Chapter 15: Candles and Keepsakes
Octavia led Danny through the ballroom, with Danny following closely behind. As they moved past various demons, he glanced at her, brow furrowed. "Uh, who and why are we meeting these demons?"
Octavia glanced back at him. "They're not friends if that's what you're thinking."
Danny raised a brow. "Then why bother?"
She sighed. "They're more like... associates. Don't get me wrong, they can get grating at times, but for the most part, I can tolerate them." Goodness, she was starting to sound like her mother.
Danny chuckled awkwardly. "Sounds like a glowing endorsement."
Octavia smirked slightly. "Trust me, in Hell, that's the closest thing you get to friendship sometimes."
They continued walking until they reached a quieter section of the ballroom, where two demons stood apart from the others and engaged in conversation.
One was a tall girl with dark plumage and amethyst eyes.
The other, a boy with red and gold feathers, had a sharp beak, which gave him a hawkish appearance.
"Amara, Flamel," Octavia called out.
The two demons looked up from their conversation. Amara smiled coolly while Flamel gave a lazy, uninterested nod.
Octavia gestured to Danny. "Please, introduce yourselves."
"Flamel, heir to House Pyronis," the red-feathered demon boy.
"Amara," the girl introduced herself with a small smile. "Not as grand a title as Flamel here, but I manage." Her eyes shifted to Danny with curiosity. "So, Octavia, this must be your father's new… student?"
"I'm her friend as well." Danny stood his ground. "Name's Danny."
Octavia gave a slight eye roll. "Danny, this is Amara." She gestured to the purple-haired demoness. "And that's Flamel." Her hand shifted to the fiery-haired demon who barely acknowledged Danny's presence beyond a glance.
"Nice to meet you both." Danny tried to keep things casual.
"I met him through my father, and my time spent with him is not something I regret," Octavia replied dryly.
Amara eyed him up and down with a smile. "So, Octavia, we saw your little friend up on stage. A prince's apprentice and a showman, I see. Interesting choice."
Flamel finally spoke up. "You were alright up there."
Amara chuckled. "I saw you drumming your hands and feet."
Flamel guffawed, "Was not!"
Amara poked him in the chest teasingly. "Was so!"
Danny smirked. "Glad you liked it."
"Yeah… Yeah…"
Octavia turned to Danny. "Told you, they're decent."
Amara let out a light laugh. "We'll have to try harder next time."
"I don't see much of your kind around here." Flamel gave Danny a once-over.
Danny heard the same from Axel and Brody.
Flamel simply shrugged. "So, how'd someone of your… rank get connected with Octavia's dad of all demons?"
"Would you believe me if I said it was an accident?" Danny shrugged.
Amara and Flamel raised brows at that. "You accidentally befriended a prince of hell?"
"That's one way of putting it." Danny rubbed the back of his neck. "I was fiddling with a spellbook I found, and the next thing I know, I'm face to face with Prince Stolas."
"A teleportation spell?" questioned Amara.
"Uh… Yeah…" Danny was technically summoning Stolas, but they didn't need to know that.
Amara grinned. "Huh. Not bad. What happened after?"
"Well, after some explaining, we talked a bit and hit it off. Then we… struck a deal?"
"You made a deal with Prince Stolas?!"
"Eh… Kinda. It's nothing soul-binding. He asked that we wait till I turn 13 or so."
"Huh. your parents, uh… parent…, was cool with it?" commented Flamel.
Danny waved off the question in dismissal. "It's fine. I'm doing okay as it is. Besides, Stolas took me on as his new student. I've been under his care so far." He shifted awkwardly for a moment. "So... what do you guys do for fun around here?"
Amara glanced at Ignis with a small smile. "Fun? Depends on your definition of fun."
Ignis crossed his arms over his chest. "I'm not one to stay idle. It's not as common, but I like dueling.
"Dueling?" Danny asked, intrigued. "Like fighting?"
"Basically. Magic is nice and all, but I feel alive with a blade in my hand."
"Sound interesting."
Flamel nodded. "It's mostly friendly bouts, sometimes more intense. I have a lot of pent-up energy, especially around the royal circles. It's a good way to blow off steam. Ever thought of picking up a sword?"
Danny thought back to all those times his mother offered to teach him how to use practice weapons so he would be ready when their anti-ghost weaponry was ready. "It's come up a few times."
Amara rolled her eyes. "You basically challenge every strong-looking demon you come across, Ignis." She turned to Danny. "I prefer less violent activities. Not everyone can access a Grimoire, but I do well with alchemy."
