Chapter 40

I couldn’t say I was comfortable as I stood in front of the matchmaking house’s gate. Everything was so quiet it almost felt eerie, as if time itself was holding its breath to see what would come of what I was about to do.

The plan Lumae had laid out was mostly simple. To prove that the Fallen was indeed within the Belgan House, I was going to come here alone and demand an audience with Lucille and her mother.

It was a huge risk, especially with the crystal embedded in my skin, but it was the only way to easily flush out the truth. I wasn’t completely alone in this.

Rayne certainly wasn’t going to allow that, and neither was the rest of his family. For now, they were with Emelio, keeping an eye on everything so they could step in when the time was right and do whatever was needed.

I adjusted the red cloak over my shoulders, ensuring that the lump under my skin was hidden before I approached the gate and rested my hand against it. “Excuse me!” I called, “I’ve come to speak to Madame Lucille!”

Everything around me remained still as I stood there awaiting an answer. It was early evening, and this House was set just outside of the village, so no one was around.

When I thought about it, this would’ve been the best place for something like my father to make himself at home, not to mention hide what was really happening to one of its occupants. After a few long moments, the gate loosened and I took a step back as I heard Lucille’s voice reply to me.

“Please, come in, my lady.” I drew in a calming breath, reminding myself to remain calm and alert.

I could do this and make my father leave, even if I wasn’t sure of how yet. The courtyard I entered looked the same as when I’d visited before, as did the manor house.

Yet that palpable sense of darkness lingered. I wondered if it was real or simply my mind placing it there because of what we now knew.

The doors opened as I approached, and Lucille stood in the doorway. She wore a long black dress that sparkled in the dim light, and her hair was pulled up and held in place with jeweled barrettes and hair sticks.

She also had a beautiful red jeweled necklace around her neck, those jewels matching the ruby red of her lips. “Welcome. It’s so nice of you to come back to see me so soon,” she greeted me with a friendly smile and a bow of her head.

It struck me as odd that she wasn’t questioning my sudden return, but I played along with it. That was what Lumae had thought would be best so that we could assess the situation.

“I apologize for calling on you so suddenly, but I was hoping I could speak to you more. Is now a good time?” I responded politely.

“It is.” Lucille glanced behind her before stepping back. “Please, come with me.”

I stepped inside, waiting as she closed the door behind us. The place was so quiet it almost felt like a tomb, not to mention it seemed a bit on the darker side, though I could attribute that to the fact that evening was setting in and the sun had gone around.

“It’s pretty quiet in here. Have the girls left?” I inquired as Lucille began leading me down the left hallway.

“I decided to allow them to return home for the week. After our talk yesterday, Mother and I agreed that it would be better for them not to be exposed to any issues that could be brought up,” Lucille admitted.

Her words caught me.

“You’re referring to perhaps being looked at for what’s been happening to me?” I guessed. Lucille stopped in the hallway, turning to face me.

Her smile was gone, replaced with a more somber expression. “I have begun to fear it, especially with how Lord Rayne suddenly made it a point to come in here to retrieve you himself. It appears to me that he has come to suspect our House in what has been happening with you, especially for how he addressed Mother. That was quite an unusual scene for one of Lord Jekia’s children to make,” she confessed.

“You were trying to tell us something about her yesterday, weren’t you? That’s the real reason you wanted me to come here. You were worried about things with her,” I pressed. I wanted to see how she reacted and what she’d say.

If she had been trying to tell us about Camille and my father the day before, then maybe she’d do it now since it was just the two of us.

“I was,” Lucille admitted after a few seconds of silence.

She spoke quietly, as though she didn’t want to be overheard, “I am sorry, Lady Luna. I realize how things have been rough on you since you’ve come here, but please don’t think my mother is a monster. She may have not always done good things before, but she is not bad at heart.”

“I’m not certain I understand why she would do such things if she has. Is it really that terrible that I am what I am, and that Rayne loves me?” I inquired.

Lucille looked to the side. “I do apologize for those judgments made against you. It can be difficult to let go of views that have been passed on through generations, especially when they stem from social standing,” She let out a resigned sigh. “I suppose it was rough on Mother too when Lord Jekia passed over all the girls we offered to him for a human woman. I admit that I felt some strain with that too. It’s been so odd to see such a powerful alpha choose such a fragile female, even if she has shown much mental strength in the face of various struggles.”

“I don’t believe it’s that strange. Things that are meant to be will be, no matter what the rest of the world says,” I told her.

“Perhaps so,” Lucille reluctantly conceded.

