Blood.

Chapter Sixteen: So much worse.

"There..." Cole looked at his youngest niece, as she kicked the ball and put his hand up for a high five. The three-year-old instead waddled into his arms, giggling when he threw her into the air, catching her and pretending she was too heavy, causing them both to roll on the ground.
"You did a good job, kicking that ball, Tesoro."  He said when they finally calmed down. "You'll kick everyone's asses."
"She's three" Xander pulled the girl from his twin's arms who grinned up.
"Can I call her my daughter, you can take all three of my knuckleheads? I need Aurora, she's going to be better than Messi."
Xander kicked Cole's head who just laughed harder, it was an inside joke between the two, 'better than Messi.' Cole then looked at Aurora who had her head tilted.
"I love you, bambina."
"Lowv you too, Unca Coley."

Aurora's P.O.V:

"Let's try something new, play along with me, okay?"

"Sure" I looked at Nicole who smiled at my response. My first session had gone rather well the day before, Vince got me some frozen yogurt afterwards and then we went home, had dinner, I did my homework, and read the book I had checked out from the library.

The Cruel Prince.

Jude was so cool, and for some reason, Cardan's attitude reminded me a lot of Nico's, the two days he'd been here. A little of Dustin too but mainly Nico. But JUDE'S SO AMAZING.

Unfortunately, I had to be taken out from the world of the Fae for my second session, and that is where I was now. 

"You know what I think? I think you have your own voice."

Oh did I forget to mention she thought the way I spoke wasn't mine, it wasn't my voice, that it was blinded by judgement, a little too much. Judgement for myself.

"But you ignore it, you've ignored it for so long that your brain doesn't acknowledge it even anymore, so for this, I'll say a sentence and the absolute first thing that comes to your mind is what you say, okay?"

I nodded.

"Why are you covered in Neon paint?"

"Why aren't you?" I closed my eyes as the words left my mouth, expecting her to be mad instead when I did open my eyes, I was met by amused eyes, a smile on her face.

"Good job!" She praised "See, it wasn't a polite dictionary answer, it was yours."

"Isn't that rude?"

"Maybe it is, maybe it's not. Some might take offence, some might laugh. It's not up to you how they react nor your responsibility to care which one will it be." She ticked something on her paper. "Of course that doesn't mean you go around insulting people, I meant in things like that answer."

"Gotcha" I said with a small laugh. I liked her. 

"I know I asked you at the beginning of this session but how are you settling in?"

I decided last night, I would do one emotional thing I'm afraid of and one physically, however small it may seem. And I was scared of telling her, voicing my doubts, so scared. I didn't want to seem ungrateful but I wanted to know for sure. It scared me, not knowing did.

"It's scary," I said quietly and her eyes softened.

"What is it that you find scary?"

"Everything," I answered softly, pressing myself into the couch. "Alina, Nico, Dustin...how they behave, the fact that they kill people and that even after knowing they do I feel comfortable with them. That Milo said I love you and I said it back when I don't even know how it feels to actually love anyone in any way, that no one ever told me that before. That one moment I feel like I fit in for the first time and the next I don't."