Old Promises, New Mysteries: Book 2 of The Kinstone series

The ride didn’t take us long, maybe ten minutes at most. Better than walking to the Vatican. During the trip over, Elizabeth told us to heavily refrain from using magic for whatever reason. Yeah…telling a bunch of teenagers not to do something only led to them actually doing it. But this time we obeyed without objection.

A lump slowly grew in my throat as we drew closer to the border. I was about the walk around the seat of the Catholic Church and tour its grounds. I chuckled about meeting the pope on some random chance encounter.

But what really was making me a nervous wreck was the idea of if there were mages there, or more like an inquisition, hunting down those who might’ve strayed away from the path.

I knew I could take care of myself in a fight. But it wouldn’t have been a good idea. I ran hundreds of scenarios through my mind. I’d been studying a map of the Vatican almost, heh, religiously since we first arrived in Rome.

The lump in my throat grew larger and larger until I just swallowed it down. When we arrived, we hopped out of the van and walked towards the gates. Entry took less than a minute and then we were in.

My eyes instantly were drawn towards St. Peter’s Square and the basilica immediately behind it. Thousands of people skirted the brick walkways. We slowly ventured forward, staying close together.

I clenched the strap on my bag, eyes scanning everywhere around me. I still was unsure of anything. But I wanted to enjoy my time there. Fretting over something that may or may not exist wasn’t going to help me. So soldier on I did.

As we entered the square, I fought the urge to break from the group and scale the pillars. An easy enough task, just transform into a kitsune and use magic to run up the columns. Yeah…again, not a good idea. So I bit back.

Aside from that, the square was surrounded by its massive colonnades. The movie Angels and Demons hardly did the square justice.

We walked around, marveling at its construction. The colonnade wrapped around the square on both sides in a circle, with two fountains on each side with an obelisk in the center on the square. Words still cannot fully express the awe and grandeur of merely standing there.

I pulled out my camera and started taking as many pictures as I could. The square alone would’ve made the trip memorable. But there was a lot more to explore.

We entered the basilica proper and again were awestruck by the sheer size of it all. The ceilings appeared to rise upwards indefinitely. Art and sculptures dotted every place imaginable. The narthex itself took my breath away.

Everything around me echoed the power and prestige of the church. And it made me even more nervous.

We toured the entirety of the basilica, studying every nook and niche we came upon. My camera never once was out of my hands, constantly taking pictures. Every few moments, I would see a security guard standing somewhere.

I smiled, feeling somewhat better. But while calm, I still kept a wary eye. I loved viewing the statues of the saints. The one of Longinus became a personal favorite of mine. As tired as I was at the start of the morning, it had all faded away during the tour.

One place I had to visit was the statue of Saint Peter. Of all of the apostles, my dad loved him the most. A tear rolled down my cheek the closer I came to it. I choked up as I stood there, fighting back the urge to cry.

I imagined him standing beside me, gazing upon the statue. I even looked to my right, hoping to see him there. But…nothing.

My knees slowly gave way as dropped to them. I wanted to cry, to just let out everything within my heart in that moment. I wished he was there beside me.

Hot tears streamed down my face the more I thought of him. The world seemed to fade away into nothingness.

A hand then rested onto my shoulder. I quickly turned to see Elizabeth standing there, her smile was warm and gentle, but her eyes glittered with worry.

“Are you all right, Aria?”

Sniffing, I wiped the tears from my cheeks, “Yeah…I’m fine.”

She looked to me, seemingly unconvinced but conceded. “All right then. The group is waiting for us.” I nodded to her, looking back up to the statue. My final prayer was still waiting for me.

The group then broke up to venture out to the various other parts of Vatican City. My team was to head to the Sistine chapel. My first reaction was to immediately look upwards at the ceiling. Again, there is nothing quite like viewing something in real life as opposed to just seeing it in books.

The frescoes above us were beyond words. There were so many that you could easily lose count. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be The Creation of Adam. I smiled in marvel at it. The problem was after a while your neck starts to hurt. Leaning it forward caused it to pop and ache.

I giggled, hearing the team complain loudly at the pain. We then toured the rest of the chapel, gazing at the numerous frescoes that dotted nearly every portion of the walls. Again, my camera shutter echoed loudly. I smiled softly.

My eyes then got the glimpse of the Swiss Guard, standing watch at a far flung corner of the chapel. I take a few steps closer to the pair of ornately dressed men. They noticed me, craning their heads to view me better.

I stopped swiftly. I didn’t move, not sure what to do in that moment. The corridor where I was standing was quiet and empty, aside from the guards and myself. There simply was no one around, which was odd.

