Chapter 60 - Statues- Part 1
Belle stared at Lucas, her red eyes questioning him, "I know they got corrupted...but corruption doesn't take place without a reason, does it?" she asked him. Something had gone wrong, something happened which they weren't aware of. She wanted to know if the people of the council had found out anything as there were here for hours now.
She wanted to know what happened to her father who had been perfectly fine with her mother when she had left the room, it was like a nightmare that she couldn't forget.
Lucas noticed how Belle was trying to be composed now. Trying to find the truth which she wouldn't be able to take in right now. But when was the right time? Would she be able to take it if she found out that her parents were dead because she was part of the alignment of stars where the witches were hunting the families down.
"They said it might be the work of a black witch," he informed her, which was the truth.
Belle furrowed her eyebrows. She gave it some thought as she went through the past two to three weeks, "It is because of me, isn't it?" she asked him. She was no naive girl to not understand that it must be related to her. Her parents were quiet people who didn't disturb others' lives. They had been like that for long as she could remember and the only person who did meet a witch was Belle herself, "I was the one who met the black witch in the library."
"The black witch is dead," Lucas stated to have her look back at him.
"But someone killed them, didn't they," she said to him.
She deserved it and she knew somewhere, somehow Lucas was aware of it. She didn't know if it was because he was him but he didn't look as shocked as any other people in the mansion. It was as if he knew.
Like her, he knew something was going to happen. After all, he had spoken about the land of the dead with her which no one knew about.
"What is going on?" asked Barron who was curiously looking at each both Lucas as well as Belle. He knew people had died and by the looks and voices that he could hear in the mansion, it had reduced to a great deal since the time of last night.
Lucas' lips were set in a thin line, and he then said, "Grab your coat. We'll be going out somewhere," explaining it here would not make sense.
Belle didn't know where he wanted to take her right now. She barely had the energy to do anything or zeal but she gave him a nod. With her parents and some of the servants gone, the only person she could rely on was Lucas.
He then picked up the rabbit toy with him. Once they got down, he placed the stuffed toy in the middle of the hallway near the stairs, "What am I doing here?" asked Barron to receive no response from Lucas as they headed towards the long hallway passage, "Don't tell me you want me to be your temporary stand-in butler here!" The reaper looked at the servants who were cleaning the floors and walls of the mansion.
Both Lucas as well Belle left the mansion in the carriage. Belle didn't question where Lucas was taking her, the trust she had for him had the ability to wash away the doubt of question in her mind. They didn't exchange any words, and for the very first few times, Belle didn't speak. The reality of what she saw and happened had started to sink in her mind enough to make her realize that she was all alone. Both her mother and father had passed away.
The carriage finally pulled over and the butler was the first one to step out to give his hand for the young lady who placed her hand in his as she got down. She looked at the church that stood in front of them. She wondered if Lucas wanted her to feel at peace with what she saw and what had happened last night as she had killed the maids.
"Please," Lucas said showing his hand through the open doors of the church and Belle gave him a look before she stepped inside the church. One step after another she went towards the chapel to look at the statue that was built in front of her.
She wondered if Lucas brought her for a change of environment as the mansion was still covered in the blood of her parents and the others, reeking of death in there which would forever come to haunt her every time she would walk past the halls.
Most of the statues there were of angels with angelic wings that were built in white stone but there was one statue in the corner that stood out from the rest. It was made of black stone and there was nothing angelic about it. There were wings but along with it were two horns and his expression looked evil.
"I see the black dwarf caught your eye," she heard someone speak and she turned to find a woman in a pure white and blue lined priestess looking clothes, "You must be Belle Adams. I am Sister Isabell," Belle bowed her head in greeting and the woman did the same. The woman looked at Lucas who was not too far behind Belle, as if sharing a look with each other.
The white witch could tell that the Adams was no more and the last one stood in front of her, "I am sorry for your loss," said Sister Isabell, her eyes mellowed down as she looked at the young vampiress.
Belle didn't know how to react to it. The wounds were fresh and open that needed to be healed.
"Would you want some water?" asked the lady and Belle shook her head, "Times like these are always hard. To lose loved ones in front of the eyes is always painful."
"Did you lose too?" she asked the woman.
"I did," Sister Isabell replied to her question, "My husband. And there was nothing I could do to help him."
"I am sorry for your loss."
Isabell offered the girl a kind smile, "It happened a few years ago. I knew your mother Belle, she often asked me to come to your home as you fell ill in health when you were young," Belle did hear about her falling sick but she didn't know it was Sister Isabell who had tried to help her. The priestess appeared to be a good woman.
"What is the black dwarf?" asked Belle.
Isabell turned her eyes towards the black statue to say, "Long ago when this church was built, some of them built the black dwarf along with the others in the hope to find peace. Like hope."
"Aren't the white angels enough?"
"The white angels were the ones for the mortals like humans, the intermediate creatures like vampires don't care about it, and then the people believed there was a higher being. Beings who have the power to bring great change to the world," said the woman looking at her before she added, "Not everyone notices it, only some chosen ones do."