's life is forfeit."

Carlotta sat quiet for a moment, then asked, "So... I might die if Alec sees me again."

"It's possible for a human to survive." Athenodora added quickly. "We've seen it done."

With how quickly Athenodora said this, Carlotta became suspicious. It sounded to her as if Athenodora was trying to lessen just how frightening the situation was so as not to upset her further. "So... you saw a vampire find their blood singer and they just thought, 'Meh, I don't need that.' and then just went on their merry way?"