Flamel huffed. "This girl keeps trying to get me into it, saying that it's in my blood or whatever."
She rolled her eyes. "Your ancestor quite literally helped the mortals create the first draft of the philosopher's stone."
Danny blinked. "Wait. That thing was real?"
Amara waved her hand. "Eh, kinda. The one that was first made could do a few things like healing and longevity, but people got it confused with what the final product is supposed to be."
"Well, if I ever decide to pick up the blade or the flask, I suppose I know who to ask," smirked Danny.
Flamel raised a brow at the boy. "Build some muscle first. I wouldn't want to get blamed for breaking something."
Before they could continue, Stolas stepped back onto the stage. He tapped the floor. The room gradually quieted.
"I hope you've enjoyed the evening thus far." His eyes landed on Octavia. "It is time for the birthday cake!"
"We can talk again later." Octavia pulled Danny toward the main table.
The room's lights dimmed again, drawing the guests' attention toward the main entrance. The large double doors at the room's far end slowly swung open.
A group of imps each carried a small lantern, illuminating the path as they marched forward.
A trio of demons led the procession, pushing a massive cart covered with a velvet cloth. The crowd fixated on the surprise. As they neared the center of the room, where Octavia sat at her table, the demons positioned the cart directly in front of her.
They pulled away the velvet cloth, revealing a towering birthday cake. Silver stars and crescent moons adorned the sides. At the very top of the cake was a sugar sculpture of an owl about to take flight.
There was a chorus of "oohs" and "ahhs." They admired the swirling patterns, edible jewels, and lace-like icing.
Octavia's eyes widened in surprise and delight. Her smile beamed brightly.
The imps lit the various sparklers on the cake, replicating shooting stars in the room's darkness. As the sparklers on the cake began to fizzle out.
The imps and demons who had escorted the cake now began to hum a soft tune of "Happy Birthday." It was soft at first before growing louder.
"Happy birthday to you..."
Even the more dignified guests joined in for the sake of the festivities.
Octavia's cheeks flushed with warmth. She glanced around at everyone
"Happy birthday to you..."
The room's lighting dimmed further, leaving the cake's candles. The soft glow bathed Octavia's face.
"Happy birthday, dear Octavia..."
The song's final line was drawn out, and the crowd's voices lifted in unison, holding the last note.
"Happy birthday to you!"
The last note faded into silence. Octavia prepared to make her wish. Taking a deep breath, she made her wish. With a small smile, Octavia blew out the candles.
The room erupted into applause.
Stolas clapped the loudest. Even Stella gave a polite nod of approval.
Octavia didn't feel the usual pressure. As the applause continued, she caught Danny's eye across the table. He gave her a thumbs-up, a grin on his face. Octavia returned the gesture with a smile.
Despite her mother's protests, Octavi insisted that Danny sit with them as they ate her birthday cake.
Danny grabbed his fork and glanced over at Octavia."So, how does it feel?"
Octavia dug into the cake. "I'm more excited about the actual party than anything else.."
Danny took a bite of the cake. "Glad I could help." His eyes lit up as the rich chocolate melted in his mouth. "Okay, this is amazing."
Octavia took a bite and savored the flavor. "Yeah, my dad doesn't disappoint."
Everyone ate in comfortable silence for a few words here and there, listening to the classical music overhead.
#
After about 30 minutes, the servants collected the leftover cake plates, leaving the tables cleaned again.
Stolas moved to the head of the room. Clearing his throat, Stolas lifted a hand, signaling the room's attention. "My dear friends. Now that we've filled ourselves with sweet indulgences, it's time for the part of the evening that I know my dear daughter has been waiting for... the presents."
Stolas gestured toward the side of the ballroom where an impressive collection of ornately wrapped gifts sat in wait.
"As you can see, our dear Octavia has been spoiled," Stolas said with a chuckle. "But I think it's only fair that we begin the gift-giving in true style." He motioned to a nearby servant, who brought forward the first gift, its wrapping shimmering in dark purples and golds.
Octavia couldn't entirely hide the hint of curiosity
Stolas looked toward her. "Shall we begin, my dear?"
Octavia stepped forward, all eyes on her.
Stolas and Stella stood nearby, watching their daughter.
Octavia picked up the first gift. She carefully untied the bow and lifted the lid. Inside was a crafted necklace of black pearls and onyx.
