CHAPTER III
[Serena's POV]
This evening, like every other since Jennifer left with our father after my younger brother, Nahuel, divulged a secret that tore our family in half I awoke screaming after a nap from a terrible nightmare. One that I had dreamt every evening since the day Jennifer departed from our home in Norway for the United States, a terrible evil creeping upon my father and sister and burning them both to ash. To hear Jennifer's screams as her human flesh burns slower than our father's marble skin puts a fear inside my soul that makes each day harder to live without her. My dear sweet Maysun has turned to drink once more. I wanted to stop her to tell her there is no need to lower yourself to that mindset but when I did not feel strong myself, as this division from the other half of our coven continued to leave us quite vulnerable. Not that I didn't trust our servants wouldn't be capable of defending myself or Maysun if the darkness wandered our way but even our strongest Vampire's were no match for the two Vampier's that followed Jennifer and Joham to the States. Olivia and Lucinda were a great loss for our coven. Even Talio, without a talent of his own, could provide more protection than Shepard or Peters. However as Auntie Clarissa says 'this is the hand we have been dealt and now we must deal with whatever follows one problem at a time". Though Clarissa also spent most of her time convincing me to spend more of our families fortune on ourselves as her form of coping has alway been buying something new and shiny, she always meant well and was always near now more so than ever.
"Another nightmare sweetheart? How many more evenings of this will you allow this to persist? Call Joham and ask for his witch-ask for Olivia to come by. She may reject my pleas but she will not disobey her master." Clarissa began the moment I woke.
"Enough Clarissa. I will not let that freak wipe my memory just to calm the pain of my sister being without the other half of her coven." I responded, ripping my cover off and rushing past her to my bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
Of course however I was not quick enough and Clarissa was sitting on the side of my bath waiting to continue our conversations.
"Clarissa, may I please have a moment of privacy?" I begged.
"Of course not darling! I am your Auntie! I breathe the air you breathe and walk the path you walk. There is no time to be alone when we are one." Clarissa replied as she began to brush my hair.
"You suffocate me Aunt."
"Oh hush. Now, I've already picked out your dress for the day. Maysun has been up since… Well honestly I'm not sure she ever went to sleep. There was a drunk blabbing about having committed a local rape on a girl a few towns over and she's been playing cat and mouse with him in the woods for the last few days."
"I wish she wouldn't play with her food for so long, how is she supposed to get what she needs if she bleeds him dry before feeding? I love her more than life itself but I will never understand her need to always be fighting someone… Then again perhaps if this… Volturi decides to pay us a visit; she will indeed be ready to stand her ground."
"Enough of this Volturi nonsense! We have lived 500 years in peace from these supposed Kings of Vampire's. If they wanted to speak to us they would have spoken by now."
"You understand that was before Nahuel gave Aro information about Joham and his "creations"." I countered.
"Yes and this was when Jennifer was only 7! She is nearly 50 now and there has been no word. They understand we are not a threat to their way of life."
"What if they find Joham first? What if they discover Lucinda or Olivia's gifts and want them for themselves?"
"Lucinda and Olivia are quite capable women. They can take care of themselves not to mention Lucinda and Talio would never leave Jennifer's side and Olivia's been stuck up Johams ass from the moment he was born in his human life. Even after all he has done she has always taken his side and covered his tracks and she always will. There is nothing to worry about." Clarissa replied, while hugging me for a moment.
"We need more information about this Volturi. Perhaps it's time we reach out to these Cullen's?"
"Absolutely not! Their coven and many others were nearly all destroyed after challenging the Volturi! We will not be a part of their band of misfits and brand ourselves outcast alongside them."
"Clarissa, you do not know what the Volturi was willing to do that day you only suspect! Besides we are outcasts! However unlike the Cullen's we are alone! Swimming around in the ocean just waiting for the sharks to strike!" I shouted, taking the brush from her hands.
"You are being incredibly dramatic Serena. I raised you to have a much more level head than this! Maysun will fall apart if you begin to unfold! Find your wits now!" Clarissa commanded.
"If you are so worried about Maysun why not follow her around! Get the hell out Clarissa! Now!" I shouted as I threw the bathroom door open and pointed for her to leave.
"Maysun, how kind of you to join us! We were just about to dress for the day!" Clarissa said as her eyes shifted from mine to Maysun's, who now stood at the bathroom door.
