The End of Innocence: Book 3 of the Kinstone series
Chapter 22: A new guest

A few days pass and now Tuesday has rolled around. My room is quiet, save for the subtle sounds of Fenris as he sleeps on my bed. Father-figure or not, he still acts more like a dog whenever he’s with me.

I often peek up from behind my couch to see him curled up tightly into a ball. Diana is going to over for first time and will be her “officially” meeting him. I know that he’s going to assume his dog form, which is still taller than a German Shepard, so it might cause her to jump a little when she sees him.

There really wasn’t a whole lot of stuff that needed to be done in preparation for before she came. Xiphos, of course, would stay out of sight while she was here, the dryads could easily blend into the forest, and the gossip was in Nerazon for the day so that wasn’t an issue.

Velhemina had actually closed off the greenhouse for repairs. That storm from a few days ago managed to damage part of the roof and it was going to take a few days to fix it. She did say that if I wanted to come by, I can. Only that I have to be careful.

The pups, who really are curious about my new friend, grumble as they had to be stay with their family while tending to the flocks. I did promise that once she left, that I would read to them again, something we had started last year after I was adopted.

Lucayan would have the holtsaurs out on the other side of Estate along with the herds. So the last major issue is Silvi. She elected to stay within her cave for the day. Plus, I hadn’t planned on taking Diana to her cave anyways. So lots of potential problems averted.

I turn a page in my book and pan up to the clock on “Model.” 11:00. I nod and mark my place in the book, setting it onto my coffee table. I roll off of my couch and hop over to the door.

Before I left, I eyed “Study”, seeing my old dairy sitting there on the shelf. In just a little under a month and a half, it was going to be three years since Rachel sent me the necklace. I reach out and stroke the leather bindings.

So many thoughts and feeling were contained within it, heartache and pain fill its pages. There were secrets housed between the covers, secrets that only one other person who knew of. And I had freely given it to her to read.

It was a cherished relic of my life before all of this truly began. I shake my head, knowing that all of it lies in the past, and now am happier than ever before in my life.

I turn and head for the door once more. Fenris’ ears perk up as he hops off of the bed and follows after me as we step into the hall.

“You are still concerned little Aria.”

I sigh, but felt better than I did on Saturday. I still couldn’t get what I had heard out of my head, or the strange little interactions I observed from her. But…I had to push all of it down. I’m about to have a guest in my home and I want her to feel welcomed.

Our little get-together was only supposed to last until 6:00. She and her mother were supposed to head out and meet her father for dinner and then go on a short trip for a couple days. Huh…they sure like to travel, reminding me of how much Rachel and I do the same.

I look down at Fenris, “I’m okay. If I can get through this day then I’ll be gold.”

The wolf cocks his head, “An odd phrase to use, little one.”

I shrug, “Oh well.”

I’m not nervous, well…not like I normally would be when someone comes to visit. This is someone from the normal world, someone who might be surprised or feel awkward being in such a huge house.

Lord knows I felt that way the first time I visited the Estate. There’s just a lot to take in no doubt. Hell, I remember some of the homes I used to deliver to in Rough Hollow. Some were just gigantic.

But then there’s the sheer size on the Estate itself. If my math was right, and from what Rachel had told me, the Estate encompassed roughly two and half to three thousand acres if not more. That’s a freaking huge piece of land.

Most of it isn’t developed nor had much of anything except nature and I love every inch of it. But I’m just rambling on in my thoughts.

Part of me is excited that someone is coming to visit. But I wasn’t going to go all-out like my mother did when I first came. No.

I…I was just going to give her a tour around parts of the Manor and the Estate. Yes, it might be me acting like a little kid and wanted to show off everything I owned.

On the other hand, there is the part of me that has to hold back nearly eighty percent of what resides here. I have no idea of how she’d react to seeing a sphinx or dragon flying through the air or mermaids swimming in the lake.

The only reason why I was able to readily accept everything I saw and wasn’t turned away by it is due to the fact that I am a huge anime and fantasy nerd. So for me, this was merely walking into such an environment. If she was curious about such things or held the same interests as me, then maybe I could tell her, with Rachel’s permission of course.

We exit onto out onto the landing that overlooks the foyer, just as the door swings open. I leaned onto the banister, watching as the girl walk inside. Her eyes are on a swivel, examining the entry hall.

The late morning sun shone into the foyer from the back of the house, giving the room a soft white hue. I rested my arms onto the cool wooden railing. I smiled as Sebastian walked up to her.

