Belle’s POV
As usual, Reign is really not eating her food. Taking a little bite here and there but just a little chew then swallow. I continued to watch her eat. She has not taken a glimpse of me but instead, she kept her eyes on the food as if wondering why such things exist.
“Have you ever wished to become human again?” I asked.
She looked at me. “What kind of question is that?”
I shrugged. “Whatever you take it for.”
She lowered her burger and stared at me. “Sometimes, being a demon is good. I don’t need to worry about time. Well, as long as I get payments on time but you know, a hundred years, I’ve explored a lot of places that a short eighty years of a normal human life can’t do. I don’t have to worry about food as often or sleep but at the same time...It’s a curse. I wish I could taste this burger. I mean, this is a famous fast food restaurant and I’ve got not a single clue why. Is it the burger? The fries? This weird drink that bubbles in your mouth,” she raised the soda.
She added more. “I missed worrying about time because the night is close. I’m worried that I can't get work done because it’s already dark. Or I have to wake up early to do something...or...you know...just human things. Time doesn’t mean anything to me anymore and I don’t know if it's a good thing or a bad thing. My life loses its value. Missing an hour or a day or month to do something memorable doesn’t mean anything to me because I know I could do it the next day or another time, maybe in another millennia or so.”
“I kind of understand that. Well, not really. But I kinda.” I forced a smile. “I guess that’s what the angels are thinking about me. This life doesn’t matter. I could live another life as if the last one is nothing.”
“The angels are rational beings. They don’t understand emotions.”
“And that’s the reason for my existence. I know. You already told me before.”
“But they didn’t have to act as if you’re another object that they could easily throw away.”
“Yeah.”
“Let’s just finish this thing.” She murmured to the burger.
I nodded. “Sorry for asking.”
She frowned. “You’re a natural snoop. At this point, I’m used to it.”
I continued eating the fries on my table since the last thing I have on my side. “You’re not gonna finish that?” I asked as she lowered the half-eaten burger on her plate and relaxed herself on the seat.
She smirked and pushed her plate towards me.
I took the burger and finished it.
“Back then, you said that calling you human is not a compliment.”
“I’m just trying to forget how to feel things but you made me realize that it’s not as bad as I think it is. Full-fledged demons like Anthony use that word to degrade half-demons like me.”
I smiled. “At least you’re better than those angels.”
“They’re just doing their job. They are not created to be human.”
“Sure.”
After eating, we headed towards the witch’s place she told me about.
“This is…”
“Yes. Close to my house, close to your aunt’s. I met this witch when I was a beginner demon and she’s a beginner witch. We kind of helped each other. Sadly, I outlived her,” she touched the wooden wall of the house. I see that there are sigils drawn close to the door and windows. It’s drawn with some liquid that darkened over time.
“It’s not blood.” Reign said. “In case you’re wondering. It’s made with saltwater, lavender, dried orange, and crushed rose petals. It’s a protection sigil against angels.”
“So you’re a witch too?”
She shook her head. “I know some things but no.” She pushed the wooden door open which created a loud creaking noise. She stepped inside first and I followed her. The whole place is dusty, with cobwebs and a lot of old things.
“What’s that?” I pointed at the other end of the room. It’s a table full of trinkets, and dried flowers, and a sigil is drawn at the top.
“My altar?”
I raised my brows.
“Since I am a demon and she works with me, I help her and she helps me. She makes an offering to me then created an altar.”
“It’s a thing?”
“I told her that I don’t need it but she was so excited to be working with me. I was her first demon so…” She pointed at the sigil drawn on the wall. “That’s my name in Celtic. If you need to summon me next time, use that sigil.”
“It won’t harm you?” I stared at straight lines formed in a star-like figure.
She shook her head, “it’s a sigil made specifically for me.”
“That’s nice.” I took a mental note of the sigil. “How does it work? The witch and demon partnership. Do you choose if you want to work with them or not?”
“I just felt it. I saw her and I just felt it.”
“Huh.”
She placed her hands on the altar and studied it. “I would give her things that she would put on the altar. Then she would place other things in it that she thinks I would like. Or put things in here to ‘energize’ it.” She took a deck of cards from the altar. “Her last offering to me was a bowl of strawberries. Those were my favorite when I could still taste them.”
