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“New friends?” I pushed, my eyes narrowing.

“Two Fae I found wandering around York,” her words reminded me of the human women with red hair, who’d smelt of Ancient things, and her dark knight with pointed eartips.

“And you brought them here?” I questioned, trying to understand why Tilly thought they needed to be here, instead of back with their own kind.

“Yes, the woman was letting off some pretty powerful magic, and she doesn’t even know what she is, so obviously I couldn’t leave them running amok.” She explained, and it did make sense, however something inside me screamed when I thought of that dark haired Shadow Fae being anywhere near Charleene.

I stared at Tilly incredulously. I couldn’t believe that she’d not only stumbled across them, but brought them here. Ancients were a thing of the past and they should stay where they belonged. Nothing good would come of them meddling on Earth; it hadn't been the last time they’d been here. The Elders’ enjoyed teaching all new vampires about the Shadow Fae who’d created our race eon’s ago before abandoning us.

“We’d been nothing more than an experiment to them.” I snapped at the room and instantly regretted my outburst when I saw Charleene flinch. Looking over at her, she looked confused. “The Shadow Fae created our kind, they mixed their own blood and dark magic with that of humans, turning those who survived into Vampires,” I explained giving her a brief history lesson, “then after growing bored they abandoned us, giving no explanation or even returning to see what would happen to us.”

“That may have been the case back then, however this Fae is different,” Tilly said breaking my story short, “they aren’t Shadow Fae, Adrina, and she needs our help.” I knew she was trying to calm me down, but the rage I felt at her bringing their kind to Hamstead wouldn’t cool. “She doesn’t even truly know what she is.”

“What do you mean?” Charleene’s sweet voice asked timidly.

“She has no memory of being anything other than human,” Tilly told her gently.

“Like me?” Charleene ventured hesitantly.

“No!” I snapped.

While Tilly said, “Yes.” Our voices overlapped.

Glaring at the woman who’d been my closest friend for over three hundred years, I shook my head in disappointment and walked over to where Charleene now perched on the edge of her seat. Sinking down on the balls of my feet to meet her eyes, “She’s nothing like you—” I began, getting halfway through my sentence, before Charleene cut me off.

“Of course she’s like me, Dina! It wasn’t that long ago I thought I was just a human woman, trying to make her way in life and now here I am. In your Vampire Coven’s grandest hotel, waiting to see if they can find out what Witch Coven I belong to. How is that any different?” Charleene snapped at me, losing her patience.

“Well…” when she put it that way, I could see the similarities, but it didn’t change the fact that they would put her in even more danger than she was already in.

“Anyhow…” Tilly began, drawing both of our attention her way, “the Elders are reconvening this evening and you two are to attend.”

“Have they found something?” Charleene asked and I couldn’t tell if it was hope or fear that made her voice tremble.

“They wouldn’t say, just that they wish to discuss it with you Charleene,” Tilly’s voice was calm and neutral, but her eyes wrinkled slightly at the corners, making me wary of what tonight’s meeting would bring.

Chapter Fourteen

Do I hate those that created and abandoned us, because it comes too close to my own past? -Dina

Still angry that Tilly had chosen to bring the damn fae to Hampstead, I waited for Charleene to get changed, glaring at Tilly as she drank another glass of whisky. “Why would you bring them here?” I asked again, glancing at Charleene's door.

“Because she is untrained and needs about as much help as Charleene does.” Tilly answered glibly, “why is this bothering you so much?” she fired back, quirking an eyebrow at me, but before I could answer Charleene returned.

“Ready to go?” I asked, wondering why the Fae’s presence seemed to rankle me so much.

“Yep,” Charleene answered, her happy tone at odds with how her finger tapped incessantly on her leg.

“It will be ok,” I said, moving swiftly to her side and shoving my own issues deep down.

“I know, I’m just scared.” Charleene admitted meeting my eyes.

“Of what?” I asked with a frown.Didn’t she want to know more about herself and where she’d come from?

“What if they don’t know where I came from or who’s Coven I belong to? What if I was a mistake that they want to forget?” Her questions came out in a rush of verbal diarrhoea, making my lips twitch in a smile until her last question, “what if I’m not good enough for whoever abandoned me?”

“Then it’s their loss,” I told her anger colouring my tone, “you are perfect.”

Charleene’s stormy sea eyes met mine, shimmering with unshed tears at my bold declaration. “So I’m perfect enough for them but not for you?” she said with a small sniffle, before her eyes hardened, “Good to know.”