《Into the Shadows》Chapter 21: The City
Advertisement
When we arrived in London, we settled in a hotel in Seven Dials. It was cheap enough for a group of five and was more like an apartment than a hotel room. There were two bedrooms, each having two double beds, a full kitchen, a full bathroom, a half bathroom, and small living room. It was 450 pounds for the night and we checked in as soon as we arrived at three in the afternoon.
The boys were ready to drop and I left them filter out of the living room into the bedrooms, so long as they promised to keep the bedroom doors open just in case. While they slept, I made a call.
"Pronto, Questo è il segretario di padre Bianchi, come posso aiutarti?" the woman who answered the phone said.
"Buon pomeriggio signorina, parli inglese?" I asked hopefully.
"Yes, this is Father Bianchi's office, how can I help you?" she sounded a bit miffed, but quickly seemed to get over it.
"Hello, ma'am, my name is Amelia Cauldwell. Can I-" she cut me off.
"Cauldwell, as in Porter Cauldwell?" I could hear the surprise in her voice.
"Yes, he's my dad. Can I please speak to Father Bianchi?" I asked nicely.
"Please hold for just a minute, I will transfer the call to his office phone."
I heard the hold music, an eerie piano version of Ave Maria, and waited for a moment until I heard the woman again, but it was distant and muffled and she was speaking Italian. All of a sudden she stopped and a familiar voice came through the phone.
"Amelia? Amore? Is that you?" His voice made me smile.
"Hi Uncle Leo, how are you?"
"My dear girl, I am great now that I hear your voice. I missed you very much, what can Uncle Leo do for you?"
Advertisement
"I missed you too," I laughed a bit, "My friends and I are in London right now and some stuff happened so I wanted to come and talk to you. Are you still at the Vatican?"
"Yes, I am still here. Come and visit, I would love to see you. I will get you accommodations and have my secretary book a train for you. How many, amore?"
"Five, please, I'll pay you back when we arrive."
"Nonsense! This is the least I do for you! Do you want anything else? I know a lot of people."
I laughed again, "Can you have a Father here in London bless us before we leave? Like a safe travels and protection from evil blessing?"
"Easy! Where are you in London? I send you to the best and only the best, Amore!"
"We're in Seven Dials, near St. Giles. Do you know the priest there?"
"No, my dear, but we know the Father at St. Patricks in Soho. It's Father Wright, he is fresh out of the seminary now and is the residing pastor there for the moment."
"Daniel became a priest?!" I was flabbergasted. I never saw that one coming.
"Yes, he did very well in his studies and is also a part of the program if you need help in that department, amore. I have my secretary book the tickets out of London for tomorrow afternoon. You have to transfer trains in Paris but you should be here the day after tomorrow."
"Okay, I'll see you then Uncle Leo!"
"Ti amo, Amore mwah." he made an exaggerated kiss sound into the phone.
"Ti amo!" I replied, mimicking his kiss before hanging up the phone.
This one is going to be a doozy to explain to the boys. I'll just tell them at dinner.
Advertisement
Two hours later, I got a call from a restaurant confirming a reservation I had never made. I was very confused until the hostess the meal was already put on a 'Mr. Bianchi's' card. I laughed and confirmed the reservation for six o'clock before waking the boys up.
They were tired and confused, but also hungry so the mention of free food made rousing them from their beds a piece of cake. Just as we were ready to go, a call came from the front desk. A car had come to pick us up.
We rushed down and hopped in the big black Mercedes SUV and arrived to the restaurant 20 minutes later. The chauffeur opened the door and helped me out and the boys followed me into the restaurant. It seemed pretty nice, maybe a little too nice. Uncle Leo always was a little over the top.
"Hello," the hostess waved as we walked in, "How can I help you tonight? Do you have a reservation?"
"Yes, I confirmed one about an hour ago under Amelia for five." I replied.
"Hmm, let me check that for you and then we'll get you seated." she smiled and looked down at her list.
She made a strange face.
"Is there a problem, miss?" I asked.
"Oh, sorry, seems we got the reservation wrong. I have an Amelia listed but the table is for six."
"That must be a slip up on my end, sorry," I smiled, "It's just the five of us."
"Mellie!" I heard a voice behind me, "I hope you weren't trying to get rid of me!"
My eyes went wide and my hands started to shake as I turned around to see Danny Wright in the doorway, all dressed up in his priest collar.
"Danny!" I threw my arms around him, "I missed you! I thought I wouldn't see you until tomorrow!"
"No way, kid, I wasn't going to wait that long knowing you were in London. It's so good to see you." he held me tight.
"Hey, Lia, who's this?"
Right. I forgot. I haven't told the boys anything yet.
