AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t know what you are talking about,” he replied with an innocent smile.
Octavius was innocent! Utterly innocent! So, he had plotted a little bit? That didn’t make him guilty of anything! This was for Henry’s own good! Was it so wrong that now that he had found love, he wanted his cute little fledglings to find it too?! Once he had Henry done…well, then he’d start on the other six! They would certainly be happy for his interference!
Oh, what if they gave him some little grand-fledglings?! He’d be a grandsire! New goal—BECOME A GRANDSIRE!
Turney’s brow rose, eyes drifting past him to something behind Octavius. He frowned as a long…familiar scent reached his nose. Roses—beach roses.
Spinning around, he hissed at the sight of the woman standing a few feet away from him and partly up the hill, next to Eshla.
“Catalina…”
Turney’s eyes widened at the name. Catalina? The ex-friend, Catalina? That Catalina?
He looked closely at the woman standing next to Eshla with more interest now than when he’d first seen her. Catalina was short, standing only about five foot tall, curvy, with thick waist length curly brown hair that flew free around her gently pointed face. Her skin was naturally tanned, eyes a deep brown color, and her lips were heart shaped. While Eshla looked to be a tightrope walker, the witch was dressed as a circus ring leader.
So, this was…Catalina? She was beautiful.
He glanced at Octavius, and then back to the woman whose eyes were locked on the vampire.
Turney hurriedly stepped up next to the vampire. “Uh, hi!” he said awkwardly. “I’m, uh, Octavius’ boyfriend.”
Catalina glanced at him, but said nothing. He met Eshla’s gaze, and she gestured towards Octavius with her eyes, as if that told him anything.
“So, this is awkward,” Turney drawled with a nervous laugh. “You two would probably like to talk, I imagine? Why don’t we take this to an empty room, yeah?”
Catalina gave a tense smile. “I would like that very much.”
Octavius remained silent for a few moments before sighing and saying, “Fine.”
* * *
Octavius crossedhis arms and stared at the witch he hadn’t seen in many years. He had sadly let Turney drag him into a room he hadn’t decorated. So, now he and Catalina stood in a standoff while Turney and Eshla sat on a couch watching them. It was all sorts of awkward. The kind that usually came about with ruined friendships over betrayals. Not that he had experienced many of those… Okay, maybe he had. Was it his fault some of his friends were so dramatic?!
Octavius pursed his lips before stating, “You’re back early.”
“The job finished up quicker than expected.” Catalina got this familiar small smile on her face as she said it. It was something that used to make Octavius happy and smile himself, now he just found it irritating due to the memories it brought up.
“I see,” he replied stiffly.
The smile disappeared and she grimaced, staying silent for a moment before her words burst out, “I missed you.”
The words were like a stab to his heart… He bit his bottom lip and hesitated before saying his next words. “Have you? The last time I saw you, you told me that you never wanted to see me again.”
She sighed. “I know what I said, and I regretted it the minute the words were out. I just didn’t know how to take them back.”
Octavius snorted. “You set my teddy bear collection on fire the day after you said it.”
Catalina winced. “Okay, maybe I regretted it like a week after. You know how stubborn I am.”
“Understatement.”
She shrugged, that small smile of hers returning. “Yes, well, stubborn or not, I did regret it. It was a stupid fight. And I did something I shouldn’t have. It was really pointless, ending a five-hundred-year friendship over a fish I didn’t even know. And I am sorry…for Bubbles, that is. You had him since he was a baby, and while in paranormal terms that isn’t long…I know you loved him.”
Octavius began to pout as memories of his adorable Bubbles filled his head. How he swam… How he came to the surface to see him… How he gave his hand kisses. “I did love him,” he said with a sniffle.
“I know you did.”
He sighed and reluctantly admitted, “I know you also loved that spotted devil baby fish, even though you barely knew him. So, I am sorry he died too.”
