Darkness Rising

CHAPTER [ 17 ] PLANNING COMMITTEE

Lenore followed Kaiser out of the parlor, happy to get away from the overpowering smell of roses. There was a lingering haze in her mind and a strange weight in her chest. Almost as though she had two hearts beating in her chest. She reached up and rubbed the scar she'd got when they removed the Blessing.

It was strange to know it had returned to her. Knowing that her mother was meant to be an Apostle made her think maybe it was a bit like fate; that the Blessing had come into Lenore's possession. The manner in which that happened wasn't all that important. 

When they stepped into the dining room she was surprised to find it empty, orderly, and without any sign of what happened. She couldn't stop herself from examining everything under the warm glow of the chandelier. A part of her hoped to find a drop of blood or smell the remnants of the dinner Camila had prepared.

There was nothing. Lenore could almost believe it was all a dream if not for the pulse of the Blessing in her chest. She turned to Kaiser, appraising him with new eyes. His words from days earlier ringing in her ears, 'Nothing happens that I don't allow to happen'. Even with her revenge, it was erased and buried. He was the epitome of a puppet master; a master manipulator. Everything and everyone was under his quiet control, moving in the way that best suited him.

Although Lenore appeared to be a bit of an exception. It's why he was upset with her and why he threatened her with punishment. Why she was certain that, even now, he was still brooding over how things went. Unlike the other fiends, she wasn't easy to control or predict. Which, for some reason, pleased her.

He glanced over his shoulder at her, ruby eyes glimmering in the low light. There was a whisper of a scowl on his face but it melted away before it could truly take form. He looked as though he had something he wanted to say but the arrival of Patrick, Camila, and Emilio ended the conversation before it could begin. 

Patrick saw Lenore first and let out a loud groan. "Damn it!"

"It's never good to bet against me. I've got luck on my side." Camila chuckled and lifted her hand toward Emilio, waiting for a high five. He glanced in Lenore's direction, cheeks taking on a slight blush as he returned it. 

"Do I want to know?" she asked even though she had a very good idea what stakes the bet were made over.

"Glad you're not dead," Camila said, a sincere smile on her face. Emilio nodded his head in agreement with her. And despite the irritated sneer on his face, she got the feeling that Patrick wasn't too upset with her still being alive, only upset he lost the bet.

"Me too." 

Kaiser gave the trio a disgruntled look, and they were quick to reign themselves in. He sat himself down at the table, in the seat Lenore claimed for herself hours before. They made their way to the table, more somber than when they entered.

"So how does it feel?"

Lenore arched her brow.

Camila rolled her eyes, giving her a light jab in the arm. "The Blessing and Kaiser's power?"

"Oh." She wasn't sure how to explain it. One felt like an extra limb and the other was like a new, better organ. Both parts of her body but with separate functions and possibilities. There was no time to test out the Blessing. But she knew it was feeding its power throughout her body, felt it thrumming and pulsing through her.

"Guess It's kinda like brushing my teeth after drinking orange juice."

Camila scrunched her nose at that. Yeah, it wasn't the greatest answer but she didn't have any better way to respond. Lenore shrugged a shoulder and took the seat to Kaiser's right, meeting his gaze for a moment.