She nodded toward the other end of the hallway. “Perhaps it would be fruitful for us to continue this discussion with Mother. She did tell me that she felt a bit bad for how things played out yesterday, and I’m certain she’d want to mend things with you.”

The warning signs were flashing in my brain as I heard this, not to mention how easily she suggested it. I recalled all too well how frightened she’d been when she’d tried to tell us what was going on, and how she’d backed down immediately when Camille had appeared.

Did that mean that she was trying to lure me into a trap? Well, it wasn’t like I had much choice in this.

I needed to confront Camille in order to confront my father, and I knew that I’d be backed up when I did. “Very well. I would also like to apologize to her for the rudeness Rayne and I showed in leaving so abruptly. It was very impolite of us,” I agreed, playing along with it all.

“It was understandable, and Lord Rayne had a right to step in with his suspicions. Would not any alpha who cherishes his beta?”

“Of course.”

Lucille turned to guide me. “Come. I believe Mother should be up, so let us not waste any more time.”

The hallway felt like it was getting darker as we walked. I swore I felt the air becoming cooler, which was odd given that we were in the throes of late summer.

I unconsciously reached up to touch where the crystal was, feeling a slight heat even through the cloak I was still wearing. That was odd.

It had been normal up until now. I hoped it wasn’t trying to react because of where I was.

We finally came to a door toward the end of the hallway. Lucille grasped the brass knob, stopping to look at me.

“Please, do not be alarmed if Mother doesn’t get up to greet you. It can be quite straining for her at times.”

“I understand. I did hear that her health was waning some,” I allowed.

“Unfortunately, it has come with her age. Not all are lucky enough to be as strong as Lord Jekia, and eventually, age catches up with them. Though Mother does have a tendency to fight it as much as she can,” Lucille responded.

She opened the door to reveal a large, darkened room that was only lit with a few dim oil lamps. I followed her inside, noticing the distinct chill in the air along with the slight smell of decay.

Could it have been from Camille being so ill? It appeared to be a bedroom that we entered, fairly large and spacious.

There were nice pieces of dark oak furniture set around the room and a huge bed with a dark canopy over it sat on the far-left side. I noticed that there was a large mirror on the adjacent wall that had been painted black.

That sent a chill down my spine as I looked at it. I’d heard of black mirrors before.

They were supposed to be connected to darker spells. Lucille stepped over to the bed, slowly moving the canopy aside and tying it to the post.

She seemed to pay no attention at all to the mirror. “Mother, we have a visitor. Lady Luna has come back to continue her visit with us,” she softly announced.

I tore my eyes away from the mirror and slowly stepped beside her, seeing Camille lying in the bed. She looked very pale, not to mention frail, lying there.

Her dark eyes were open, turning toward Lucille as she spoke, and another chill went down my spine for the way they moved so quickly. “Luna. You have returned,” she said evenly as she noticed me.

It took a lot for me to keep up my casual act, especially with the strange feeling of darkness that was pervading this room. Lumae had been absolutely right.

My father had to be here, though I wasn’t completely certain that he was controlling Camille now. The feeling from her was too weak.

“Y-yes,” I managed to answer with a quick bow of my head. “I wanted to apologize for the rudeness yesterday on behalf of myself and Rayne. It is not that he meant to be, but you understand that he has felt a bit more protective of me as of late.”

“Of course, he has. Why would any proper alpha not be, especially in the face of those who would try to drive his beloved away?” Camille responded, her voice remaining calm.

“Now, Mother, do not place blame on yourself. We cannot help that a few of our girls may or may not have been involved with such things over petty jealousy,” Lucille reminded her.

I watched her as she adjusted the covers over Camille. The strangeness I’d felt from her since I’d arrived was becoming even more pervasive now.

Was she being influenced to keep her quiet?

~“It’s all right, Luna,”~ I heard Rayne’s voice in my head. ~“Keep pushing as you are, and we will step in when the time is right.”~

I silently agreed, continuing on as if nothing happened. “Is that what you wished to speak to me about yesterday? You were worried that the rumors and attempts on my life originated from some of your girls simply for jealousy?” I asked her.

“I apologize so much for that,” Lucille answered, continuing to make certain that her mother was comfortable. “Not only did we not wish to believe such a thing could happen, but it was such a blemish to believe one of our own could do so, especially after the scandal of Daddy’s passing, and it was only made worse with Mother’s health beginning to have issues.”

There was my opening. I could use it to confront her about the truth here.

“It appears that the rumor I heard was very true as well. Lady Camille is not looking well at all today,” I noted.