I see a bowl of rotten fruits in a bowl. So rotten that if Reign didn’t mention that those were strawberries, I wouldn’t know.
“Wanna do a tarot reading?”
I chuckled. “You know how to do that?”
She shrugged. “Probably rusty but I don’t think your guides, ancestors, or anyone would not want to communicate with me.” She returned the tarot deck to the altar.
“If I may ask, how did this friend of yours die?”
She shook her head. “The last thing I knew was she’s calling me. When I came here, she was placing those strawberries on the altar and then suddenly fainted. I sat beside her and tried to wake her up but she was not responding. I thought she was just exhausted since she did a heavy spell the night prior so I just waited for her to wake up. She never did.”
“Oh.” Must have been so painful for Reign to lose another friend.
“I just let her rest. Forever. A cemetery not far away from here. Behind an old church. Your old body...I mean, Joanna is there too.”
“Really? Can we visit that?”
She suddenly looked guilty or shocked. I don’t know, it’s between that.
“Can we?”
“N-now?”
I nodded. “Or the angels are already after us?”
“Uhmm…it’s still early. I guess we could?”
We left the house and walked a long thirty-minute walk until we reached an old church. It’s still an active church but the place is not taken care of enough that it looks like it’s going to fall down anytime soon. Reign and I continued to walk to the back of the church. We passed by multiple graves and it was almost close to the end when we finally stopped.
Felicia Hurton
1878 - 1969
“Is this her?” I asked.
She nodded. She took out something from her pocket and placed it on top of Felicia’s grave.
“What’s that?”
“Lavender. It’s her favorite herb.”
I just stood beside her while Reign needed a moment of silence with her old friend. Her grave looks well-taken care of. I guess Reign visits this place often. “Does she have any relative that visits her?”
Reign shook her head, “they disowned her after discovering that she’s practicing witchcraft.”
“Oh.”
“Joanna is over there.” She pointed at the other end of the row.
We drew our way towards the said grave. When we finally got closer, I saw that the tombstone that belonged to Joanna had somehow fallen apart from the top right.
“What happened to my tombstone?” I asked. “It’s like someone intentionally destroyed it.” I picked up the debris and tried to return it to its place but it just fell.
Reign gulped, looking away as if she’s guilty about it. “Ugh, maybe it's too old?”
“Felicia died earlier than I did and hers still looks good and well taken care of. You’re taking care of hers but not mine?”
“Hey, you’re not Joanna. You’ve got no say in these.”
“It’s my old body!”
“Oh, now you’re suddenly Joanna too?”
“I get that you’re mad at me but at least respect her!”
“Why are we fighting over this?”
“Because–”
“Excuse me?” An old voice coming from a male interrupted.
“Yes?” Reign and I simultaneously turned to the old man standing beside us.
“Not to interrupt you both with your but, uhmm, may I?” he was holding a bouquet of flowers and was pointing it over Joanna’s grave.
“Ugh, ” Reign took a step back and I also took a step back giving the old man a space between us to walk towards the grave.
“What’s this?” I mouthed to Reign.
She shrugged. “I don’t know.”
The man lowered the flowers and after signing a cross on his chest he finally looked at us. “If I may know, who are you two?”
“Uhmm, I was an old familia. ” I lied.
He frowned. “Are you someone I’m supposed to know?”
“Erm…”
“This is my mother’s grave.”
Reign gasped silently.
My mouth fell open. “I–ugh, what?”
“She died because of her poor heart. So, are you supposed to be someone I know?”
“Erm, my grandmother is a friend of hers. Uhm, Fe-Felicia…” I pointed at the grave.
Reign gave me a weirded-out look.
I nodded. “Y-yeah. I was visiting my grandmother and I thought I should also visit her old friend.”
He frowned. “I’m pretty sure my mother died when you weren’t born yet.”
I gave a boxy smile. “Yeah, I just know her. My mother is, you know, very close with her mother and her mother’s friend. ” I don’t understand what I’m saying anymore. I hope he just takes it.
“Oh, she must’ve told stories.”