“Greetings Miss Elliston, I do hope your journey here was a pleasant one.”

She gives the old lycan a nod, “It…it was all right I suppose. Never knew such a massive place like this existed, let alone that a girl like Aria lived here. She seemed too…normal when we shopped together. I had no idea that she was someone wealthy or the like.”

He smiles, “Ah yes, the Young Miss is truly a person we treasure greatly here. She is someone of great humility and does not fall to the trappings of her life here on the Estate.”

Diana gives a short nod as her eyes examines the room before turning back to him, “Oh forgive me, you know my name but I don’t know yours.”

He bows to her, “I am Sebastian Melbond, head of house staff and what you would refer to as a butler. I serve both ladies of the house while also overseeing the daily operations of its inner workings.”

Her eyes grew huge, watching as her hands grip her bag. Yep…that’s a fairly normal reaction to hearing that someone has a butler.

I’m still present on the upper landing, but kept my presence hidden, pretty much hiding in plain sight. As I watch her, something catches my eye. I tilt my head when the corner of her mouth twists into what I can only describe as a faint snarl.

I get some people might be jealous of others, I’m guilty of that from time to time. But this is different. I shake my head. Maybe I’m overthinking things again and just letting my imagination get out of control.

“The Young Miss should be here shortly. If you wish to, I can go fetch her for you.”

That’s my cue.

I make myself known by making the chandelier chime with a small gust of wind. The pair turns upward to see me standing there. I smile, “Welcome to my home.”

Diana looks up to me, “Thank you, but I can’t believe that this is your home. It…it’s just too much.”

I shrug, and then turn to walk down the steps, “It's big, but once you get used to it, you tend to forget about that little detail.”

Her head tilts in disbelief, “Are you saying you don’t mind the fact that you own a huge house like this?”

I hop down onto the floor, walking over to them, shrugging. “Like I said, you get used to it.”

The old lycan bows to me as I draw closer, I in turn smile to him. “Your timing is impeccable as always Young Miss,” greets the butler.

I fold my arms behind my back, gripping my hands. “Thanks Sebastian. I was always taught to never keep my guests waiting.”

He smiles, which again gave a fatherly appearance, one that I always found comfort in. “You are quite welcome Young Miss. Shall I have some tea prepared for you and Miss Elliston?”

I rock slightly on my heels, thinking for a moment, “Yes please, but since it’s nearly noon…something light.”

He bows softly, “Right away Young Miss.” The butler then turns and disappears into the Manor.

I crane my head up to Diana, smirking, “So whatcha think?”

The girl rakes her fingers through her hair, “I was wrong about you.”

I tilt my head, grabbing my right arm from behind my back, “What do you mean?”

She hoists her bag slightly on her shoulder, “This place is more of a castle and you its princess, but you act like a normal girl. It’s strange.”

Well she’s not off about me being a princess in more ways than one.

I shrug, “Meh, I just don’t let details like that change who I am.” I never really did.

Since the first moment I arrived here and ever since, I never allowed myself to be consumed by vanity or greed. Some might’ve, but I was in fear of letting it happen.

She continued to stare at me; her gaze bare a slight weight, the same judgmental pressure she always seems to possess. “So how big is this house?”

My eyes close for a moment to think. “About…twenty-five to thirty-thousand square feet, give or take a thousand.”

Her eyes grew wide, “That’s…that’s huge!”

A soft grin rises on my face, “Yep, but its home, and I love it to death.”

She shakes her head in disbelief, “What about your other friends, the ones from your family reunion, aren’t they shocked at how big this place is?”

I rock forward and back slightly, twirling my fingers around my back, “Nope. Some have big houses too. I just haven’t visited them yet.”

I hope that I can one day. Her mentioning them made me miss them all the more. I still hold out hope that they could visit me before they had to go back to school. We all wanted to and Jenn more than likely had given them the full layout of the Manor and its little quirks.

“I have to ask," she continues, "when I passed through the tunnel and saw your property, are we still in Texas? Because I know I saw Lake Travis on the way in, but it doesn’t seem to flow into here.”

I cross my arms and tap the side on my chin. “The Estate lies a few miles away from Travis. Think of it as a different part of the Hill Country.”

She gave a slow bewildered nod. The truth is that we technically were still in central Texas, only a different part of it. I sort of gave up trying to locate our exact location on a map a couple years ago. But then again…it really doesn’t matter.

