Bitter Revenge

Chapter 27

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I felt like a ghost watching in on Stella's life. How the hell am I doing this? She was pacing around an unfamiliar house with homey decorations. Pictures of Stella when she was younger, with two other people that looked like her parents. Although they were more blurry, it was like Stella was the focus point of my vision. She groaned audibly, causing my gaze to return to her. That's when I realized a man was sitting on the sofa next to her. He wasn't old per say, but he had his fair share of white hairs. "What do I do Dad?" Oh. So this is Mr. King? He looks nothing like I pictured him. I imagined a big, surly guy with the same orange hair, not this... brunette couch potato. "I still don't understand what it is you want, Princess."

His voice definitely matched what I had in mind, deep and lumber, kinda like he just woke up. He had a strong Australian accent, reminding me that Stella was also from the continent. His eyes seemed to be a light brown, kind of hazel toned with sprinkles of green. "Dad, come on, catch up. Fiona escaped, surely Auntie is going to send a fucking swarm of her best soldiers after her." She waved her hands frantically, and I couldn't help but smile at how cute she could be even when stressed. "Princess, you are her best soldier. You are the best Ignis witch in this entire region of the world. So she'll send you to get a second chance at doing your job. I still don't get why you are acting this way." Read the room bud, she's sending millions of signals your way.

"Dad... I-I don't know if I want... a second chance-" She stuttered and finally stopped pacing, turning slowly to look at him with her head bowed. She looked much like a punished child at that moment. Before she could even finish her sentence, her Dad cut her off. "Why wouldn't you? Your assignment is to kill the biggest known criminal in Florida. You should be honored you were given the job to begin with, especially grateful if you get a second chance." He squinted his eyes at that, his tone revealing that he wouldn't budge from that mind set. She sighed and stepped over her foot with the other, clearly thinking of how to phrase her thoughts.

"I am honored Dad, believe me I am. I know I lack experience with on-duty battles or missions, a-and this was a great opportunity. It's just... s-she isn't as bad as everyone says..?" She got quieter and quieter, clearly apprehensive of how her father would respond. He looked severely taken aback, as if someone had shoved him. "'Not as bad'? She's a vampire, she's the scum of this world!" Gee, thanks. "Don't you remember what vampires have done to our family?! What they did to her?!" He progressively got louder, swinging his arm at the pictures around them. I looked away from the argument to the pictures, finally realizing that... Stella wasn't breaking the news to both of her parents.

A picture began to get clearer, the colors becoming less smudged and more outlined and uniform. A drop-dead gorgeous woman smiled back from the picture. Her strawberry blonde hair was long, but she kept it in a braid and tossed over her shoulder. Her teeth were perfectly white and straight. Freckles sprinkled her cheeks, and her familiar emerald eyes pierced my soul through the picture. You must be Mrs. King. I smiled at her and reached out to grab the frame, but my hand just ghosted through. Right, creepy dream state or whatever.

I turned back to the pair to see Stella had balled her hands into fists and her shoulders were hiked high, alongside her chin as she refused to let the tears welled up there fall. "I will. NEVER. Forget what vampires have done to our family. But we can't blame the entire species on the actions of a few. It's wrong!" I grinned goofily at her defending me, feeling my hands tremble from a rush of happy chemicals coursing through my body. But her father seemed to only grow redder. "What the hell has that leech done to you?! Brainwash you into believing that they're good?! Vampires are monsters! They're blood-sucking freaks with zero regard for the lives that they take! They don't care if they kill a single mother with children waiting for her to return home, or a homeless man simply trying to get by!! I refuse for you to speak to me of the little good you believe there to be in those monsters!!"

I felt my grin falter, my dead-beat heart clenching at the thought of little kids never seeing their mother again, or the innocent life of a man being taken in such a way. I remembered an old thing my sister used to say to me. "You would probably cry more for the loss of another family than they would. Your heart is big Nona, even if you like to hide it under tons of ice." Mr. King walked out of the living room and out of my vision, while Stella stood strong. She sighed, opening and closing her hands multiple times, contemplating something in her mind. Then quietly, so quietly that if it weren't for my superhuman hearing I wouldn't have heard her, she whispered, "She's not a monster. I know it. And I'll prove it to everyone." At that, I was pulled out of whatever fever dream this was and back into the real world.

***

I stared at the ceiling for a long while, wondering if that was a weird dream or if I really witnessed Stella speaking with her father. "What the f-"