Tears were a show of weakness, short and simple.
People let their tears fall when they were happy, angry or sad. And that meant they weren't strong enough to Will their minds to hold back tears.
They had no control.
Not like she had.
Sitting tight-lipped on her little chair in her room at the Manor, Lily listened to Edgar's little rant.
'I don't think this plan is plausible at all. It feels like she's leaving us out here to dry.'
'The mistress would do no such thing.' Lily immediately said in the Mistress' defense.
'She's treated us like family, she wouldn't leave us. If she said she'll help us she'll help us. We just have to have faith in her.'
'Lily, I love your loyalty and faith in her, I do. But what she's asking us... to kidnap the boy and kill him. That would put us on the Tchkovsky's dead on on the Tchkovsky's radar. We'll be dead before we reach Cranston.'
Had he lost his mind? How could he even talk about disobeying orders now, after what he knew the mistress was capable of doing to them. Had he not learnt his lesson?
'So what do you want us to do?'
'First we get out of here, abandon our post. Harris is dead for all we know we no longer have a reason to stay. And then we can come up with a better plan to keep Nicholae off her back. Hell, she can do it herself.'
Lily moved away from him, she didn't like what he was saying at all.
He was asking her to abandon ship and abandon her mistress. The woman who'd shown her how to survive in her grief and take matters into her own hands.
'I can't do what you're asking Eddie. She's the mother I never had. I'm not leaving her in the hands of that psychotic killer.'
Edgar came to her and took her hands in his, daring to kiss them.
'I'm not saying that. Calm down.'
He hugged her not knowing what else to say to dissuade her from this path.
'Oh, please. Please help me. I can't do this alone Edgar.'
She listened to his racing heart. Half her mind told her he would say no. Since he was so bent against this idea. But the other part of her that had an idea just what they meant to each other knew he wouldn't abandon her.
'Of course I'll help.' He sighed. He would have to be the one to protect her because it was obvious to him now that the Mistress wouldn't.
Edgar left to get his things.
The whole time he kicked himself for failing at convincing Lily to abandon ship.
The thing was, had it been any other person or any other time, he would have gladly gone along with this suicide mission.
But this wasn't such a time and it was with Lily and that made all the difference in the world.
He could only pray now that the Mistress would truly come to their aid.
As it would seem, luck was on their side. Lord Nicholae was gone so they wouldn't have to deal with a lot obstacles. Of course the thought was halted when he saw Fauna with Rex and Niko.
'Hey, Edgar.' Niko skipper his way with his best friend in tow.
'Good morning Niko.'
He smiled a little in Fauna's direction.
'Well, do you fancy a morning drive?'
'Sorry. But not today. Lord Niko.'
Fauna pated the seat beside her.
At least he knew Niko would have wanted to go with him. He sulked on his way back.
'But Fauna, you can come with us. Edgar drives really fast, it's fun.'
She wouldn't budge, and Thank the heavens.
Should Lily ever be right that Fauna was who they thought she was, it wouldn't complicate things a whole lot more.
'I'm on my way to the kitchen, would you like some tea or something?'
He quickly fashioned another way to get Niko alone.
He came back with three tall glasses of lemonade. One with a drizzle of blood for Niko and a dash of something extra for to make sure the plan still ran its course.
'It's a lovely day outside. Why don't we take this in the garden.'
Rex and Niko took off before Fauna could object. Reluctantly, she followed.
The potion took its effect a short while after Fauna took a gratuitous sip.
She yawned. 'I'm sorry boys, i just haven't slept much today.'
Of course she hadn't.
Edgar didn't know what was scarier; the fact that Fauna was a twisted killer or the fact that she was excellent at playing innocent.
In no time she laid on her book asleep.
'We should take her to her room. Help me Niko.'
And the young boy was all too eager to lend that helping hand.
'So about that drive? Still want to tag along? We'll be back before she wakes up.' He added the last part when he didn't like convinced.
He looked to Rex for an answer, even the dog wouldn't budge.
'Fine, they'll be ice cream involved.'
That had them doing a 360.
He picked Lily up at a mile marker far from the Manor.
'Edgar? Where are we going?'
The adorable eyes pierced his soul through the rear view mirror.
Lily cast a sleeping spell in Rex and Niko.
'Let's go, our ride is waiting on us.' She straightened her coat.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rex growled chained to the wall of the basement beside Niko. The boy sobbed the whole time. Edgar hated that the boy was locked in a little cage, it was written all over his face.
'You've helped as much as you could. You don't have to stay.' Lily flipped through the pages of her grimoire.
'We're doing this together Lily. And if by some miracle we survive this, you and me are disappearing to the azure shores.'
Lily smiles loving the idea.
'Of course when this is all over.' What she meant to say is if this was all over and they survived.
Till then, she had other things to take care off, like the murder of a boy and his dog.
There wasn't a word from the demons, meaning no visitors for the time being.
'What is that for?' Edgar pointed at the silver stake she removed from her bag.
'Well Edgar, it's a silver stake.'
