We're Almost Home

the night

The shock, an outrage even, after the coven's Elder decided to bring her child to The Council meeting was tremendous. The gossip spread through the coven like wildfire - the whole palace heard of it in just a matter of minutes.

When the news reached Varga, who at the time was overseeing the training of their recruits, he finished up quickly and found his way to the main level. The Death Dealer lingered in the main hall and shortly after caught a glimpse of Selene, her daughter, and David exiting the room slowly. The woman seemed to be explaining something to them and was soon sending the two upstairs.

The man decided to approach her when she began marching in the direction of the main gallery.

"So it is true then," he started, "you really did bring your daughter to the meeting," he exclaimed.

The vampiress looked at him, her face painted with irritation, "Does anything ever stay private around here?"

"I guess not, my lady," he replied.

At that moment, she was too exhausted to try and reprimand the man. She let out a sigh, signalling her second-in-command to quit it.

"Why did you decide to bring her there? If you don't mind my asking," he questioned.

The Elder took a deep breath, "I simply wanted to show them what they were so afraid of, a child," she explained. "And if The Council had any questions, they could have just asked her directly."

"Ha! Did it go as well as I can imagine? Were the old crones insufferable as per usual?"

"Guess," the woman rolled her eyes, "They were close to interrogating her," she scoffed, "Eve handed it well, calmly answering all the ridiculous questions. But I could see she was extremely uncomfortable. And it just made me want to smash their heads together," she hissed angrily.

"Understandable," he affirmed. Moments later, they parted ways before the basement's supply room.

Eve only managed to shower and change for bed before her mother appeared in her room, waving around something she held in her hand.

"What is that? It's too dark to see anything," she curiously asked, getting out of bed.

"Lay back down," her mother instructed, "you'll see for yourself," she said and began to do something with the girl's bedside lamp. For a while, the bedroom went pitch black, and then it was illuminated by a dim purplish hue.

"This is so beautiful," she marvelled.

With her mouth slightly opened, Eve stood on her bed and looked around the room. The glass crystals sown into the lampshade made the light dance beautifully on the walls, making the bedroom look whimsically magical.

Selene could not help but smile when she saw her daughter react with childlike amazement. Rummaging through the supply room to find this RGB lightbulb was worth it, she thought. The young girl gestured for her mother to come and sit next to her, so she did.

"You said that you loved all shades of purple," said the woman, "and that sometimes you still have trouble sleeping in the dark," she continued, not noticing her daughter's teary eyes, "so I thought you might like this."

"You remembered it...," the girl choked out. "Thank you so much, I love it," she quietly added.

The sight of Eve's crying face made Selene's insides churn; it left her frozen for a moment. The woman was still learning how to accommodate the child's vast emotional needs and how to be a mother. At times, the instinct just was not enough. Damn it, what do I do? Oh hell..., she cursed in her head and just decided to let her daughter cry it out by her side.

Getting into a comfortable half-sitting position, Selene opened her arms and gestured for Eve to join her. The still-sniffling girl obediently laid her head down on her mother's chest and let the tears stream down her cheeks. It was not about the lamp anymore - all events of the past days had finally caught up with the young girl.

The mother enveloped her child in a warm embrace, gently stroking her hair and face.

"Hush now, my dear, it's all okay," she whispered, "I'm here. You're safe," The vampiress planted a soft kiss on the girl's forehead, holding her even tighter. Almost as if she were to slip away from her any moment. Eve looked up, locking her blue eyes with her mother's chestnut ones, "I love you, mum," she said shyly and got comfortable again.

A wave of disbelief came through the woman. She had never heard this from her child before. With a trembling lip, she took a deep breath, "And I love you, my darling girl," she replied with a small smile, rubbing her back.

Eve felt the weight of her worries gradually ease, replaced by a sense of security. Feeling her daughter finally calming down, Selene let herself relax as well. That night was a storm of emotions - exhausting and hard to navigate. But together, they got through it in one piece, finding solace in each other's presence.

Selene stayed, holding and talking with Eve for a long time. Mid-sentence, she felt her daughter's body go heavy and limp. Look who's asleep, she mused and listened to Eve's steady breaths.

She watched her girl closely as if she were a painting, examining her pretty features. I can't believe that Michael and I made something this beautiful, she thought and felt a plunge of sadness deep inside. She missed him dearly, thinking of her lost love every day. He's gone forever. She's all I have left of him, she pondered sadly. The girl might have looked like Selene, but her behaviours, warmth and thoughtfulness were all her father.

"You would have loved this little girl, Michael," she whispered, looking up as if it was a prayer.

Deep in thought, The Elder remained staring at their child's face for quite a while before she started to nod off.

The soft rhythm of their breathing synchronised, and as the mother's eyes fluttered shut, she felt the gentle pull of sleep. Together, they slept cuddled, the outside fading to a distant murmur.