The sounds of clicking nails fill the room, glancing over to see Fenris walking down the stairs. I smile, watching as he comes over to us, and sits beside me. I reach over with my hand and start to stroke his fur.

“That’s…a big dog.”

A grin stretches across my face, scratching him behind his ear, “Yep. His name is Fenris and he’s been with me for going on two years. Really helped me out of a rough spot after…” My face turns sullen, fingers clinging to his fur.

“Aria?”

I shake my head, “Sorry, just remembered something bad that happened a long time ago.”

Diana comes closer to me, “You don’t have tell me if you don’t want to.”

I bury my face into his, rubbing our heads together, “It’s okay, but thanks.”

Fenris eyes her, tail curling around his body, unmoving and ever watching. She looks back at him, growing concerned look, “I don’t think your dog likes me.”

I giggle softly, “You just have to get to know him first. He’s also a little protective of me. He thinks he’s my dad, (in some ways he is), always looking out for me.”

She gives a slight nod, “I…see.”

I look up to her, “What about you? Do you have any dogs?”

She doesn’t even hold out her hand to him, which I replace odd. He isn’t growling or showing any hostility towards her. He simply is watching her. If anything I think he wants her to come to him.

When I first brought him to the Gathering last year, everyone was wary of him. A large, black two-tailed wolf, just standing there in front of dozens of people, and beside him was me. So naturally it caused some concern amongst the parents.

It all changed rather quickly when one of the toddlers waddled over to him. The wolf lied onto the ground and sniffed the boy, licking his face. It really shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone really. I had told Jenn and the others about how the twins loved to climb over him all the time.

After the first child had approached him, the wolf was soon assaulted by dozens of little kids, all wanting to pet and play with the “big doggy”. Oh how he loved playing with them, giving several of them rides on his back.

“I…used to have two dogs, but lost both in an accident,” she responds, still not moving from her spot.

I look to her, remembering that when I lost my family that it wasn’t just people that I had lost, but both of my dogs. I was grateful that I hadn’t seen Katy or Lena when I arrived in Georgia. Humans are one thing, but seeing dogs on a slab…no, just…no.

I nod, “I’m sorry to hear that. I know how hard it is to lose a dog. It’s like losing a member of your family.”

Her eyes turn to me, giving me a soft glare. She was holding something down. Something is churning behind her different colored eyes, a small fire that she wanted to bury.

“Ah, so our guest has arrived.”

I look up to see Rachel walking in from the parlor. I smile softly, “Hey, were you busy with something? Hope we weren’t too loud.”

She steps over to me, then leans over and ruffles my hair, “You worry too much sweetheart. Short of having the doors being blown down, it would take a great deal of commotion to disturb me.”

I giggle, straightening my hair, “That it would.”

She grins, “Now, why don't you introduce me to your friend here, my love.”

I stand up, but keep my hand on my bonded’s fur, “Diana Elliston, I’d like to introduce you to my mother, Rachel Rivenfeld.”

The girl stares at her. Her face gives of a soft locked appearance, which melts into a confused look as she turns to me, “I thought your last name was Edge?”

I lean into Rachel, almost instinctively clinging to her sleeve as if I were a child, “Remember when I told you that I lost most of my family? Well…Rachel adopted me soon after.”

Diana continues the stare at me as Rachel places her hand onto my shoulder, stroking it. Her eyes still bare the same subtle fire, which I couldn’t figure out why.

I know Rachel couldn’t see it as her smile never dims. My mother then looks to the girl, “It is a pleasure to finally meet you young lady. I wish to thank you for helping my little girl that night. The children were being absolutely abhorrent and I personally spoke to their parents after the incident.”

The girl bows her head, “It was my pleasure, Miss Rivenfeld. I saw your daughter out by the lake and she appeared to need some help.”

My mother smiles, “Again I thank you for your willingness to help her.”

I giggle, “You should’ve seen Marron go after them and the other chaperones. It was epic to watch.”

She then flicks my nose, “Don’t assume that I didn’t also hear about your own mischief young lady,” leaning in closer, “you know what I am referring to don’t you?”

I face scrunches, remembering that I swiped a rather large piece of brisket for Fenris. My shoulders slump, “Yes Ma’am…I do.”

She smiles, “Good girl.”

I sigh but grin; a kitsune is gonna do what a kitsune is gonna do. But in the end, it really was the only “naughty” thing I did during the gathering.

She rolls her eyes, “Mischievous little fox.” I giggle softly.

