Heritage (10 page)

“Is he cute?” She asked.

I shifted awkwardly on my bed, of course I had noticed how he looked. I noticed when I first met him how his eyes
were
the shade of the night sky. He was more gorgeous than any other demon I had seen.

“So that’s a yes he’s cute then,” She chuckled.

“He’s a demon which automatically makes him attractive, so yeah he’s cute,” I confessed, dropping my head into my hands. I still hated him, he had dragged me out of nice swim.  Alex chuckled and gave me a back hug. We both jumped as Emerald bombarded into the room, followed by eight servants each holding a bunch of objects. Do I not have any privacy in this place.

“Oh you have showered
that’s
a start,” She bellowed pulling me off my bed.

“We need to get you dressed. It’s, oh dear it's three o’clock,” She exclaimed glancing at her watch, she ushered Alex out of the room, not giving her chance to say goodbye.

“Emerald...” I tried to reason with her as she ushered me into the bathroom throwing in the dress.

“Get changed please
Adabelle
.”

Taking my sweet time, I changed into the dress, a perfect fit that’s weird nothing ever fits me perfectly. Exiting the bathroom wearing the totally gorgeous blue satin dress, Emerald took one look at me and nearly burst with compliments and pride at my appearance.

“You look amazing!” She blurted. She pulled me over to my wardrobe mirror,
and
I saw what she was seeing. I looked alright I suppose, but I did adore the dress. I could see Emerald welling up in the mirror and I turned to face her. She alarmed me by giving me a huge hug then sitting me down in my chair in front of my dressing table.

“The only problem is the hair and the face,” She moaned.

“Cheers Emerald, It’s not like I
don’t
already have self esteem issues,” I sniffed.

“Sort her out boys,” she chimed and left the room. leaving me with eight people trying to make me look decent.

Chapter Five

So here I am, completely made up with my hair curled, hanging flawlessly and my body looking slim in a gorgeous sky blue satin dress. My face was flawless and made up. The person staring back at me didn’t look like me, it was me yes, but it was different. I looked alright for once, and that freaked me out a little. I looked at the clock, it was five minutes past five. I had missed the odd meeting with the person that I had the note from, but I wasn’t that bothered, if it was urgent it would come up again. I looked at the necklace hanging around my neck and read the words engraved on the back ‘forever in my heart’. I twiddled the silver heart in my hand and remembered the bracelet that I had found in the ocean.
Running back into my bathroom, I pulled out the bracelet from my cloak pocket.
  It was a chained bracelet with a rose charm hanging from it, it was beautiful as I put it on my wrist, it seemed to complete my outfit.

“There you are
,
come on we will be late,” Emerald bustled into the room like a hurricane and swept her way to my side.

“You look beautiful, just like your mother that was her dress you know.”

I gave her a weak smile. I hated being compared to my mother, all I knew of her was that she was evil and as I was conceived when she had turned dark side, I was now half evil, but I kept that part of me in the unconscious part of my mind.

“Oh dear, she wasn’t always like that you know,” She whispered taking my hand in hers. “She was an amazing woman when she was good, where did you find this?” She questioned, picking up my hand and examining the bracelet sounding alarmed.

“At the bottom of the Ocean, I went swimming
today…I
,”

“This was your mothers
too,
she lost it a long time ago,” She interrupted. Dropping her hand from mine she walked towards the door, her long green dress trailing along behind her.

“Let’s Go, he’s waiting for us” She smiled and led me through the hallway, past the portraits of kings been and gone, as we turned towards the Grand hall, where it seemed everyone had begun to gather.

The chain on my wrist felt ten times heavier at the thought that it was my mothers. If my dad saw it he was sure to freak. Why I didn’t take it off, I don’t know Geez I’m so stupid sometimes.  As I walked across the Grand hall that was filled with creatures, demons, people and elders rushing to take their seat, I was given a bow by all that I past. I approached the head table and curtsey in front of my father, he looked at me with pride. Out of the corner of my eye I spotted Logan crossing the hall with a hooded figure. Logan’s face was emotionless as he stopped in front of me. I had been so transfixed by his face that I hadn’t noticed my father take his place next to me. He placed his hand on my shoulder and kissed my forehead before stepping towards the hooded man and shaking his hand.

His hood fell back, and he smiled at me, his hazel eyes shone in the brightly lit room.  Like Logan, he had dark brunette hair but his was longer and tied up in a ponytail.  His black cloak surrounded him like a black hole edged with red ribbon. He stretched out his hand, and my father took it without hesitation.

“Welcome Conrad, It’s good to see you again” My father greeted shaking his hand.

“It’s a pleasure to be here Eric, I and my son here are enjoying the sights,” Conrad chuckled as Logan bowed towards us.

“He has grown into a strapping Lad.” My father shook
Logan
’s hand.

“Yes he has, he’s going to do big things,” He sneered, which made my skin crawl. “Your Daughter has grown into a fine lady, just like her mother,” He continued, he walked towards me and took my hand and kissed it. I gave him a sweet smile and tried to stop myself from gagging.

“Thank you but like her mother, she has a strong head on her shoulders and will also do big things,” My father stated,
and
we went to sit in our seats.

I took my place beside my father and unfortunately Logan and scanned the room.  Everyone was sat in their seats, and the tables were full, each had a servant standing at the side of each chair. The ceiling was decorated in streams of
gold,
and red
voiles
and roses were embroidered on drapes.