"God am I not allowed to have a single moment alone in this household!" I groaned, storming out of the bathroom and into my closet.
"I already picked a dress-" Clarissa began.
"I don't care!" I shouted back.
"Serena," Maysun began, clearly very drunk as she tried to form a sentence.
"What May? What could you possibly want from me this early in the afternoon?" I called out as I began to undress.
"Um…" Maysun hesitated, which only added to my annoyance.
"Maysun speak now or get out of my room and wash that blood and alcohol off your skin and throat."
"Father is on his way here." Maysun finally spit out.
"Joham? How do you know this?" Clarissa replied before I could, clearly she was quite angry to hear of our father's unannounced arrival.
"Shepard and Peters saw them traveling towards the estate on their daily route."
"Did he bring Jennifer?" I asked, hopeful that this meant my nightmares might finally come to an end.
"Shepard believes they've all come. All five of them." Maysun said with a half smile.
I could feel tears begin to well as I ran to Maysun and gave her a tight hug.
"This is wonderful news! He must have told Jennifer and now we can all three be together again!" I shouted as I ran to my bed and threw on the dress Clarissa had chosen to cut time.
"Remember what we have spoken about Serena, Joham and Olivia are no longer welcome inside this home let alone on this land as anything more than a guest." Clarissa said as Maysun and myself began to walk out of the room together.
"We will not forget our fathers injustices again. If Olivia so much as comes within a foot of us I will destroy her myself." Maysun replied to Clarissa.
"Good girl Maysun. Now brave faces girl, no need to rub this victory into your father's face, let him leave in peace and let us all be done with him for good. I'll prepare the staff while the two of you go and greet our little Jenny! She'll be hungry from her travels, that little one is always too deep in her own thoughts to remember to eat, I'll have Julian prepare her favorites immediately." Clarissa said, kissing us both as she passed by.
Emotions that I had been repressing of all of my regrets that I had locked away since Jennifer left set in as I looked at Maysun once we were alone.
"We can do this Maysun. We can be what Jennifer needs, this must be incredibly hard for her so we will need every ounce of our love for our dear sister to shine through. No funny business young lady. Keep those hands to yourself and do not say anything that will upset her!" I warned Maysun who laughed as she followed me to the front door.
"Shall I accompany you m'lady?" Shepard asked as I opened the door.
"No, thank you, Shepard. Please stay at the door with Maysun for now."
"What?! Why do I have to stay back!"
"Because you are drunk Maysun and even if you weren't I don't trust you to hold your tongue." I replied before I took off down the long walkway to greet our father, sister and estranged coven mates.
It was only a moment before my father was in front of me. Dressed as he had always in long robes that never covered nearly enough. As usual Olivia was by his side in all her old, stuck up, miserable glory. Jennifer, Talio, and Lucinda made their way past me and a weight was instantly lifted from my chest. They had luggage and lots of it, they were coming home, to stay. Finally, everything was back in balance the way it should be. The three of us together as it was always meant to be. I promised to myself that I would be better for her in that moment, that I would not favor Maysun over her and I would not allow myself to fall back into old habits. My love for Jennifer would outweigh my jealousy and we would never be apart again.
"Daughter." Joham said once Jennifer was out of sight and earshot.
"Joham. Thank you for bringing my sister home, I'm sure you can understand that you can not stay." I replied with a smile.
"That's enough Serena your father has-" Olivia began.
"Thank you Olivia, but I can speak for myself. Serena I know we have our different views on the mothers of my children, but you must understand I had no ill intent towards those women. It simply did not ever seem possible to save a single one of them, not even Jennifer's mother, whom I did truly love. You can choose to believe that or not, however it is my truth."
"I do not believe you, The fact that you keep Olivia by your side is all the proof I need to know you have not changed Joham. You never will. I can only imagine how many children weren't good enough for you, how many you left to die alongside their mothers."
Olivia took a defensive step towards me and within a second the door was closed behind me and Shepard and Peters were at my side.
"If you want a fight Olivia, we will give you one." I said, challenging her temper, waiting for a reason to have her destroyed.
"Some new friends of yours Serena?" My father said looking over Shepard who's body alone cast a shadow over my father and Olivia entirely as the sun began to set.
"Well seeing as how you took our defenses, we had to look for some of our own. They're old friends of Clarissa. Loyal to our new coven, one that does not include either of you."
