Underworld

Part 4: Chapter 5

Once we made it down to the winter gardens, everyone stared at me in shock. I recognized some of the vampires who looked upon me. I remember helping a few of them out with their duties here while I lead the coven. They gave me a soft smile and a nod in acknowledgment. I returned the favor and kept my head held high. I knew that they saw me as more of a leader than Samira. I actually fought along with the death dealers while I lived here while she hides behind her parties and raw recruits. I decided to leave David and hunt for my sister. I felt guilty for not helping her during this time, though she did not make it easy. I did keep track of her journey in finding Michael before she gave up. I did not want our reunion to be like this but the situation demanded it. I found her towards the center of the gardens avoiding the gaze of the vampires around her. "Selene, can we talk?" I ask her. She nodded and I led her to the secluded area of the gardens.

"What is it you want to talk about?" she asked me.

I hugged her tightly, startling her before she returned the hug. "I have missed you so much." I cried into her shoulder.

"And I you." She told me as she buried her head into my neck for comfort. "I feel so lost. I have lost Eve because I have lost the man I love." I pulled away from the hug and gripped her hand. "Eve, before she left, told me that I was not her mother and she was right. My heart is too cold and broken to be her mother."

"No, Selene, your heart is not," I tell her before sitting down on one of the stone benches. "Your heart is just tired. Tired of the war and the fighting." I brush her hair away from her pale face. "If your heart was too cold and broken, you would not be like this. You would not be sacrificing yourself to protect your daughter. She may not see it because she is but a child but I do. I have been there nearly every step of the way with you. I left you and Eve to lead the vampires and lycans away from you. I wanted you to be able to start a life with her and possibly find Michael and start your life as a family." I brought out my dagger and cut my hand enough for it to bleed. I handed her the blade. "Look at it through my eyes," I tell her offering up the blood on the knife. She licked the blood off of the blade and was swept into my memories.

I waited a few moments until she came out of her trance. "Why show me all of that?" she asked me with tears welling in her eyes.

"Because you deserve to remember who you were and are. You are just a little lost but I will be here to help you. Just call for me and I will fight armies to help you. After all, I am the second-best death dealer, next to you." I smiled at her before standing up. "Now come. I'm sure Samira has a speech planned and do me a favor. Keep your guard up." I tell her before leading us into the party.

We weaved through the crowd meeting David and Thomas in the middle. I gave them a smile but never left Selene's side. We were both wary of the vampires that surrounded us. Samira saw that the four of us were together and climbed onto the small stage. "In times of war, this coven needs moments to celebrate." she says with a smile "The arrival of Thomas, David, Selene, as well as Iris who once led this coven, is the reason of plenty," she announced. I could feel my sister become tense under this woman's gaze. "To rejoice" Samira raised her glass in a toast which most of the vampires followed. "To us all"

I could feel the hardened gaze of someone on the back of my neck. I turn to see one of the council members. Cassius. I turned to Selene "I'll be right back. I need to handle something. Keep your guard up around that woman. She is still sore at the fact you replaced her." Once I was done informing Selene, I walked away from her and approached the elder. "Cassius, you do know it is rude to stare" I narrowed my eyes at the man.

"Iris, once the great Amelia's regent and sister to Marcus, now a runaway." He says with a frown on his face. "If it wasn't for the fact Marius was rallying forces of lycans, I would kill you and your sister for Viktor's death."