I nodded slowly to them, still clutching my camera. They clearly were assessing whether or not I was a potential threat. I slowly walked towards them only for one to hold up his hand to me, which told me I couldn’t come any closer.

Neither spoke, but they now saw that I wasn’t a threat as I halted my steps. I smiled to them and held up my camera. They nodded and smiled to me. I took the picture and mouthed a “thank you”. They nodded once more. I took a few steps back and left the area I was in.

The team toured the museums of the Vatican. Again, each place was filled the brim with art ranging from paintings to sculptures. It was the only time that we nearly were able to hit every one, but before we could, the sun had already begun to crest well into the early afternoon.

We still decided to meet up back in St. Peter’s Square. It had been an amazing day and we had only stopped once for an hour to eat lunch. So needless-to-say we all were feeling exhausted from the day.

The closer we came upon the square we saw that crowds had both increased and waned in certain places. Still tons of people, far too many to even attempt to count. The sky which was once clear had now grown grey and cloudy.

I sighed in frustration. We actually almost had a second pretty day to tour around. I swore under my breath as the neared the square.

The other teams were all there waiting for us, all gathered under the obelisk. Everyone waved at each other. The team leaders talked about plans for the evening and discussed the preparations for our return trip home.

The younger members of the group started complaining about wanting to go back to the hotel while the older sat around and talked. Despite the noise of the crowd, it was rather peaceful in the square.

Tomorrow was going to be hectic to say the least. Pretty much the moment we finished our final dinner in Rome we probably were going to start packing up. Like I said, hectic.

While everyone was off in their own little world, I took the opportunity to complete the side task that I started in Florence. I quietly broke from the group and rounded the obelisk.

I made the sign of the cross over my heart and silently spoke a prayer. Each prayer held a special purpose for me, something I had planned while prepping for this trip.

The first prayer was meant for my mother. Since Tuscany was her dream visit I wanted to pray for her, hoping she was well.

The second prayer was for Rachel, my new mother. Since day one, she had always been at my side, encouraging me, spurring me onward.

And the final prayer…this nearly once again brought me to tears for it was for my father. Each word I spoke felt like a weight was both being levied onto me but then lifted away. When I ended my prayer, my heart and body felt light.

A small tear rolled down my cheek. I chuckled, wiping it away. The wind wisped against my cheek, feeling as though it had been kissed. I blushed, looking around, seeing no one.

My heart fluttered softly, thinking that it was my dad. My blush deepened, turning away softly, but my smiled grew larger, peering up towards the sky.

The crowds grew louder as it began to suddenly shift and move. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, not out of alarm, but something…else. I felt my hair being tugged softly. Not a hard pull, but one meant to get your attention.

I groaned, rolling my eyes “Robbie, I’ve told you before not to pull on my-” I spun around expecting the see the little troublemaker, only to find a tall dark-haired woman with turquoise eyes.

She looked to be in her mid to late-twenties and possessed a near irresistible beauty. She was dressed in fall attire that appeared to have come straight out of the latest fashion magazine.

The woman smiled to me, feeling warm and comforting. She folded her arms as she stood there. Her eyes seemed to glow unnaturally.

“You must be Aria.”

My heart lurched softly in my chest, feeling my fists clenching tightly, “Yes…yes I am. And you might you be?”

Her smile broadened, “You needn’t feel frightened and worried with me, sweetie. I’m not here to hurt you. In fact, I was sent to look in on you.”

I tilted my head, “Say what now?”

She chuckled, “My mother asked me to check in and see how you were doing.”

My eyebrow curled, “Your…mother?”

She nodded, and then slapped her forehead, “Sorry, I should introduce myself. My name is Kerrigan…Kerrigan Algernon.”

My eyes blinked, feeling the tension somewhat lessened, “As in Tobias and Sabine Algernon?”

She nodded, “That is correct, I am their eldest daughter.” My heart finally settled, but I maintained wariness about her.

Kerrigan chuckled, “Your mother did say that you’d be suspicious of me.”

“Wait…you know my mother? You spoke to her?” I asked.

She nodded, “That I did. Aside from checking in on you, your mother asked if I could take you away for a short period and just let you have a little fun. Well in truth, it was my mother who convinced her to allow it.”

I looked to her, “Did she call her or something?”

The woman laughed, “No. My mother decided to pay yours a visit, along with a couple others. In fact, they should still be there as we speak. I guess 'they' learned about your travels here and figured she could use the company.”

I tilted my head, “Who else tagged along?”