She shakes her head, “Sweetheart, why don’t you take her up to your room? I’ll be sure to have Sebastian bring your tea up to you both.”

I smile, “Sure,” letting go of her shirt, looking to Diana, “come on.”

The girl nods, gazing at my mother, “It was a pleasure to meet you ma’am.”

She nods in return, “Likewise my dear. Now, go on and enjoy my dears.”

I grin and turn for the stairs, motioning to the girl to follow, “I’ll show you the way.”

She walks past Rachel as we both head up the stairs. Fenris had already bolted for the second floor, watching as a blur of dark fur whooshes past us.

I roll my eyes, shaking my head, “You big oaf.” The two of us ascend the stairs, slipping into the hallway.

The sun bore softly into the corridors, giving a constant white light which is filtered through the curtains. I gaze out onto the Estate, seeing the lake shimmering in the distance. Since it’s a nice summer day, a trip down to it seems to be a nice idea.

I turn back to Diana, watching as she walks slowly next to me. She wore the same look of amazement I had when I first came, her eyes dart around her and then out onto the Estate. “You…you own all of this?”

I fold my hands behind my back, resting them against my shirt, “Yep. There’s so much space here that it’s almost like its own little country. There are forests, fields, orchards, groves, pretty much anything you could think of.”

She pans down to me, “You really are a princess then, aren’t you?”

I shrug, “You could say that.”

“So where is your room?” she asks.

I eye a small placard hanging from a pair of double doors, smiling as we came closer to it, with Fenris sitting beside it. “Right here,” I reply, reaching out and opening the door.

We enter the room, watching as Fenris immediately heads straight for my bed, hopping on top, and lying down onto it. I smirked, shaking my head. I too walk over to it, leaning up against the foot.

Diana walks around, eyes wide and in awe. “This is your room?”

I rest my hands onto the bed, “Yep. My own little slice of heaven.”

She looks to me, “You could fit my living room in here.”

I smile, watching as she then moved over to my bookcases, gazing at the rows upon rows of books they contained. Her gaze then fell upon my manga library, pulling off a volume and opening it. She looked to me, holding it up, “You have actually read this? It’s not even in English.”

I hop up onto my bed, “Yep.”

She turns another page, “You can read Japanese?”

I smile, “Hai. Nihongo de yomikaki dekimasu.”

Her eyes blink in confusion, “What did you say?”

My grin broadens, “I said that I can read and write Japanese. I’m also fluent in it.”

She replaces the book, “Is it just because you’re into anime?”

I bob my head, “Not only that. Remember when I said that I studied abroad? Well, I was in Japan for most of the spring. So while there, it was pretty much the only language I spoke.”

Her eyebrow curls, “So you were in Tokyo I take it?”

I pull my legs into my chest, “Nope. I lived near a small village out in the country.”

I hold my legs, “I loved it there, just living away from the noise of modern civilization, being amongst nature, and then,” looking away, as my cheeks burn even hotter. A large, bushy tail curls around my legs.

A smile forms on my lips, Fenris knows that I miss Kenji and wish that we could see each other again. My heart starts thumping harder in my chest as I imagine the young kitsune just sitting in my room, and well…I don’t know. Just him being here is all that I could think of in at the moment.

I rest my chin onto my knees, watching as Diana removes her bag, motioning to the couch. I nod, as she places it on the other side. She then walks back over the where my swords were on display.

She raises her hand to pick up the sword that Silvi had given me, but stops, “These aren’t real are they? I mean, they can’t be right?”

I grin, “Oh…they’re real. Plus I know how to use them.”

She turns to me, “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

I smirk, “Nope.”

Her eyes then grow massive as she gazed at my model collection, “You built all of these?”

I giggle as her hand moves to some of the perfect grades. “Built, painted, and on display. It’s one of my many hobbies.”

She stays around my desks, picking up a picture from “Study”. “Who’s this with you?” holding it up to me.

I continue the smile, “That’s Marron. She’s someone very important to me. Where that picture was taken was in New Orleans last summer. She had to move away almost three years ago and it crushed the both of us. But we see each other on occasion and we often call each other a lot.”

Just as much as I want to see Kenji, Marron unfortunately ranks higher. Even if we just saw each other a couple weeks ago, I’m still hoping for the day she officially moves back. She had kept the date a secret, obviously to keep me guessing and wanting the surprise to be all the bigger.

She places the picture back onto the shelf and then looks at the other.

I smile, “That was taken about a couple weeks after I lost my family. There was a ball held here and my mother, well not for another couple of months, hosted it. It was where I met nearly everyone I now call my ‘extended family’.”