"Interesting, I thought I killed all of my sister's friends." Joham replied confused as he looked over Peters now. "How do you know my sister, young man?"
Peters stood in silence until I nodded, giving him permission to answer my fathers question knowing his answer would provoke Olivia.
"Clarissa saved my husband and I from persecution hundreds of years ago. She concealed our existence so that we would have the opportunity to live in peace where ever we might choose and once she called upon us to help her protect her family in that moment Clarissa, Serena, Maysun, Julian and Johanna became our coven. There is no one who deserves our loyalty more then them." Peters replied.
"Did you say "husband"?" Olivia questioned Peter.
"Yes, Shepard and I were sentenced to death in our human youth once our secret was found out. Clarissa saw this injustice and turned us both herself. Under no obligation but for us to continue to love each other until our time on this earth has come to an end." Peter continued proudly.
"Homosexuals! On our land! How could you Serena!" Olivia shouted as she lunged for me, my father grabbing her chest and forcing her back down as if she were a child.
"Just because you do not have the capacity to change does not mean that I do not, you bitter old woman." I snarled back.
"Calm down Olivia, we are not staying much longer. Clarissa's always had a soft spot for the gays it was only a matter of time before she allowed them to infiltrate our coven."
"Does she know?" I asked, deciding that this information was more important then whatever hateful speech would come out of their mouths next.
"No. That is not why we are here." My father said, rolling his eyes.
"Then you must understand that I am telling her, you've had your time and now it is up father." I began as I turned and started walking away.
"Do what you will Serena, but please do it gently. That is all I ask." Joham replied softly as if he was about to cry.
I froze for a moment, confused by his tone. Unfortunately my father's lack of fight began to stroke my curiosity. I watched Haymitch my black cat, relax on the front steps and decided it was a sign that there must be more to the story of why my father was here, more that I would need to hear.
"Why now father? What has changed?" I asked, turning to face him once more.
"Nothing has changed… Yet. Though I do fear that perhaps Nahuel's endeavors with the Volturi may have finally caught up with me." Joham began as he ran his fingers through his hair and looked to the ground while twirling around his cane. "Olivia and I have kept us all hidden for over half a millennia but thanks to Nahuel's," My father paused and looked to the sky now as if to find the right words, "Thanks to Nahuel's momentary lapse in extremely harsh judgment upon his dear old dad, they have decided that they are intent on calling me to their home in Volterra, Italy for a "review" as they call it."
"What does this "review" entail?" Maysun said as she darted from the doorway to my side. "Have you put our lives in danger Joham?"
"Maysun, hello my fiery little love." Joham said with a smile that would melt a human woman's heart, one we all saw straight through now.
"I am not your love, you piece of-"
"Answer the question Joham." Clarissa said as she met me at my side as well.
"Sister! How wonderful to see you!" Joham said, continuing to smile as if having a grand time.
An awkward moment of silence passed as Clarissa would not feed into her brother's joyful behavior.
"Joham, this is not a reunion. Are we in danger or not?" I demanded.
"Oh my god! I do not know! Are you happy now?" Joham said with a note of annoyance.
"What do you mean you do not know!?" Clarissa shouted back.
"From what I've learned of Volturi they do not take kindly to those they do not feel they can control and I do not plan on being controlled by a bunch of Italian freaks who claim to wear a crown in a Kingdom that does not exist. You do know their defenses hold immortal children! I mean for the love of all that is good!"
"You are going to parish at those children's hands, Joham." Clarissa declared.
"In that case should we spend one more night together for old times sake, Clarissa?"
"You're a pig!" Maysun shouted as he spat at the ground in front of Joham.
I held her hand tightly worried she would lunge for him.
"Clarissa was my wife long before the lot of you came along! She didn't have any objections then." Joham argued.
"I had many objections! More than your witch could ever wipe away!" Clarissa shouted. "Leave here, and tell Volturi we side with whatever they decide to do with you. Let us return to Jennifer girls, come along now."
"Thank you Clarissa, you've always known just how to warm my undead heart. Enjoy the children I created FOR YOU WHEN I'M GONE!" Joham shouted as we all retreated within the walls of our home.
It did not sit well with me that we would not know what would become of Joham or Olivia once they reached Volturi but night was coming and Jennifer, Talio and Lucinda were home safe, that was all that mattered.