She smiled, “Lady Josephine and Master Andriy.” I smiled, remembering that all three were close friends to my mother.

I then sighed, leaning up against a railing, “I can never escape being spoiled can I?”

Kerrigan leaned into me, “What do you mean?”

I chuckled, “My birth parents did the same thing a long time ago.”

While on vicarage, my parents had asked some friends to take me away from the final day of VBS and show me around Nashville. So apparently this was happening yet a second time.

The woman smiled to me, “You really are a cutie you know that?”

My face blushed, then eyeing a pair of translucent horns curling around her head, “You’re a lilith too aren’t you?”

She nodded, “That I am.”

Kerrigan leaned over to me, “Why don’t I go and have a short talk with your chaperones? Then you and I can head out for a short time.”

I nodded to her, watching her go and speak to Elizabeth and Sarah. She then pulled out her phone and handed it to the former, who spoke for a couple minutes. She glanced to me and smiled, nodding.

Elizabeth then walked over to me, “It appears that you have a date to go on.” I blushed softly, playing with the ends on my jacket. She smiled to me, “Well, you go have some fun then. We’ll be waiting for you back at the hotel.” I nodded to her.

Kerrigan then walked over to me, “Ready to go?” I hoisted my bag and nodded.

I waved to the group as I waved to them. Susie ran up to me, “You leaving, sissy?”

I nodded to her, “Just for a bit. I’ll see you later okay?” Her head dropped. I smiled and hugged her, “I’ll be back before you know it.” The little girl nodded.

I felt hand resting on my shoulder, seeing Kerrigan smiling to me. I nodded and walked off with her.

As we exited the Vatican, my phone then went off in my bag. I pulled it out and saw that I had gotten a text from my mother, telling me to have good time.

I smiled, replying to her, wishing she had told me sooner. She replied stating that it wouldn’t have been a surprise. I sighed, shaking my head, stuffing my phone back into my bag.

Kerrigan took me to a small café and bought me some tea and cakes. I still couldn’t get over the fact that I basically had been whisked away from my group just to show me a good time.

My host looked to me, smiling, “What’s on your mind cutie?”

Again my heart thumped in my chest, remembering Elizabeth’s joke about this being a “date”. I looked away, blushing softly, “N-nothing.” She leaned in and brushed some hair from my face. My eyes peered upwards to her, my cheeks burned bright red.

Kerrigan chuckled, “You wondering if you really are on a date aren’t you?”

My heart then stopped, nodding softly. She smiled to me, “Well…you could think of it that way. But know that I legitimately am here to look after you for a bit. Also, while I can’t read your mind, I can read your feelings, and I must say,” grinning, “you really can’t hide your fantasies that well can you?”

My face burned even brighter than before, trying to cover it up. She laughed, leaning back into your seat, “When was the last time you went out like this?”

I pulled my legs into my chest, “When I visited New Orleans back in the summer. I went out with a woman I call my big sister.”

She nodded, and took a sip from her coffee, “Well I am glad that I'm able to hopefully give you a good time.” I nodded to her.

I pulled my cup to my face, staring into the dark liquid, “How come I didn’t see you at Court? I thought that all children had to appear.”

Kerrigan nodded, “Well, to answer that I must first say that it is a requirement, but in truth, not all abide by it. For instance, I live here in Rome and tend to matters here. However I will go and assist my parents if the need arises. I sort of wished that I had attended. When my father told me about you, I grew curious, but again had to attend to matters here. So I missed it.”

I nodded, “You also said that you are the oldest. Does that mean you have siblings?”

She nodded, “Six younger sisters and one younger brother, who is actually about your age. Whom we all spoil to death.” I giggled.

Taking a sip I looked to her, “So are you friends by chance with Lana, Mistral, or Irina?”

She sighed, leaning her head back and covering her face, “No…I’m not. Lana and Mistral are just two incredibly spoiled brats. And when I heard about what they demanded of you, I wished that I was there to slap some sense into them. Those two had no business demanding anything of you."

She took a sip of her tea, "And then there’s Irina Velkoz. Again, I don’t care for her that much. She’s in every way like her father. I know for a fact she still bears a grudge after you defeated her last year."

I rolled my eyes, lovely.

"Now her brother on the other hand," she grins, "he takes more after his mother. He can come across as a narcissist and yet he is a true gentleman. Even if he is a pureblood, he is still very much someone that I could consider pursuing. That was of course until I heard about how much he is interested in you.”

I hugged my legs tightly, “You can have him if you want.”