He scoffed at her stating the obvious.
But she should have known he'd ask more questions.
'Do you want to walk me through the entirety of the plan and not just what Mistress wants me to know.'
Lily refused to meet his probing stare.
'What, you don't trust me now? After everything we've been through?'
Bull, he had her.
'I'm to kill the boy before the father gets here.'
Edgar loudly cursed.
'I knew you wouldn't like it. You've grown attached to him.' Lily yelled.
'God Lily, he's just a kid, he's innocent.'
'And what were we when his family ruined our lives and countless others.' She countered, glaring at him.
'Murdering a Tchkovsky heir, Lily, a child. You don't want that on your conscience.
She slammed her book on the table.
'This is what the Mistress wants. And I'm doing it.'
'You do this. And you'll be marked for death. Tchkovsky blood stains, they made sure of that. Why do you think the Mistress herself isn't doing this.'
What Edgar was insinuating was preposterous.
The mistress would never sacrifice her like that.
'Lily, we're still doing this. But let's hold off on killing the boy. We'll simply wait for Nicholae to get our message. Then the demon bunch over there will kill him. We get out of this in one piece. Okay?'
She nodded.
'If this plan of yours goes side ways, I'm ending him.'
Edgar raised his hands in submission.
'It's a deal.'
'What's a deal?' The demons asked from the stairs.
'There's been a slight alteration to the plan.' Edgar announced.
'There can be no alterations.' They furiously protested and their features contorted into a fairly nasty mask.
'Well, there are. Your part remains the same. So get back out there and be on the bloody look out.' Edgar's eyes flashed dangerously at them.
'Oh, and Lily isn't killing anyone. You are.'
Edgar's said handing them the silver stake.
'You weren't supposed to be here.' They said to his face.
'But here I am.' Edgar smiled. 'Now off you go.'
His voice softened and so did his eyes when he spoke to her.
'It's better if we keep the boy and the dog unconscious.'
She lifted her shaking hands and did the spell.
Gosh, she hated the fact that she was shaking all over. She'd never killed a child before, now she'd have to do it and be marked. The witch council would also condemn her if they ever found out. And they did.
'Stop worrying,' Edgar soothingly caresses her face. 'Nothing would go wrong. Nothing. I won't let anything happen to you.' His embrace steadied her scattered heart and grounding her racing mind.
The phone rang announcing the commencement of the plan.
'If you dare touch a hair on his head...'
Lily looked at Edgar, she wasn't expecting to hear Valentina's voice.
'Ah, Valentina. I don't believe you're in a place to be making threats.' Lily spoke strongly.
She had the power now.
'Mama!' Niko screamed on top of his lungs.
'Who the hell are you and what do you want with my son?'
Lily couldn't help but laugh.
'Oh he's yours now. Well then, what we want is fairly simple. We want to talk.'
'I want to speak to him.' Her voice cracked causing Lily to smile.
'I would let you if he was awake...'
'I can here him him the background, you bitch.'
Lily immediately took care of that. This was fun.
'Well, not any more.'
Valentina was pathetic. She was a witch who'd not only served the noble clam but she'd fallen in love and married a bloody Tchkovsky.
Valentina deserved a special seat to watch all this go down.
'You could speak to him if you want. Just come over. Alone of course. If we even think we smell or hear a wolf or another person. I'll gut the brat.'
Edgar wasn't following by the expression he wore.
'You're planning on killing Valentina too?'
'No. But we'll need to tie up lose ends.'
And she was exactly that. According to what Lily knew, Valentina held the one key to convincing the council of the Mistress' tampering. The lone survivor and potential witness of what Julie had done all those years ago.
'Besides, after the divorce, I'm sure they are due for a family reunion.'
Edgar placed his hands around her waist and dared to kiss her soundly on her lips.
'Before tonight is out. I have to tell you this.'
Lily's heart constricted. The look in his eyes and the tenor of his voice signaled an emotion she was afraid of recognizing.
'Can't this Wait? Those demons are still out there.' She tried averting her gaze. But he followed her.
'Who gives a shit? I love you, Lily.'
Her stomach did somersaults and her eyes teared up.
'Maybe it's too soon to say. But I love you. And you don't have to say it too. I just needed you to know that. And understand that it is because of this that I'll steal you away into hiding and make you mine, in every sense of the word, after tonight we are going to live for ourselves. Just like we talked about. Just us in a little house far from this madness.'
'Me, a writer and you, an artist.' She smiled.
'We could even throw a pet or two in the mix. We can try the normal thing, wouldn't you want that.'
Lily lowered his mouth to hers and softly kissed him.
She couldn't tell him she wouldn't go with him. He was talking about leaving this work unfinished when the Mistress still needed them. The mistress wouldn't leave them alone to indulge in a silly little fantasy. For her, there would be no happy ending until her mission was through.
Truth of the matter was, she also had come to see him as something more than her chaperone and teacher and she wouldn't mind him being her happy ending.
'There's a bed upstairs.'
He whispered to her.
'You're so stupid.' She giggled.