Belle knew Lucas must have taught him a good lesson by beating the vampire to his senses to make sure he would never repeat the indecent action again with anyone else.
And what Belle thought was true. Lucas had made sure that the man would never try it again as he had killed the man the very same hour which Belle wasn't aware of due to which the man couldn't attend any more soirees.
Getting back to the present, Belle asked, "Mr. Edmond said you were present that day."
"I wonder why I don't remember it," Lucas offered her back a polite smile and Belle smiled back. He was right there today when Carson had mentioned about her being Lucas' bride and now he was behaving as if he hadn't heard a word about it. Sneaky butler thought Belle to herself.
"You must be getting very old," Belle commented, cutting the food in front of her as she took a bite to see the sides of his lips pull up. While she continued to eat, Belle realized how lonely dinner was with just her and Lucas in the room. A few days ago her parents were still alive and with her, eating here and talking to her.
There were many times she hoped she could do something. At times she dreamt about the same day over and over again, reliving their death that was turning her mind numb. In the end, she had only come to understand that there was nothing she could do to stop her parents from dying. Death here was inevitable, their death was written and all she could do was to standby and watch it play in front of her.
Witches, thought Belle to herself.
"Do you know who are these witches who are trying to unbind the magic?" Belle asked him.
"I might have a faint idea but no solid proof. The black witch has been gathering people for years now and it isn't something she decided in a span of months or two. Years in terms of decades."
"The witch must be truly vengeful to be able to have the patience of scheming something so long," Belle commented as she thought about it.
"Everybody has a driving reason for why they do, Miss Belle," Lucas went to the windows that were open in the dining room to close them one after another as it had begun to rain. The rain was pouring hard on this part of the land of Bonelake, thunder, and lightning striking hard in the sky.
"Do you know about that witch then?" she asked him interested. She saw him close the curtains and then turn to her.
"The person who is driving this, she came from a humble family of white witches who wanted nothing but peace. To live by themselves without having to do anything with the other people or the creatures. Her family was then promised with that but on the word that her father was supposed to take something through the border and hand it to a Lord," said Lucas coming back towards the table and placing his hands on the top of the chair, "The people they trusted were the wrong ones, people with ill intentions and they ended up dead."
Belle who heard this said, "Shouldn't she go after the people who hurt her family?"
"I believe she did but she has an issue with all the creatures not just people who killed her family which is why she wants the power of the black magic. When it comes to family and people who they love, people here get vengeful. Don't you agree, Miss Belle?" asked Lucas, his eyes looking at her.
Like any other person, she was angry about the demise of her parents which caused by none other than the witches. And somewhere she also cursed herself fate which she had to walk on. She didn't understand why she was chosen, it could have chosen others but she was the one who had to carry the burden that it was because of her, her parents were dead now.
She then heard Lucas say, "I heard the witches who sent the switcher was not the same one. They are working for the main witch. Many are, most of them branch down like a tree to different work that needs to be done."
Belle was angry and there was no way to put the anger out. She still remembered the day with the blood on her hands. For someone who had not taken a life, she had taken more than two and it was of the people she knew.
"How do you find the witches?" she inquired.
"White witches are mostly in hiding and the ones in Bonelake I doubt they have turned to the dark side but the black witches..." said Lucas, "You can start with your ability. The whole world is your playground."
Belle's ability was related to death, she was able to see and know when a person was close to death. Her ability was not fleshed out to the point where she could read. Every ability needed to be sharpened, to be manipulated, and wielded according to one's own use. The first person of the alignment of stars was getting help from the white witch, Isabell, but Belle couldn't go to her for help as the woman didn't deal with anything close to her ability.
Isabell was herself in a fragile state, her time coming closer and closer with every day that was pa.s.sing by.
"I will help you hone your ability," Lucas offered her. Being the thirteenth card of the Grims, he knew exactly what Belle would need.