I blush, still remembering wearing that outfit and dancing with Rachel. The both of us are not going to miss this year’s festival. The first one was a lot of fun and still holds a great deal of meaning for me.

I giggle, hoping that we could be on the advance team to help out with the prep. That would be a lot of fun. Maybe this year Miriam might host it, then I could get to see her home and then get hang out with Miss Anabelle. There are a many other members who lived in Seattle, which sort of makes the city the unofficial headquarters for the Coven.

There is a picture hidden behind some of my books, one that only a handful knew existed. It’s of Rachel and me when she transformed me into a five-year old. That day still was fresh in my mind and I truly did like being a little kid for a day. She held my hand like a mommy with her little girl as we walked through the Manor.

She wanted me to experience a pure day of having zero duties and also because it marked a full year since she sent me the necklace. I think she also did it because she wanted to have a little girl of her own if just for the day. I placed it behind my books before Diana arrived, figuring it was something that she didn’t need to see.

I jump slightly as a knock rang on the door. I look up, “Come in.”

The door opens, revealing Sebastian, pushing in a small cart, “I have your tea, Young Miss. Where would you like for me to place it?”

I smile, hopping off of the bed, “On the coffee table please.”

The butler wheels the cart over past the couch and began placing the set onto the table, pouring fresh brewed ice tea into glasses. He then set a few small plates full of tiny sandwiches along with fruit and a tiny plate of sweets.

I smile, rounding to a chair, looking to him, “Thank you Sebastian.”

After he finished setting the table, he turns to me and bows, “You are most Welcome Young Miss.” I watch as he then wheels the cart out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I sit down into a chair and pick up a glass, taking a sip of tea. I close my eyes as the taste of cold tea flies across my tongue.

Diana replaces a seat on the couch and looks to me. I smile, nodding to her. She slowly picked up a sandwich and bit into it. I had to thank Chef the next time I see him. I glimpse her eyes growing wide as she picks up another sandwich and another. I grin, leaning back into my seat.

“This…this is amazing,” she exclaims, looking to me, “you eat like this every day?”

I shrug, “More or less. Sometimes it’s elaborately designed dishes, which the staff does to flex their talents. Other times they’re simpler. Either way it’s always a surprise. Since I first came here I’ve been exposed to so many kinds of food I lost count. Asian, French, German, just so many. I even help out in the kitchen from time to time, learning from the staff.”

A blush then forms on my cheeks, remembering the last time I saw my birthmother, and cooking for her. It was a good moment, with me in her kitchen, knives chopping and stirring spoons, moving effortlessly through ingredients and pots.

It’s not often I think of her, sometimes I found it a little difficult to remember either her voice. What I do remember, and it still haunts my dreams, was seeing her on that slab. Her body disfigured, gored, and…

I shake my head, stopping myself completing the thought. I had buried my mother, an act that I hated. But then I remembered that her grave had been raised during my trip to Italy. The crime had never been solved and had long since gone cold. Even after learning of it, I never went down to the Valley to see the scene for myself. Just the news of it happening was enough.

I looked up to Diana, who was staring at me with her differently colored eyes. I give her a smile, “Sorry, just…just lost in thought.”

She leans forward, “Want to talk about it?”

My hands lay into my lap, “I’d rather not. Too painful and unpleasant.”

That’s saying it mildly. After Rachel and I returned from Georgia, I had nightmares for a couple nights, terrible ones, where I would wake up screaming and crying in the middle of the night. I let out a sigh, leaning forward and picking up another sandwich, biting into it.

I hear my bed jostle as Fenris hops off the bed and sits beside me. I curl up into my chair, laying my head against the armrest, and stroke his fur. Him being here is a boon, and I love him all the more for it.

We finished the last of our lunch and sit in silence. I look up to her, letting out a soft giggle, “I am a terrible host.”

Her lips curl slightly, “You’re fine.”

I roll my legs out from under me and stood up. I crack my knuckles, hearing them pop loudly in the room. I see her face cringe at the sound.

“Gah, I hate it when people do that. Just sounds so disgusting.”

I smirk, popping my neck, “Well it helps break up the tension in my body. By the way, wanna go on a tour of the Manor and then out onto the Estate? It’ll be a good way to just spend some time together.”

She rises from the couch, dusting off her shorts, “Lead the way ‘Little Princess’.” I roll my eyes, and slip around the chair and head for the door.