The Disappearing Act (Vampire Academy Fan Fiction Book 2)

Chapter 6: The Sleeping and the Sleepless

Chapter 6: The Sleeping and the Sleepless

                God, I had missed having a friend. It felt so great to sit and talk and hear familiar names, picture faces; I didn’t realize how much I’d longed to know what was going on at Court.

It had changed a lot in four years. Since our Wedding Massacre, security had been heightened everywhere and teams had been lost trying to discover the source behind this new Strigoi Mafia. My mother had been the head of one such team; she’d died six months ago in Russia, arriving shortly after we’d left. I had been so close to saying goodbye to her.

Lissa had become a dictator and a diva, much like the Queen before her. Cassie had quit being a Royal Guard; she worked for Hans watching monitors all day now. Apparently, the Queen herself had assigned her replacement job. Eddie still guarded an exhausted Christian, who was playing single-dad to a heavily-guarded daughter. Mia had been employed as a “Guardian Advisor” for Lissa and still worked the job, though Cassie said it was turning her hair grey. She barely mentioned Lissa, other than the fact she was now ruining people’s lives in an attempt to destroy the Strigoi. I didn’t mind; I didn’t want to talk about her anyway.

Eddie was the first one to bring it up, and it’d quickly ended our afternoon together.

“Christian says you turned down their dinner invite,” Eddie said as Annessa bounced in his arms. He kept his eyes on her, but the question was directed at us. “Lissa seemed upset about it, too.”

                I snorted. “I earned the right not to do what she says anymore. We had more important stuff to do, like prepare for our court case the next morning.”

“I think she misses you, Rose,” he added carefully. “She still has the bridesmaid photo on her–“

“I don’t care,” I snapped. Dimitri shot me a warning look as Cassie pinched Eddie’s elbow.

                Scooping Annessa up, Dimitri said, “It’s getting late and this one probably needs a nap.”

“Yeah, we should get going,” Cassie added, her voice hard as she glared at Eddie.

                That was where our good day had ended.

                I sat with Annessa on the couch while Dimitri ran to get us dinner. He claimed we needed real food instead of pizza or Chinese; I agreed, but didn’t want Annessa out so late. I had motherly instincts somewhere inside me.

                She was curled up beside me with her new giraffe, clutching the thing like it was life itself. It was sweet, I would admit, but I also knew a large giraffe wasn’t exactly travel friendly. Then again, neither was a kid.

                I would be a mother, though, only for Viktoria; I knew she had a reason for leaving us her daughter. We wouldn’t stay at Court, which she was aware of; that could only mean she wanted Annessa very far away from the center of the vampire universe.

                I smiled sadly at the little girl who was sleeping blissfully. She was so oblivious to all the politics, deaths, and heroics she’d lived through; I wished she could be that way forever.

                But, if genes and parenting meant anything, this girl wouldn’t be that way. She’d have the Belikov spirit in her; the one that caused them to put themselves before everyone else and love with a passion deeper than any wound a Strigoi could inflict. It also meant she’d be fighting, just like her uncle and mother. It meant she’d be a warrior god, too.

                Hesitantly, I reached over and ran a hand over her curls, my breath sticking in my throat. She was beautiful for a toddler, with long hair and bright eyes. Her Moroi traits were very present, but the Dhampir ones had their place already; she was going to be a heartbreaker, too, like her best friend Margaret.

                I wished I could have held Margaret yesterday, but Christian was latched onto her. I was technically the kid’s godparent; I had a right to see her. But, then again, I would’ve bet Lissa changed it to someone else upon our disappearance. That was the kind of person she’d become.

                I was like she used to be, with a husband and daughter to care for on top of a job that required every inch of my soul. The only difference was, I wasn’t going to let it turn me into a monster.

                Annessa’s eyes blinked open and she stared up at me, fright soothing into recognition.

“Auntie Rose?” she said, her toddle voice echoing into the quiet around us.

“Hi, sweetie,” I smiled and she climbed into my lap, dragging her giraffe with her.

                I laughed softly as she situated herself, her eyes still on my face.

“Where’s Mama, Auntie Rose?”

                My laughter quickly died. Shit.

“She’s…” They told her; Cassie and Mia said they told her. What the hell was I supposed to say? Shit shit shit. “She’s in a better place.”

                Of course, I’d pick the lamest answer possible.

 “Can we go visit her?”

                Annessa blinked at me, innocence and curiosity on her face. At least I was bonding with her.

“One day,” I smiled and hugged her into my lap. She nestled under my arm, the giraffe tucked on the other half of my embrace.

“You promise?”

“Pinky promise,” I said and held up my finger. She locked her tiny one around it and giggled.

                How the hell was I supposed to explain death to a four year old?