The Heartless Hybrid Queen

Chapter 23 - Aurora

I've been a nervous wreck all morning. The council meeting is in the early afternoon. I've spent the last hour with Heidi and Harlow in their new room. They never stop smiling, and it hurts my heart that Lucien's hold over them kept them from being happy.

Samael had to meet with Seth around dawn, so I had breakfast with Adrian and Dimitri, before coming to check in on the girls. My two new guards have not let me leave their sight since Samael left us earlier, they currently occupy positions on either side of Heidi and Harlow's bedroom door, watching as the girls make me over.

A little while after arriving here, I complimented Harlow on her makeup, and ever since I've been forced to sit in a chair in front of their mirror as they work products into my hair and apply various powders and creams to my face.

"Almost done," Heidi mutters, while Harlow slides a pale pink gloss across my lips.

A few moments later, I'm finally allowed to look up at myself in the mirror. "Holy fucking shit." I stare in disbelief; my hair is smooth and shining, the curls bouncier than before, my eyes are defined with a light powder and liner, my cheeks are glowing somehow, my face looks way less washed out, and the gloss on my lips complete the look perfectly.

I notice Adrian and Dimitri staring at me in the mirror, "What do you think?" I ask, raising a brow at them.

Dimitri gives me a thumbs up, while Adrian looks from me to Heidi before giving me a nod, "You look beautiful."

I smile happily, admiring my reflection. "Thank you girls, I've never felt so pretty."

Heidi and Harlow squeal excitedly, "Anything, your highness. We owe you our lives." They both lower their heads in a respectful bow, but Heidi's words create a heaviness in the pit of my stomach, I don't want them to owe me.

"Please, Aurora is fine. You don't have to address me as 'your highness'. And you don't owe me anything. What you went through, should have never happened, I'm just glad I could make it stop for you." I watch as their eyes water, causing a lump to swell up in my throat.

Just like last night, after everything happened, I find myself squished between them and buried in their tight embrace. "He was an awful person. He did... things to us..." Harlow's words trail off

Heidi and I rub circles into her back soothingly, "We'll be alright now, Harlow; he can't hurt us anymore."

"Maybe not, but we have to go home and face Damien today." Harlow's angry words bring Heidi's hand on her back to a quick stop. For a split second, she looks terrified, then all of a sudden, she is completely composed again, and continues comforting her sister.

"I'm sure our council will have him on a short leash while he settles into his new position as Coven Leader, he won't have time to do anything to us." Heidi's tone is confident, her posture is relaxed and at ease, but something seems... off. And I'm not the only one who notices; Adrian is staring at Heidi with worry creased between his eyes. Outwardly, she looks completely fine, but I sense some kind of inner panic radiating off her.

"Who is Damien?" I ask sharply, and Harlow's empty eyes snap to my face.

"He's Lucien's brother," Heidi informs me, her voice calm, but stone cold.

"What about your other family?" They can't simply have been left at the mercy of their two vile cousins.

"Our parents were murdered over fifty years ago, we always suspected Lucien's father, but were never able to prove it. Now that Lucien is dead, his younger brother, Damien will take the coven leader position." Harlow's voice wavers slightly, but she presses on, "He is the only family we have left... and now that Lucien is gone, we're all he has left too."