“Where is he?” My father mumbled to me.

“Who?” I wondered, scanning the room for someone who wasn’t there.

“Ethan, he’s always late, I have no idea what I’m going to do with that boy,” He sighed.

“Dad
he’s
properly doing something worthwhile ok. Give the boy a break.”

“ I’d Like to give that boy a break,” he muttered.

“Dad,” I reasoned just as Ethan strolled into the room and took his place beside him breathlessly.

“I’m Sorry I’m late I had a meeting that someone didn’t show up to,” He breathed as he gave me a dirty look. So Ethan was the one who had written me the note, why didn’t he just tell me. I always knew my family
was messed
up.

“Remind me to give you a watch for your sweet sixteen, I’m tired of you embarrassing me with your tardiness,” He hissed.

“Dad! Leave him alone,” I tried to reason with him while Ethan tried to hide his upset expression. “It’s my fault I was meant to meet him.”

“Don’t make excuses for the boy Adabelle! He needs to own up to his own mistakes.”

“He’s right Elle, I’m a worthless piece of crap I know that,” Ethan cussed.

“Ethan…”

“We will talk about this later,” My father interrupted.

I turned my head so that I could see Ethan’s face, he gave me a smile, and I sat back up straight. It wasn’t fair how my father treated Ethan, he was only fifteen, but he was old enough to know that my father treated him differently to me. Ethan’s mother died when Ethan was seven, during an invasion of a country house we used to own. Having two women he loved taken away from him hurt my dad a lot, I could tell. After that,  my dad seemed to treat Ethan differently,
but
I wasn’t sure why.

“Don’t worry all of us have our family issues,” Logan whispered as the opening band began to play a soft tune.

“It’s none of your business,” I grunted.

“Just trying to be friendly,” He moaned.

“Well
don’t
,” I sighed and listened to the band.

As they finished everyone applauded as they took a bow and exited,  The room fell silent as my father stood up. Every one’s head turned towards our table and I knew they weren’t looking at me, but I felt a bit awkward and tried not to shift in my seat.

“Welcome Friends and Foes,” He greeted, gesturing to each side of the room as he spoke. Each person nodded their head in greeting towards him.

“We are here today to discuss the boundaries and regulations between demons and angels, this will be discussed later between Conrad and I,” He began.

“But before we do, we shall have a feast to show there are no hidden agendas to our choosing of our castle to hold this meeting, so without further delay. Enjoy!” He finished, with a clap of his hands trays of food appeared on the table in front of them, with sounds of awe the room began to fill with conversation and sounds of cutlery banging against plates. It was custom for the royalty not to eat with their people during a special occasion; therefore I had to watch all these people eat with my stomach rumbling. 

For what seemed like hours the room was abuzz with sound before my father stood up again.

“Now we shall bid you farewell,” He bowed and left the table followed by Ethan and myself.  We exited the Grand hall through a door behind our table, going through the door that I hadn’t known was there, I felt slightly claustrophobic as it led us down a narrow tunnel, as I was at the back I could feel the presence of something behind me. I turned fast with hands out ready to freeze when Logan looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

“Sorry,” I muttered continuing up the tunnel. He snickered as we turned the corner into a wooden beamed room. I had to duck as we entered the small room that was barely lit. I tripped over something on the floor and felt a hand on me holding me up.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Logan answered and took a seat next to his father, around a small wooden table. A servant lit a candle in the middle of it and then left hastily, leaving us in the dim candle light. The room felt eerie, everything was either made from wood or covered in brown fabric to make it look like it.

Conrad rose from his seat followed by my father, nodding their heads they took their hands and placed them crossed in each other’s so that their arms showed the symbol of a cross.

“By the degree of magic, I conjure thee to witness the journey of good and evil in this blessed hour,” They both chanted as the room began to fill with a soft wind which ruffled my hair. They both fell silent as a blast of wind blew out the candle, our only source of light. We sat in the dark for a couple of seconds before the flame reappeared in a burst of green mist. It flickered from blue to green, then settled leaving a glowing moss flame. They unwrapped their arms and took their seats. After a long awkward silence,  Conrad rose from his seat and nodded his head in my father’s direction.

“If I may begin Eric,” He asked, my father nodded back and gestured for him to go on.

“Well the boundaries for Icarus need to be accessed…”

“Conrad, Icarus is not an issue for either of us,” My father interrupted.

“Maybe it should be! It’s a realm that has not been used, no one has reign over it and with the recent killings,” Conrad continued.

“For very good reason,
it's
home to many neutral creatures because it is neutral!” My father stared at Conrad with the expression that me and Ethan knew well. It was the come on I dare you to prove me wrong look. It wasn’t a look that was your friend, that was for sure.

“Everyone should have a side Eric.” He stated.  I built up the courage and asked.

“Sorry but what is neutral?” Conrad looked at me and gave a smile that showed that he was thinking Idiot inside.

“It means they are neither evil nor good. That they don’t have a side they are neutral for example, Reapers, they don’t belong to either of our sides,” Logan answered with a cocky smile. I rolled my eyes, ok that was a bad idea. I’ll keep my thoughts to myself, stupid cocky demon with his stupid dark hair and blue eyes.  My thought bitching was interrupted by Ethan coughing and nudging me in the side.