Discover L (Book 2) | Editing |

~~~ Denial ~~~

She swung her toadstool bag onto her shoulder and smiled politely.

"Actually, we were sent here to see you." Robbie chimed in and stepped forward.

He held up the envelope his parents had given him and handed it over to them.

The shorter woman took it, despite both looking confused. They huddled together to read under the streetlight, and very quickly, their expressions changed from confusion to joy. They stared between L and Robbie, their eyes sparkling.

"My goodness, he does look like Peter from back in the day, doesn't he?" The taller woman was almost squeaking in excitement.

The shorter woman nodded and stepped forward. She almost looked like she wanted to bow.

"Hello, my name is Cerys, and this is my partner, Anna. It's very nice to meet you."

L didn't know what was written in the letter, but these two looked ecstatic now.

"It's nice to meet you, too. I'm L, and this is Robbie. I know this is really short notice but I hope you can help us."

"Of course. Anything for Jessica and Peter's kids, please come in."

They rushed to open the door and began talking animatedly between themselves. L glanced to Robbie, who seemed to find the women amusing, and walked in after them. The first thing that caught L's attention was the paintings on the wall. Supernatural beings in various acts or environments, they were pretty lifelike, but at the same time, something seemed unrealistic.

"They're all Anna's beautiful work. What do you think?"

L turned to the women, who were busy taking their coats off and watching her expectantly. She was starting to see the quirkiness Mr and Mrs Worcester had mentioned. Bright coloured clothes that didn't match, bushy hair that they didn't care to tame, and blind trust just from reading a piece of paper.

"They're amazing. The detail is impressive." L answered, glancing back to the painting. "Did you have a model to paint at the time?"

"Yes, I received permission from each subject. So long as I made them look like a fantasy."

L smiled and nodded, "That sounds about right."

They followed Cerys and Anna down the hallway and up the stairs. The bannister was dorned with fake ivy and twinkling lights. They reached the landing, and Anna gestured to each of the four doors, all of which were made of a different type of wood. She explained where the bathroom, their bedroom, the guest room, and the craft room were.

"Hope you don't mind sharing a room."

"No, we'll be fine. We're just grateful you could take us in."

They waved aside Robbie's words.

"Of course. We'd do anything to help Jessica and Peter. You just lay low here for as long as you need."

"It won't be too long." L assured them. "We just need to recover, and then we'll leave."

Anna waved her hands, "Please, it's fine. And, if you need any assistance, Cerys was trained as a nurse back in the day."

The understanding quickly dawned on L, and she smiled to herself. So that's why Robbie's parents had sent them to these particular friends.

They were soon settled into their room. It only had one double bed, but neither she nor Robbie minded sharing. They were allowed to roam anywhere in the house and even the library when it was open. Cerys and Anna were very laid back, treating L and Robbie like they'd known them for years. They didn't ask any questions and left the two of them alone to their business most of the time. They ate meals together, and L would tell them briefly about a few of her encounters with the Supernatural world. She downplayed a lot of it, of course.

While Cerys and Anna were at work, L would practise with her abilities, and Robbie sat with her in case of any accidents. The days went by peacefully, and L found herself getting stronger and stronger. Cerys did help her to change her bandages, and the first time, she actually let out a gasp.

"This must have been a pretty nasty wound."

Was all she said, but after that, she made L keep it as clean as possible. Even helping to shave all of L's hair when she decided it was too much to just have a large bald patch. L was also able to substitute the spell Brigitte used now, thanks to her magic returning. Everything felt a little bit easier again, and she realised how much she missed being her true self.

She was grateful for the time they spent there. It gave her a lot of space to think and not feel burdened or pressured. Her darker emotions were still tucked away but were also easier to manage. She knew they'd have to return to the Supernatural world eventually, but right now, she wanted to focus on herself and Robbie. Their plans for Lymasia and getting back at Andrei were gaining momentum, and soon, it would be time to move.