Reckless

Chapter 14 Part 6

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Character POV: Ariadne

The last thing I wanted to have happen when I was granted an immortal lifespan was to be summoned by a witch of all people like I was her dog. I am already in a mood as I walk into courtyard of the very expensive stone house where this Arsinoe witch lives. I thought that our interactions were done when I agreed to let her have Boudicca's daughters and get them set up here with new lives. I did not know that I was signing up for a lifetime of updates and agreeing to co-parent two grown adult women.

Once I enter the stone house, I stop dead in my tracks. Laying on the ground, her pale brown almost blonde hair fanned out around her head, is Boudicca's youngest daughter. Protruding from her chest is a wooden stake. I watch as the body slowly ignites and turns to ash before my very eyes.

A hand clamps down over my mouth as I yanked back into another room that's hidden from the other by a pillar. I yank myself out of the grasp of this individual, whirling around on whoever was dumb enough to manhandle me. When I turn, I see the Arsinoe woman raise her hands in surrender even as she hisses, "Keep quiet. She's still in the house. If she knows you are here, it's all over."

I glance around, actually using my vampire hearing to try and detect any signs of someone else in the house. I can hear a shuffling at the other end of this room, but I also hear the clap of sandals at the other end of this house. When I glance at the other end of this room, I see a bob of red hair and then Boudicca's eldest daughter slowly rises from where she was hiding. I direct my wrath back at Arsinoe as I snarl, "I gave these girls to you in good faith, with the understanding that you would protect them. Then, I walk in here to find one of the staked. I think I am owed an explanation."

"I sent you that summons a month ago, warning you that there might be danger on its way to the girls," Arsinoe snaps, her golden eyes flashing with fury. "It was more than enough time for you to get from Lesbos, Greece to Alexandria, Egypt." She catches herself and sighs through her nose as she growls, "Drusilla is here. She's the one who staked the younger one. She wants them dead because they could pose a distraction for Aoibhe. She believes that, knowing her family is still alive, Aoibhe's loyalty will direct away from Drusilla and back towards her family. You need to get Locrina out of here before she stakes her as well."

"No, what I need to do is go out there and finish this right now. She wants to pick on these girls who have already endured too much at the hands of Romans? No, she's going to be forced to fight someone who actually stands a chance at beating her." I move to walk out of this room to confront the Roman bitch, but Arsinoe grabs my arm and tugs me back in.

Her grip is like a vice, almost as strong as a vampire's, which surprises me. She snarls at me, "No, what you need to do is learn to pick your battles. Today is not the day. There could be too much collateral damage. What Aoibhe needs is to have a reason to leave Drusilla's service. She needs to be shown who Drusilla really is and see it for herself. And she's going to need someone to help her do that." I shake my head, tugging back towards the doorway and dismissing this as bullshit, which prompts Arsinoe to launch into her next persuasive argument. "Doing this for Aoibhe is your duty, because of the promise you made to Boudicca, but also because of the duty every person owes to the person they love." I stop dead in my tracks, and Arsinoe releases my arm.

"I barely know her," I reply evenly. "I bet she doesn't even really remember me. If we met on the street, she'd walk right past me. I made a promise to Boudicca, but I owe Aoibhe nothing more than what I promised her sister."