"This one is from the Dravenor family," Stolas noted. "A fine piece of craftsmanship."
Octavia nodded, setting the necklace aside with a polite smile. "It's nice."
Next came a much larger package wrapped in shimmering gold paper. Octavia glanced at the card, which was marked with the sigil of the Vespernox family. Inside was an elegant, oversized book bound in dark blue leather. Skimming the first few pages showed that it was a copy of their family recipe book.
She continued to open each gift in turn. There was a lavish, jewel-encrusted hairpin shaped like a rose, a set of enchanted cushions that promised to ensure the most restful sleep imaginable, and a bizarre but beautifully constructed grandfather clock. The pile started to grow as the minutes passed.
The next caught Octavia off guard. It was small and wrapped in white velvet. She glanced at the tag. "From the Morningstar family."
From the side, Charlie and her father grinned in excitement.
Octavia opened it and found a small, handheld telescope. The craftsmanship was flawless. "Wow!" With this, she and Danny didn't need to lug their entire setup to watch the skies at the park! Octavia's eyes widened in surprise. She looked up at Lucifer and held the telescope up to the light. It was something she would actually use. The birthday girl bowed. "Thank you very much, your Highnesses."
Lucifer, Charlie, and Lilith waved it off playfully. "A child's smile is all that matters."
#
Then, as the last guest presents were opened, Stolas and Stella glanced at each other. In preparation for today, they set aside their feelings to give their daughter a sincere gift.
Her father motioned toward a smaller, more modestly wrapped box that rested beside his chair. "Octavia, this one is from your mother and me."
Octavia reached for the present. Her fingers undid the ribbon and unwrapped the paper. Inside was a beautifully carved and polished wooden box. Octavia gasped. Inside was a stunningly made music box. Etched into the wood were delicate carvings of stars. It was clearly modeled after her favorite constellation: Noctua. A tiny key shaped like a feather was atop a velvet lining.
Stolas leaned forward. "Go ahead, wind it up."
Octavia lifted the key, inserted it into the music box, and gave it a turn. The lid slowly opened, and a soft, familiar melody filled the room. It was the lullaby her father sung to her when she was younger, the same song that helped her drift to sleep after nightmares.
Her breath hitched as a tiny figurine spun inside the music box—an owl soaring through a sky full of twinkling stars.
Stella's voice cut through the music. "Between me and your father, you are someone we are going out of our way for."
Octavia's eyes watered as she ran her fingers across the box's carvings. She placed the box on the table and hugged both of her parents. "Thank you," Octavia whispered. "It's perfect." This was one of the few times that Octavia hugged both of them simultaneously.
Stolas smiled and pulled them all together. Meanwhile, Stella softly rubbed her daughter's back.
#
Her parent's gift was the last box in the pile. While Octavia didn't expect him to get a gift for her last minute, she would have liked to hear his thoughts. When everyone returned to their seats, Octavia turned to Danny, who watched her unwrap her gifts from across the table.
She placed her hands behind her back and tried to act nonchalant. "So, Danny. I know you didn't have to get me anything, but did you have anything in mind?"
Danny blinked as if snapped out of his thoughts by the question. "But I did."
Octavia paused and looked at him with wide eyes. "You did?" She turned back to the pile. "Did I misread one of the labels?"
A sheepish smile crept onto his face as he scratched the back of his neck. "Well… my gift isn't exactly something you can unwrap."
Octavia raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Danny tilted his head slightly toward the stage. As if on cue, the lights in the ballroom dimmed, and in a sudden flash of smoke, several demons holding various instruments appeared. The crowd murmured in surprise and excitement as the demons took their positions, the atmosphere in the room shifting instantly.
Before Octavia could fully process what was happening, Danny was transported to the stage in a swirl of ethereal mist. Now holding a microphone in his hand, he looked out over the audience, but his gaze settled squarely on Octavia.
"This song goes out to you, Octavia," Danny said into the microphone. "Happy Birthday!"
#
AN: Special thanks to Seana, Jebest4781, Charles, vividlearner744, OmegaDelta, Henry Stickman, fearmegu, Kitsune Robyn, SonicSonicsSonic, Tapion, Dragon lord, Shooter1344, Alexander SegreLaw, Red Rasher, I am lord dems, Ajax Roranson, trey hill, Asaf Montgomery, Legion, DJC (MagicLover2128), $hane-08, Daniel, and Alex!
I hope you enjoyed the chapter. If you did, please follow or review/comment. See you guys in the next chapter.
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