She smiled to me, “You’re not interested in men are you?”

I looked away, “Just not men like him.”

Kerrigan nodded, “That understandable.” She then leaned into me, “If you wanted to ever explore another relationship, I could help with that.”

I looked to her, slowly feeling overwhelmed by her. She chuckled, “I’m joking cutie. Well, sort of.” My face burned even hotter.

We spent the next couple hours walking around Rome, talking to each other. Kerrigan kept me close to her. I still wondered if this really was a date or not. In a strange way, it felt like I was with Marron.

Kerrigan gave off the same vibe as my big sister, but at the same time, more intimate while around the lilith. We toured a couple shops, with her buying me a book from a boutique. I legitimately was having a good time with her.

She then took me one of the many parks within the city. The air was still somewhat chilly, but nothing I wasn’t used to. We walked through the park, listening to couples wooing and kissing each other. I watched parents chasing after their children.

We sat under a tree by a pond where she told me more about herself and her family. It was nice.

I did catch her looking at me a few times. Her eyes shimmered softly, mixed with wonder and intrigue. I blushed, turning away. She would chuckle softly, returning to her tales.

As the sun begun to set over the city, Kerrigan and I started back for the hotel. Throughout my time with her, I had wondered if she had once tried to lure me into falling for her. I remembered when I met her mother that I felt unnaturally attracted to the woman. Oddly enough there was nothing, so I ignored it.

“Hey, gotta question for you.”

She looked to me, “What’s on your mind, cutie?”

“When I was visiting the cathedral in Florence, there were some…people there, hiding in the shadows. Were they by chance yours?”

Kerrigan blinked with surprise, “Not…mine per se. If anything they possibly were agents of either my parents.”

I sighed as my frustration grew, “Why are so many people concerned about me? My mom is one thing. But why are others? I’m not some helpless child in need of constant supervision.”

She smiled, “There is something special about you, and something I believe that many have taken an interest in. Plus the fact that you are Countess Rivenfeld’s daughter should also be taken into consideration. And no, no one thinks that you are need of constant supervision. Your mother simply worries for you, as all mothers do.”

I blushed, holding my bag, “There’s just so much about her that I still don’t know about, some I don’t even care about.”

She smiled, “All you need to know is that she loves you more than anything in this world. Trust me.” I smiled to her, nodding.

When we finally arrived at my hotel, Kerrigan turned and looked to me. “Well I had a lovely time, did you?”

I nodded, smiling to her, “I did, and thank you.”

She raised her hand to my cheek, brushing it softly. A shiver ran up my spine as she did. She smiled to me, resting her hand onto my shoulder, “If you are ever in need of a friend or in trouble, my door is open to you. As my mother and father are your mother’s friends, I am yours.”

I blushed softly, “Thank you.”

She leaned in and kissed my forehead, “You are welcome cutie. Now go on, you have a long journey home ahead of you.”

I nodded to her. “Thanks again for the day.”

She smiled, slipping something into my bag, “Just in case.”

I looked down to see that it was her address. I smiled, backing up and waving to her as I headed inside. When I turned to look at her, Kerrigan had already vanished. I looked around the courtyard a bit for her. Sighing, I turned and walked inside.

I slowly opened the door to my apartment and slipped in. “Did you have a good time?”

My body jumped slightly, turning to see Elizabeth standing near the kitchen. She had a soft warm smile on her face. I don’t know why I jumped or why I was feeling so embarrassed. She walked over to me, her smile widening.

I nodded to her, “I did,” craning my head to see the pile of freshly washed dishes, my heart sank, “sorry for missing dinner.”

Elizabeth shook her head, “No need to be. But if you are hungry, we did leave you some in the fridge.”

I smiled to her, “Thanks.”

She rested her hand onto my shoulder, “You're welcome. You should also go ahead and get packed up. We’re leaving for the airport early in the morning.”

I nodded to her, “Yes ma’am.” She leaned back and I scooted for my room.

It really didn’t take me that long to get packed up. I had kept all of my dirty laundry in my hamper, which I was going to have open for when I took a shower in the morning.

My satchel still sat upon my bed, partially open due to me tossing it there. I scrambled to gather up my toiletries, shoving them all into my travel case.

After I brought it out of the bathroom, I placed into my suitcase. I looked up at my bed, seeing the book that Kerrigan had bought me. I smiled, having very much loved my time with her.

You need to finish up Aria, I told myself.

I sighed, completing my task. Zipping up my suitcase, I hoisted it into a caddy. I took one last look at my room. Grabbing my headphones, I then headed back out the living room.