"Sorry," I turned back to them, "Introductions are in order. Sam, Colby, Jake, and Corey, this is Daniel Wright. He's the new pastor at St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Soho here in London. Danny, these are my bosses, I work on their film crew. Did Uncle Leo send you?"
"He called me this afternoon and told me to meet you all for dinner. I rushed right over after five o'clock mass finished. It's nice to finally meet some of Mellie's friends."
"Nice to meet you to," Sam spoke up, "We will be glad to accept any kind of blessing, even though Lia hasn't really explained what's going on yet."
"I haven't heard the full story either, let's take our seats and have a chat." Danny smiled and motioned for us to follow the waiting hostess.
Advertisement
- In Serial42 Chapters
The Life of a Goddess and a Fox in the Cultivation World
In the Wanderer's Realms, where many beings fight to gain more powers and lifespan by breaking through to higher Ranks, a mysterious man sent two unknown Seals in two of the three main Realms. One was found by a masked woman who seemed to hide a tragic past, while the other was directly absorbed in the body of newborn with an Immortal Fox Bloodline. Two beings that should have never met each other, two seals that seemed to attract one another. What will they experience? Adventures, fights, love, pain? Only by reading this novel will you know the answers to those questions. Greetings dear readers! I am Calm Wanderer and I present to you my first novel in the universe I created, the Wanderer's Realms. This story is mostly about the story of Bai Yue and Guang Yang. It will follow how their relationship evolve and how Guang Yang matures from an innocent child to a powerful cultivator. I will do my best to avoid 1 dimensional characters and also to avoid plot holes. The first few chapters will present more and more information on the important characters and set up the universe I decided to write in: The Wanderer's Realms. If you have any questions or advice, feel free to comment. I'll do my best to answer you as quickly as possible. Release rate: For now I'm planning to release 1 chapter on Friday. The average length of the chapters are 3000 words each. Quite lengthy compare to a lot of other novels.
8 184 - In Serial25 Chapters
Ninth World: Prima Natus Vampire
What happens when you are the first of your species? What happens when said species is the product of the love birthed from a demon and a human? Two species that have been at each other's throats for millennia. Lilith Cunningham is the first of her kind, a cheerful girl with loving parents. However, because of her roots life has been harsh on her family, and it will only get harsher. What will the future bring her way? The art belongs to Marco Silvart here is their page https://www.artstation.com/marcosilvartI did a slight edit to the eye colour.
8 94 - In Serial16 Chapters
Reminiscence
My website: https://putiancom.wordpress.com This is a short story about revenge or something along the lines. (This is my first story ever written so please go ham at criticising my work.) Death. It is a form of punishment or torture. And can be also be a form of salvation. Ultimately, it forms different perspectives depending on the beholder itself and on how the beholder take it as. Life. A point in time where finding your purpose. Purpose, of life itself and experience its flow, either epiphany or hell. Death. It is an end. A point of no return. It also makes the beholder feel free, breaking away from the chain of life. It makes the beholder recollect and reflect when crossing the boundary between life and death. Boundaries. A place where a path will ultimately, be chosen with or without consideration in the decision, free. . . . A place where recounting life, take it as a feeling. The joys and sorrow accumulated, playing back, making the beholder reexperience life. "Reminiscing."
8 150 - In Serial18 Chapters
Make it Stop [PJO Mortal AU]
Percy is abused. Annabeth ran away. Jason is underpaid. Piper is ignored. Frank is in mourning. Hazel is teased. Nico is broken. Thalia is furious with the world. Leo is wishing he was gone.They all want one thing... a chance at a normal life.~Percy Jackson Mortal AU~-Lena
8 210 - In Serial16 Chapters
Fate's Grasp
Lewis; an assassin by night, captain by day, in a world torn by merciless conflict, fraught with betrayal, massacre, and sacrifice. Betrayed and murdered by the Emperor he served, he floated aimlessly through a cold void, until a warm touch of light sparked within him, beckoning him to awaken.Aeryn; a mercenary with a forgotten past, and a dissolving future. In a world shrouded with mystery. She received a new contract, testing her strength against a powerful king, but was unaware of the forces who worked behind her back.Now, two minds from different worlds, brought together by fate and torn between a fractured body set out in this new, prosperous world full of life and magic. Yet underneath the veil that world showed was a sinister presence, and it’s started clawing its way through splintered shadows.
8 68 - In Serial20 Chapters
The Exodus Project
This is the original version of Origin before I rewrote it. It's much more simpler, some names and personalities are a little different. THere's nowhere near as much back story or character development/interaction. But the story is essentially at the end of book one. I wrote this 15 odd years ago, and with a bit of polish it doesn't look too bad. The story like Origin is about a group of college students who find a ship that is the last remnant of an ancient human space faring civilisation, they fix her up and go back into space. Along they way they'll meet alot of aliens, religious fundamentalists and conmen.
8 154

