Touch of Innocence

18

Clay rubbed his hand across his chin. His eyes scanned the pages, finding nothing of interest.

"This fucking sucks," Ace stated.

Clay sighed and looked up across the room at Ace. "I agree."

"Quit complaining boys," Thierry said as he also sifted through pages.

"It's boring. I'd rather be training," Ace replied.

"We've been looking for twenty minutes," Ulric said, pointing out their lack of patience.

"I still agree with Ace," Clay responded.

They'd all met in the archives looking through old reports, censuses, deeds, birth records, and other forms of paperwork to find a last name that appeared at the same time the last name Delvaux disappeared. They'd considered that perhaps the witch changed their last name so they couldn't be tracked after placing the curse on Ulric.

Unfortunately, back when this all occurred, paperwork and records were few and far between. Most people didn't care enough to do paperwork or keep track of anything with records. Finding the prices of information they needed was difficult.

Clay stood up from his chair and walked toward a shelf. He pulled a folder from the shelf, hoping something in it would introduce a last name that appeared at the same time 'Delvaux' disappeared.

Flipping through the files, he hadn't noticed anything interesting, until he read over a census from a town- Dallo- that wasn't too far away. Eleven census records from Dallo were in the folder marked between the years 1650 to 1660. Before the year 1656, the year the last name of the witch disappeared, there were only two individuals in Dallo with the last name 'Litubury.' After 1656, several new people were recorded to have the last name.

The record detailed that several individuals had moved into the home of the original Litubury couple, but that the origins of the new group were unknown.

"Dad, look at this." He stood up and showed Ulric what he'd found. "This influx of people with this last name randomly appeared in 1656 with unknown origins."

"Litubury, that name sounds familiar."

"It should. Hadley's friend Paisley is a Litubury."

****

Hadley tossed her bookbag on the floor next to the door when she got home from school. After making herself an iced coffee, she collapsed onto the couch.

"Tired?" Clay asked. She looked up at him from her spot, immediately noticing his naked abdomen. His wet hair was disheveled on top of his head.

"Very. I'm so thankful it's Friday."

"Me too, we get to sleep in tomorrow."

She nodded, "I love cuddling with you."

He sat down on the couch next to her and pulled her body against his so her head laid against his shoulder and her legs fell over his lap.

"Do you have any plans for tonight?" Her fingers trailed across the stubble on his jaw.

"No, do you?"

She shook her head. "Hazel has family coming over so she can't do anything this weekend."

"What about Paisley?"

"We don't talk much anymore. We've drifted away I guess."

Clay knew that, but he wanted her to tell him, to ensure that they weren't becoming close again. He wanted her to stay as far away from Paisley as possible while he and Ulric tracked down the family of the witch and deciphered the meaning of the letters and the 'curse'.