A li'l note: I just wanted to thank everyone SO MUCH for all of your support. I wanted to write this note every chapter, but I guess I just kept forgetting. Oh well! Anyways, thank you to everyone who reviews the story, it makes me so happy to see them. To the person who PMed me with a scene idea, be patient! It's coming ;). And finally, thank you to all the followers and favoriters! I can't wait to keep writing for you all! Well, enough sappy sweetness. Let's get into the ANGST.
"Miss Dimitrescu, can I sit next to Mister Heisenberg? He looks sad." Alcina knew the reason he 'looked sad'. The only reason she didn't was because she was better at hiding. "You can sit in between us." Seline looked excited for the meeting, and Alcina didn't have the heart to tell her what would really happen. The four lords (and a little girl) all sat in their designated seats. Karl had to stifle a laugh, noticing that Seline's legs still couldn't quite reach the floor. His nerves returned just as quickly as they had left. He nervously glanced at Alcina, and she looked just as anxious. Mother Miranda entered the room, and immediately took notice of their new member. However, she decided to let them stew in their anxiety. "Greetings, my children. How are all of you faring?" Salvatore answered first, showing his love for his mother. "I made a new friend today!" Everyone internally facepalmed, except for Angie and Seline. Angie just facepalmed for real. "Oh, a new friend? How… Lovely. She wouldn't happen to be here, would she?" Too late, Salvatore realized his mistake. However, it was too late now. "U-um, yeah, she is!" Alcina clenched her fists. "Well, child, come here and let me take a look at you." The mood couldn't have been more tense as Seline got up from her chair and walked in front of Miranda. "What is your name, child?" Even though she wasn't able to fully smile out of nerves, Seline still fought to keep her upbeat tone. "My name is Seline Floarea, nice to meet you!" Miranda scanned the girl quickly. Already, it was clear that she was not a fit vessel for Eva. Her mind wasn't strong enough to hold the Cadou. However, she could serve some other purpose… "My name is Miranda, and the pleasure is all mine." A lie, obviously, but Seline didn't pick up on that. Suddenly remembering something, she carefully pulled something out of her pocket. "I have a present for you as well!" Rather than the wildflowers she had given everyone, she handed Miranda a beautiful white rose that may or may not have been picked from Castle Dimitrescu's courtyard. Miranda took the flower and smiled, but a flash of memory wiped it off her face.
"Mother! Mother!" Eva rushed into their small cottage, and Miranda laughed. "Slow down, silly." However, Eva continued to bounce excitedly. "I found you something! Look, look!" Eva gave her mom a white rose, and Miranda smiled affectionately. "Thank you, darling. I'm gonna put it in a vase right now so it'll stay alive longer!"
Snapping back to reality, Miranda took a deep breath. "So, tell me about yourself." Quickly looking back at Alcina for confirmation, Seline began to talk. "I work at Miss Dimitrescu's castle, it's really fun! Everyone is super nice! I get to play with Cass, Dani, and Bels a lot- I mean Cassandra, Daniela, and Bela! Sorry! Anyways, I really like my job! And then I got to come here and meet Miss Beneviento, Angie, Mister Moreau, Mister Heisenberg, and you!" Miranda shot a look at Alcina. "And what was your reason for bringing her here?" The vampire woman used her prepared answer. "This girl is different from the ones in the village. I thought you might be able to see hidden potential in her." Alcina didn't miss the cruel glint in Miranda's eyes, nor did she miss the slightly sad look in Seline's. I'm sorry. I had to say whatever I could to keep you safe. Karl gave her a nearly unnoticeable nod. It was the right thing to do.
"Well, it was smart of you to bring her. There is, in fact, potential to be unearthed. Good job, Alcina." On any other occasion, Miranda's praise would've filled her with joy. But now, it just made Alcina's chest tighten. "Well, let's get down to business. Salvatore, have you made any progress with our water-lycans?" A bit taken aback by the sudden address, he hesitated for a second before shaking his head. "I added webs to their hands and feet, but they're still not good swimmers." Expecting that, Miranda turned to Donna. "Have the flowers grown yet?" Speaking through Angie, Donna relayed her progress. "They're nearly fully bloomed, so we'll need to wait another week or so for the pollen to be at its full potency. Once they're ready, however, the plants will be able to induce incredibly realistic hallucinations. Mixed with the Mold, the pollen might be able to take traumatizing events from the host's mind and make them a reality." Finally, someone who's actually doing their job. "Excellent work, Donna. Truly excellent. Karl, do you have anything to report?" Obviously, he wasn't going to tell the truth. "No, Mother. The Cadou doesn't seem to take to metal bodies." Miranda knew he was lying, but she wouldn't push him. "Well, I suppose we have nothing more to discuss then. You all are free to leave." Everyone quietly sighed with relief, and Alcina beckoned for Seline to leave with her. However, Miranda held her hand up. "Except for the girl. I need to speak with her." Seline clutched Alcina's dress fearfully, but she gave her a gentle push towards Miranda. Alcina clenched her fists to hide the fact that her hands were shaking, and walked out of the room. The second they were alone, the door closed, and a vine of Mold looped around the handles. "So, Seline Floarea. What is so different about you that has turned my experiments against me?" Seline slightly backed up. "I-I don't think there's anything different about me, I'm just being myself-" Without warning, she was wrapped in Mold, with a vine over her mouth. "Listen here, girl. I don't know what you think, but you are not special. They do not care about you. You do not deserve this family." Seline tried to struggle, but to no avail. "Your father was right to abandon you. You are a horrible person. They are taking advantage of you. They do not care about you. They do not care about you. Drill that into your mind. THEY DO NOT LOVE YOU. Nobody could ever love you." Seline slowly stopped struggling, tears trickling down her face. "Once they have taken everything from you, they will abandon you again. Do you understand?" She nodded, willing to do anything to make this end. "Good. Now, do not mention a word of this conversation to any of them, or I will kill you. Have I made myself clear?" Seline nodded once more, and she was released from the Mold. "Have a good day!" Miranda said sweetly, as if she had not just said any of those things. The door was unlocked, and Seline rushed out.
