COLD - BWWM

*TWENTY-TWO*

Olive slowly crept out of her room, she'd finally gotten Krishna to sleep. She wasn't used to playing the role of mother, and yet...she found herself over night the only person he could depend on.

Letting out a relieved breath, she walked down the hall to Stella's room. The two of them were still so used to sharing space, it wasn't much of an inconvenience for Olive to stay in Stella's room.

"Is he asleep?" Stella asked from where she sat Indian style on the floor, twisting a piece of her hair, there were three jars filled with some magical gunk that would maintain her twisted coils.

"Uh huh," Olive said as she flopped onto the bed that they'd had managed to take from one of the other abandoned rooms, "Tithe rocked him straight to never land."

"Oh...cool then." Stella said distractedly, as she reached for another piece of hair to coil, "So what did your parents say about Krishna, are they going to let you keep him?"

"You know how they are," Olive said with groan, "Mom and dad are headed to China as we speak. There has been a discovery of some nearly endangered hibiscus, so I was told I had free use of the house to raise 'my' kid. And that they could only help by mailing me their credit card." Olive let out an exasperate breath, "Some times I wonder about those two."

Stella laughed, "You and the entire community of RTE...you know your father still hasn't returned the dais of the goddess Brahan yet?"

"What?!" Olive jerked her head up, before letting it drop with a groan, "No wonder priestess Faya glared at me the last time we went for the ceremony at the temple last April."

Stella nodded, lowering her hand to her knees, "Speaking of which...this means you're going to have that big house all to yourself?'

"About that..." Olive said raising herself up on her elbows, "Lucien has asked me to go with him to meet his family."

Stella turned around, her eyes wide in astonishment, "And...You said yes?!"

Olive gave her a nervous smile, "Well...I sort of had too, me being his mate and all."

Stella stared at her silently for minute, before shaking her head, "I've lived too long."

"What?" Olive said, watching as Stella turned back around, and went back to doing her hair, "What does that mean?"

"I've lived long enough to see red riding hood walk right into the wolves' arms," She said while giving her head another morose shake.

"Oh, shut up, you..." Olive said turning her back to the laughing Stella and closing her eyes intent on going to sleep.

***

Stella stood in a large ballroom, her arms by her side as the ball music crescendoed she couldn't help but smile. The enjoyment of her first ball wasn't as she's pictured, as she wasn't surrounded by many suitors.

And she was sure the dove grey gown her mother had forced her to wear, was the reason for it. But it hadn't diminished her enjoyment of the music. And the picture itself, laughing lords and ladies, commiserating rakes trying to steal maidens favors, she found herself heartened that she could enjoy it all from her corner of the large room.

"I wonder why a fine lady such as yourself are hiding behind a fern, rather than taking part in the festivities." A silky voice asked.

Stella turned her head to face the interloper of her hiding place, and found herself staring into moonlit grey eyes. A cheerful sparkle in them took her breath away, and she found herself merely staring into the silvery eyes far longer than was polite.

Eventually the man lifted a hand to his face, and brushed it along his own cheek, "Is there something on my face?"

Hearing this, Stella blinked before she flushed lowering her gaze, "I must apologize," she liftng her eyes back up only to be captivated once more by his princely features and bright smile. It was mind numbing, the man's handsomeness. She'd never been approached by such a man, especially with a chaperon nearby to make sure everything was done with the utmost propriety. "I-I should say I've never been so lost in thought before."

The man shook his head, lowering his hand, "There is no need, for I have found myself suffering from the very same thing now afflicting you. Would it be presumptuous of me to ask your name fair lady?"

The silliness of his question caused Stella to relax, as she smiled, "It isn't presumptuous at all...my name is Stella, Stella Devreux, and you?"

The man seemed to come closer, and the music behind them seemed to fade into the background as he reached down and lifted her still hand to his lips, "Xavier, Leviathan Xavier."

Stella didn't know why, but the feel of his hand upon hers made her feel as if cool air was running over her skin, and it was truly the most comforting feeling in the world. Shuddering at the unfamiliar feeling, she quickly pulled her hands from his hold and placed it behind her, "So...now that we've introduced ourselves, what do we do next?"

He smirked, straightening he reached out and took her hand and turned pulling her behind him, "We dance...we dance the night away, Moy Ogon."

***

Stella groaned hearing her alarm going off, she turned over and quickly turned it off. She hadn't been waking up easily recently, giving another sigh she struggled out the bed and headed towards her bathroom to get ready for the day ahead.

She tossed an annoyed look over to Olive, when she nearly tripped over her friend's purse. Bending down she picked it up, but paused when she saw bruising on her wrist...blinking, she glanced back over at her bed to see what she might have hit herself on. Only to see nothing she could have banged on.

Too tired to think about it, she tossed Olives purse on the table and continued towards the bathroom. Not having seen the window open, that she'd closed the previous night due to the hot weather.