Riley Hayes | A Vampire Novel | Book 2

Chapter 22 - l-l-love

Riley's pov

I have been through a lot throughout my life but being choked by a magical vine is a first. I couldn't tear it and I couldn't cut it, not even Damian could.

I didn't want to die, especially not before my son. I can't do that to him so I continued to struggle until I began to think that maybe now my time had come.

It didn't.

Again.

The girl who sat at the table quietly possessed major power somehow. She burned the vines away and saved my life. She even killed Lee without remorse. May called the girl her sister but who would kill a sibling like that? "She was just a kid..." I mumbled.

Althea shook her head, "they are well over a hundred years old. Never trust a witch's exterior."

"Are you okay Althea?" I whispered, I mean she lost a child. And physically she suddenly looked seventy years old or something, she had wrinkles! Her red hair was grey, like a lighter grey. Her arms were boney and thin, she didn't look well.

"The loss of a child is painful, she made a stupid mistake though. In a war, you have to choose a side, she picked the wrong one."

Leuca now had come over to me as well and wasn't letting go of me. "I'm fine, let go." I tried pushing him off but he didn't let me. His arms were surrounding me tightly.

May still was a sobbing mess. She was holding onto Lee, screaming her name over and over. Wailing.

"Lee!"

How did dinner turn out like this? "What happened..." I asked.

"I asked Damian to find out who did this to you." I couldn't see his face because mine was smothered in his chest and he still wasn't letting go. "I didn't know if Althea was involved, but she was the only witch you ever came in contact with."

Althea huffed, "I wouldn't grant you a child from another woman."

Leuca chuckled and commented on her exterior, her wrinkles, and such. Althea got angry and explained she used magic to keep up her youthful appearance. She also tried using magic to nullify Lee's magic and together it was too much.

She explained Rayna's power was undeniably greater than hers but she was not ready to take over the coven, for now. She was too young.

The nobles had gathered as well already and especially Wyatt and Christina were checking up on Leuca. The others just stood more behind, two were looking like they couldn't be bothered.

I rarely saw them, Dean and Aziz or something. "Then send them away, they betrayed you," Christina mentioned.

Althea didn't reply and just stared at Leuca who looked back at her and then sighed. "She didn't know about it. Get someone to guide her to her room and someone to aid her by drawing a bath." Leuca ordered.

Christina didn't seem to like it but she nodded obediently. She quickly looked at me but when our eyes met she looked away. Still angry at me then.

I saw the young girl curiously looking at me but as I looked at her she looked away shyly and then hopped over to Damian. Oh? Interesting.

I finally managed to escape from Leuca's grasp and dodge his hand from grabbing me. I walked over to Damian and his new friend. "Won't you introduce me to your friend?" I asked Damian.

He looked at her and then back at me and back at her. He even started getting a bit red, "I just met her! She isn't my friend." He looked away which made me grab his ear.

Damian was pleading for me to let go and that it hurt, which it certainly didn't. "I think I asked you to introduce me?" I teased him and also grabbed his other ear.