Ill Met By Moonlight

Chapter 29: Clues

Lex sighed, looking up at the mansion. The sun had finally come up to bring dull light to the shadowy village. Lex was thankful for the sun light, due to the oil lamp she had been carrying had gone out.

Lex searched around the outside of the mansion, trying to look for a way in. She knew the layout of the mansion quite well. Mother Miranda had given her a short tour after she had recovered from the experiments. There was a door near the middle of the house that led to Mother Miranda's laboratory. All she needed to do was sneak in, get to the lab and then get out. Mother Miranda wouldn't even know she was in there if she was quick and smart about it.

''My my, this is quite the sight.'' a cold voice startled Lex. She quickly turned around and was met with the piercing blue eyes of Mother Miranda. She was in her usual priestess attire. Her blonde hair however, was tied back in a low ponytail. ''I don't believe I'm expecting you. What are you doing here?''

''I... I came to talk about my medication.'' she blurted out. It was the only thing that came to her mind. 

''And that's why you're sneaking around my house?''

''I... I couldn't remember where the front door was and was searching for it. I haven't been here in a while.'' Lex lied, knowing full well where the front door was located. Mother Miranda didn't seem convinced but gestured for the woman to follow her. Lex swallowed hard and did as she was silently told. 

They came to the front door and the blonde opened it, gesturing for Lex to enter first. The snowy haired woman dipped her head down as a sign of thanks and respect to the powerful woman as she stepped inside. The house was warm and welcoming.  A simple mask to hide its sinister underbelly. Mother Miranda gestured for Lex to remove her boots, which Lex did.

The two of them walked down the hallways. Lex recognized many different paintings decorating the dark cherry coloured wood. She saw the one portrait that always caught her eye. It was a portrait of Mother Miranda and the four Lords. Mother Miranda stood in the middle with Donna next to her. Lady Dimitrescu stood behind Donna with her gloved hand resting on her younger sisters' shoulder. Lord Heisenberg stood to the left of Mother Miranda with Lord Moreau in front of him.

They did look like a family. A strange family. Very faintly, Lex believed she could see a small smile on Mother Miranda's lips and her eyes held a strange motherly tenderness. As far as Lex could tell... it was genuine.

''Lex,'' Mother Miranda said. The snowy haired woman looked at the woman, not realizing she had stopped walking. The blonde woman stepped towards her, looking up at the portrait. ''Even today, after near a year and a half, it still catches your attention. Perhaps I should remove it.''

''I apologize my lady, I didn't mean to get distracted.'' Lex cleared her throat. She saw Mother Miranda step towards the portrait and place her hand on it, brushing her thumb over the date of the portrait. 2010. It was nearly eleven years ago. Two years after Alexis was born.

Lex could had sworn that Mother Miranda's eyes had softened when she looked at her children, the same way a caring mother would if Lex had to guess. As soon as the blonde saw Lex looking at her however, she withdrew her hand and continued walking. The snowy haired woman followed closely behind the priestess. Something about the way Mother Miranda had been acting just then nagged at the corner of her mind.

She seemed like she had genuine happiness and care in her eyes. Sure, she could have been pretending to lull Lex into a false sense of security... but it didn't seem like an act. It looked to real. To damn genuine.

They came to a locked door near the middle of the house. Mother Miranda withdrew a key from her pocket and inserted it into the keyhole before opening it. The blonde gestured for Lex to enter first which she did very cautiously. The two of them descended the long staircase that just seemed to go on and on forever.