RISEN: FORBIDDEN LOVE

Chapter 2 - Going away

Iris POV

“Daddy!” I yelled to my father. As a daddy´s girl, I know I can count on him to side with me to win almost any battle. This time it was a gamble because the one annoying me was no other than my mother.

“What is it, sweetie?” Daddy quickly walked out of his studio and I jumped into his arms.

“Mom happened…” I rolled my eyes and Dad huffed. I guess he is getting tired of this back-and-forth between Mom and me. It is natural, I want to do whatever I want, and Mom, she thinks I am still a little girl that can´t defend myself and that I am stupid enough to get myself into deep s**t. Well, the last part might be true, but I am not a little girl anymore, and I want to spread my wings and fly…

“The same argument again?” Dad didn´t look my way. He was looking above my head, and I knew Mom was standing behind me. I knew they were having a silent argument about me, again.

“Kind of…” Mom said in a tired but sweet voice. Ugh, how can she speak like that in the middle of a f*****g tempest? I am a raging volcano about to explode and she is cool as a cucumber.

“Can´t we just meet halfway?” Dad said, motioning for us to walk into his office. He is the King of the Demon realm, and I bet he has bigger issues than arguing with his mate and daughter about letting her go to Central City to study Art at Central U.

We sat in the reading area inside Daddy´s office. “Alright, let me get this straight… You already applied to Central U without asking us in advance, and got admitted… Is that right?” He looked at me.

“Yes,” I said in an unwavering voice. I wanted to get in on my own merits, so I hid my application from my powerful parents. I also was afraid that Mom would secretly intervene in order to hold me back, and she would prevent my admission to school. It was a two-bladed knife, having such powerful parents.

“And you are determined to attend classes there next semester…” He said, mustering all his patience, and I nodded.

“Yeah, what would be the point in applying and then not going?” I said and he nodded.

“And you, Darling… think there are too many risks for her down in the city…” Dad looked at Mom, and she nodded.

“Yes… you know what I deal with on a daily basis…” She spoke. As the Central City´s head of the council, she knows all the tiny little terrible details that happen there daily.

I huffed and crossed my arms in front of my chest, I was very upset that Mom was stopping me from living my life. I know I am not the golden girl she wanted me to be… No, the perfect child spot got taken by Dominic, my twin brother… but that doesn´t mean I don´t have the right to live the way I want.

“I know, Darling… but that doesn´t mean that she has to drop her dreams…” Way to go, Dad! I knew he would be behind me.

Mom sighed, “It is dangerous… the crime rate has increased and we are working hard to control it…”

“Well, work harder… I will be going to school after the summer… You have two good months to fix all that s**t …” I said and my mom´s eyes snapped open.

“You!” Mom pointed at me. I knew I had struck a sore nerve… and I shrunk. Thankfully, Dad stood between us, bless his heart, because when she was pissed like that, she was f*****g terrifying.

“Darling, calm down… I know that you are dealing with enough… and I know that you are afraid for our daughters' safety… But she wants to study and have a life outside the walls of this castle, and I do believe it is a good thing for her…” He said and Mom nodded at him defeated.

“Yes, I believe so too… but it will be the first time she will be apart from us… far away from Dom… and who knows what could happen… especially with the safety issues we are dealing with in Central City…” She leaned into Dad´s magical embrace and I knew deep down in my heart that she was going to cave in soon.

She took a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Who would you be staying with?” She asked,

“Vicky and Aisling…” I replied confidently. They are my two best friends in this whole world.

“Where do you plan on staying?” She asked,

“I was thinking we could use the Penthouse in Central City…” I bit my lip. It was the closest location to the university and conveniently close to all the fun places and hangouts.

“The Penthouse, Downtown?” Mom lifted her eyebrows.

“It is two blocks away from Central U, Mom…” I said confidently, and somehow I saw in her eyes a glint of an idea. Something didn´t sit right with me, but I let it pass because I wanted to get away from the castle.

“I will think about it…” She gave me a side smile, and I knew that she would come up with some f****d up idea to ruin my fun.

She pecked Dad´s lips, and then turned around and left. “At least she didn´t say no, again… Let her wrap her head around the idea of you leaving home, and I know she will allow it…” Dad kissed my forehead.

“Thanks, Daddy…” I gave him a hug.

“Have you talked to Dom?” I asked him and he nodded.

“Yeah, your Uncle Max is beating the crap out of him…” Dad chuckled and I laughed.

“I bet… his training program is known to be a b***h…” I said,

“Yeah, I think the only one that can handle that level of training is Matei… The apple doesn´t fall far from the tree…” Dad said, and at the mention of that name, my stomach churned. I haven´t seen or heard anything from him since that summer we went to the beach house. After that trip, he was always on camp or training. I haven't seen him, not even during family gatherings.

It hurt so much that I buried all those feelings. Before I spiraled down, I decided to change subjects. “Daddy, why do I still need your and mom´s permission?” I pouted, and he laughed.

“Because you are not of age…” He said, “You know that…”

“It is not fair… I am of age, according to the demon traditions… I am 20 years old…” I huffed.

“Yeah, but you are also an angel, and angels come of age at 21… so…” Daddy paused,

“So, I am angelic f****d!... Thanks, Dad, I have a stronger demon nature than angels, and yet you made me follow those old archaic traditions!” I said, pouting.

“Six months more, baby… that´s it…” He winked at me, and I rolled my eyes.

“You better help me Dad… I am suffocating here…” I said, and he nodded.

“I have work to do…” He dismissed me. So far, we have had this conversation two times, and for the first time, Mom agreed to at least think about it… I am seriously thinking of bringing the cavalry and calling Aunty Ariel and Aunty Ayla… I will use them as a wildcard in case she doesn´t change her mind…

“Alright… Thanks anyway…” I said, defeated, and left Dad´s office.

I entered my room and halted on my steps. “It is hard for me to see how you have grown up…” my mom was sitting at the edge of my bed in the dark. She lifted her gaze to face me.

“I know you want to go and spread your wings…Just promise me, you will keep in touch and come back for all the holidays and family events…” She sighed, while I remained speechless and rooted to my place.

She stood up and walked towards me. She kissed my cheek and gave me a hug. “Have fun at Central U, sweetie…”

She patted my back and walked past me and out of my room.

What did she say? Is she letting me go? Did she really agree with my plan of staying at the Penthouse with Aisling and Vicky?

I pinched my own arm, hoping to wake up from a deep, far-away dream, but when I felt the sting of pain, I realized that indeed it had happened… I am going to seek out my dreams… I am moving to Central City… I am going to study Art at Central U.

I have never been this happy in my whole life.