I nodded. “Definitely. Yeah. Absolutely the only correct answer.”
Reign rolled her eyes at me.
“And you?” The old man finally turned to face Reign.
“I’m with her. I have no clue who these dead people are,” Reign lied. Lying for the first time?
“Sisters?”
“Ugh…”
“Lovers,” I answered.
“Oh,” the old man said. “Well, thank you for visiting my mother. She would’ve been really happy that someone still remembers.”
I blinked. Once. Twice. Then nodded. “Yeah, she absolutely is.” I smiled at him. “Any siblings?”
He shook his head. “But I made sure that the bloodline still continues. I’ve got grandchildren now. A big happy family. Unlike the one I had.”
My brows wrinkled. “What do you mean by that?”
The old man chuckled. “Eh, just how the old-time was. People marry to get out of poverty. It was a difficult life.”
Reign switched her gaze towards me.
“For money?” I asked to elaborate.
He nodded. “She was definitely waiting for someone. I could see it in her eyes. Always looking out in the window. Staring at the moon. Checking if there’s someone for her. Even on her deathbed…”
I sucked in both of my lips. This man is Joanna’s son. My son? Is he my son? Can I call him my son?
“She kept mentioning a name. What was it?” The old man wrinkled his brows as he started thinking. “It sounded like the weather...ah, right...Reign. The name is Reign. My mother’s lover who got sick and never returned.”
Reign was so appalled that she almost took a step back.
“Uhm, about Reign. What do you know about her?” I asked.
“Not much. My father was furious whenever he heard the name. He would beat my mother for it. From what I’ve heard from my mother’s sister, Reign got sick. Something in the lungs I think. Her health worsened so she was brought to the hospital. Since then, my mother never heard of her. Well, she heard that she got out and was in better health but she wondered why she never came back to her. To save her. She was always willing to run away.”
Reign’s jaw tightened.
“I’m sure that your mother is happy wherever she is now.” I smiled. This is making Reign uncomfortable. I need to end it.
“I hope so. She never had a good life here. Whoever that Reign is, I hope they’re together now and happy. Finally living a life they both deserved.”
“Wow, you are such a loving child.”
“My mother was one of a kind.” The old man’s eyes teared up.
“Oh,” I rubbed his back to comfort him.
“I was willing to go wherever she would like to go. To get out of that terrible house.” He wiped away his tears. “Oh, what am I saying? It’s very nice to meet both of you. I’m Eric.” He shook my hand. He offered to shake Reign’s hand but as usual, she just stared at it. Probably because she doesn't want other people to feel how cold her hand is. But she’s not cold anymore. Unless I’m the only one who feels it. Eric retrieved his hand and placed it inside the pocket of his pants. “I’m sorry to be rude. But what’s your name?” He asked.
“Belle, ” I answered, “and she’s...Ray.” I pointed at Reign.
Reign gave him the tightest fake smile she could give. A really really forced smile. This is going to be a long day. I’m sure there will be a discussion about this.
“I have to go now. My grandchild is having a piano recital. Can’t miss that.” Eric waved at us as he started walking away.
Reign’s definitely thinking about something deep so I pulled her hand and we headed towards Eric’s car. I hid us behind the tall and untrimmed bushes.
“What are you doing now?” Reign asked.
“I want to see what my grandchild looks like,” I said.
Reign also studied the family in front of us. “You know that we could come closer, right? I could turn us invisible.”
“No, it’s fine. This view is enough. Oh, they’re so cute.” I smiled. There’s one little boy sitting at the back and sitting beside him is I think his mother while the person on the driver’s seat is the father. Eric sat on the passenger’s seat beside the driver. “The father is probably Eric’s son. Then that little boy is my great grandchild.”
“I’m sorry,” Reign said out of nowhere.
“Hmmm?” I looked at her.
“You were waiting and I didn’t show up. Not even once.”
I gave Reign a warm smile. “But you’re here now.”
She shook her head. “It’s…”
“It doesn’t matter now. Joanna already forgives you and a hundred percent understands.”
She held my hand tighter.
“Don’t think about it, Reign. It’s all in the past. Focus on the present.”
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