Born into the lap of luxury and a time of turmoil, Duchesse Eleonore Vigneron experiences her coming of age in the Court of Louis XVI . Embroiled in the chaos that surrounds Versailles, Eleni uses her unique blend of wit, charm, and beauty to ensure...
"She was too young, too gentle, and I couldn't save her. And I'm sorry." -- Suzanne Collins, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay"
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Scott expects entering the hospital room will be a somewhat traumatic experience, one he'd never forget. He doesn't deserve to. It isn't the first time in his life he's done something wrong, let someone down, hurt someone. For some reason, it's one of the times he feels guilt most acutely. Aside from the time he'd hurt Eleni and the way he'd betrayed his father so unforgivably he'd been thrown out of the house as a youngster, he had never felt anything like what he feels when he thinks of Alisaundra.
Alisaundra's eyes fly wide open as she sees Scott walking into the room with a huge tray of happy and shiny things. There is something childlike and fragile about her. For the first time since they'd met in the hotel, Scott notices how young she is. He did at the very beginning but, somehow, that knowledge had faded over time.
She doesn't belong here. She doesn't belong with me, he thinks to himself. She needs her family. When she gets better, I will make sure she feels loved and safe. I will get her back to her real home.
"I know you! I'm very happy to see you, I think. Are all those things for me?"
Scott's lips press together and he feels the crushing of his heart when he sees Ali. Her head is wrapped in large white bandages that cover the spots where her beautiful blonde hair was removed to stitch the skin together. A small hole had been made in the side of Alisaundra's head to help relieve the pressure and swelling in her brain. Without the help of whoever brought her to this hospital, she certainly would have died. The thought causes the back of his throat to stick together and his chest to constrict.
He hates to tell Ali no, but then again, he always hates telling her no. "I hate to disappoint you, Ali, but these are for sharing with Lala. I will bring you more gifts the next time I visit, though." A voice inside him tells him to speak to her as if he were speaking to a child.
Lala's head turns at the mention of her name. In contrast to Ali's sweet and child-like nature, Lala seems dark and moody. Without all her accessories, she looks like an average young woman, and one not all that young. She definitely doesn't look like the kind who makes heads turn the way they often do for her. Scott realises how much of the art of seduction is a mental game. Lala turns herself into whoever she wants to be, but when she is just Lala she is almost unremarkable. On the other hand, while even at her worst, Ali is still Ali. She is simple and unpretentious, spoiled but lovable. One of them doesn't know how to be her genuine self, and the other can't be anything but. It's a strange but sensible pairing.
I don't know if Lala deserves better than me, Scott thinks to himself, but Ali does. It's not too late for her to have a normal, happy life.
Lala's caramel eyes stare blankly. "Vampires keep chasing me. They have trapped me in this room, and they attack me with straps and needles. I will fight back, though. I fought the first time, and I'll keep fighting. My soul and my blood is mine."
