Harly

Chapter Seventeen (Edited 08/2021)

I repeated what I had heard from mom, and Elle came to the same conclusion I did.

"So the church is lying about something." She remarked and I nodded. We had made it out to the lobby of the hospital, and I searched for the foreigner who had apparently come down to make a phone call.

"The box has always been in our family's care. So why the church had it at all is beyond me." I muttered, my eyes scanning over individual's faces. I didn't see Andrei at all. I pulled my phone out of my pocket, frowning when I saw the shattered screen. I gently unlocked it so that I didn't get glass shards in my finger, and went through my contacts. "I think Norman has Andrei's number. I'll give him a call and see—" I paused. "Oh." I muttered, a lump forming in my throat. I blinked, hard, fighting back tears. I could see Elle in my periphery with a worried look on her face. "Right, well," I mumbled, slipping my phone back into my pocket. "New plan then."

I didn't have to think long. Just when I was about to give up for the day and just spend time with Elle and the kids, Andrei walked around the corner.

"Ah, Emmaline. It's good to see you." He remarked pleasantly. "I'm sorry to hear what happened to you... And Norman." His name left a bitter taste in my mouth, but I ignored it.

"You and I need to talk," I stated firmly. He seemed surprised. Ever since that night, I've lost my reserve, my timidness. Kind of hard to be gentle after something so aggressive. "You lied about the church's involvement with the box." I continued, watching his face for change. He was good at a poker face, I'll give him that. "It was my family who sealed that monster inside the box. In the body of a child." My voice grew more angry, harsher than it had before. "So what was your plan?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "Let 'Harly' consume Lilly and then trap them inside the box forever?"

Andrei looked at me for a second, but shrugged. I had honestly expected him to tell me no, he had another plan. Even if it was a lie. Anything was better than what actually came out of his mouth. "Yes." He answered honestly, and it took me quite a bit of effort not to let my jaw drop.

"You bastard." Elle whispered harshly, stepping forward threateningly. Andrei didn't move, perhaps he had expected this.

"There's no other way, Elle." He replied easily, as if he wasn't talking about letting her daughter die. "Ilkasepth cannot be contained. The only way to put him away is if he has a physical body to inhabit." He said all of this with an unconcerned tone. It made my blood boil.

"That's my niece." I was talking considerably louder than I'm sure the lobby permitted, as several heads turned to look at me. Seeing me shout at a priest only made their faces turn to sorrow. They expected the worst, why else would a priest be involved? I made a disgusted sound and grabbed Andrei's arm, pulling him out to the door so we could have more privacy. Elle followed, trying to lower her metaphorical hackles.

I began again once we were situated. I didn't feel the need to quieten myself, so we talked at normal levels. "I'm not just going to let her die. There has to be another way."

Andrei sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as if he were exhausted and talking to a child. "Don't you think if there were, we would have found it by now? It's been hundreds of years, Emmaline."

I was pissed. He didn't even care to try anymore. "How did your church even come to have the box? You said it was stolen. But if my family had it this whole time, shouldn't it have never been with you in the first place?" I asked, needing information on that part as well. It was all a jumble of confusion at this point.

This was something he was more permitting to speak on. "Your family has been part of the church for many generations. It was only about ninety years ago that the next male heir decided he didn't want to work with us. Your great-great-grandfather, I believe." He seemed to think back, trying to recall the story. "There was an argument over where the box truly belonged. Your family wanted to keep it since it housed the body of a young boy, and we wanted to keep it because it was obvious we were more equipped to take it. We have the power of the church to keep it from going wrong. Like this," he added, gesturing around. "If the box had stayed in our care, this wouldn't have happened."