“Mother has her good and her bad days, and yesterday happened to be one of her better ones. As I said, one shouldn’t take health for granted,” Lucille reminded me.

Camille’s eyes darted to her, then to me, before she spoke, “Lucille, can you please fetch me some water? I am feeling a bit parched.”

“Yes, of course.” Lucille bowed politely before excusing herself and leaving the room. I stepped closer to Camille once she was gone, unsure of what I should say.

She didn’t appear at all intimidating like she had the day before. Could my father have simply abandoned her because he’d gotten wind of Lumae and the Higher Ones being onto him?

“Luna.” Camille’s voice broke the silence, and I noticed that she was staring right at me.

“Yes?” I answered.

She slowly lifted a bony hand, touching my face and hair. “Such a beautiful one. But then, Willow Faeries often are. I always did think that they were the most beautiful aside from the Sun Fae, and they have been wiped out for a while now. But perhaps you are above the rest for that dark blood of yours as well. You should not exist, yet you do. How very tragic for you,” she softly stated.

I leaned closer to her. “Tell me the truth; did you make a deal with my father to regain your health?”

Camille slowly shook her head. “No,” she whispered. She gripped my hand. “Please, you must stop him. If this continues, then he will take her away.”

My eyes widened as comprehension took hold. “Are you speaking of Lucille?”

“I made a mistake,” she continued in a hoarse whisper. “I thought I could keep control, but he was too strong, and now he’ll take everything he can. It must be stopped, no matter what happens!”

“My lady…” I was cut off as Camille suddenly reared back in the bed, her entire body arching upward at a severe angle. As this happened, I heard running footsteps, and the next thing I knew, Lucille was leaning over her.

“Mother!” she cried in dismay. I stepped back, holding the area that the crystal was embedded in.

“That’s enough! Stop hurting her!” I demanded. Camille’s body went limp, and she passed out on the bed.

I felt the coldness settle in the room as she did, and saw Lucille looking around frantically.

“What is happening?” she breathed, before turning to me. “Do you know what has been happening to my mother?”

“You do not know? You were well aware that she was too sick to even move, so how could you not?” I responded.

Lucille looked at a loss as she glanced back at her now unconscious mother. “You know about that?”

“We were told all about it and how you and she attempted to hide it. Even Lord Jekia hadn’t been aware of how bad off Lady Camille had become in the last year. It couldn’t have simply been your influence that kept this quiet. What kind of deal did you make to attempt to save her?” I demanded.

“I swear I made no deals!” Lucille insisted. She held a hand up to her chest, looking desperate.

“Even as I take care of her, I know she is beyond saving, and she never would’ve allowed me to give up my soul to a devil to save her!”

“No, she would not, but she was not beyond doing it for herself,” a male voice suddenly spoke.

Lucille quickly turned, taking a step back as Camille stared at her. Her eyes had turned black and were wide.

The cold that descended on the room was bone-chilling as she slowly sat up, not taking those eyes off of us.

“What…what is this…?” Lucille whispered. “It’s not possible…”

Camille’s body jolted upward, and she clutched the top of the canopy.

“Stupid girl!” the Fallen growled. “Will you still deny what you know?! You were well aware of what your mother did, yet you thought you could turn a blind eye to it!”

Lucille’s eyes filled with tears as she begged him, “Please, let her go! Take me instead!”

“Why would I want you, you pathetic slut?!”

Camille’s gaze snapped to me, her neck making a snapping sound with the movement. “You are worth nothing compared to what I created, and I will finally take her back as what she is meant to be!”

I grasped where the crystal was embedded as it became hot, and I felt my mind beginning to go hazy as I slipped off the cloak. The strong feeling of wanting to go to Camille nearly overwhelmed me, but before I could step forward, I felt strong arms hold me from behind.

“That’s enough. This ends here,” Lord Jekia proclaimed as he and Emelio appeared near us.

I realized that it was Rayne holding onto me. He put his hand over the crystal, and though it was hot, I didn’t feel that same pull.

It was like he’d blunted it. “Lord Jekia. My mother…she’s…” Lucille couldn’t get the words out as she looked back at Camille, who remained still.

“Your mother made a terrible mistake, and I believe you are well aware of this. We are sorry, but please allow us to do what we must,” Emelio told her.

“You will not stop me! I will have what is mine!” the Fallen growled. “You will retreat and let Luna be. She is not yours to take,” Lord Jekia warned him.

The Fallen glared at him, leaning forward. “I will take what is mine, and now, I will also take what is yours. Prepare yourself, Dog. I will end your reign and make it mine.”