Three previous stars, all killed which might have been because of one of the rituals but then came another set of stars to stop the black witches, which was why the witches had decided to kill them. Or was it because they didn't care enough? Especially looking at the sloppy job they made when it came to killing them, the black witches might have thought they were another easy kill like what had happened in the past.

With two of the past stars in light, Belle couldn't stop thinking about the third one who was lost and consumed by the dead. She was slightly worried whether she would end up in the same fate.

Edith had told her that she would die with the others, and it was important to stay alive. Belle was killed by her half soul Portia, and she didn't know if it was considered to be dead. After all, the circumstances of how she died was different than the normal route.

"Will I die again?" asked Belle to Rower.

"Maybe. Maybe not," he answered, and Belle turned her eyes to look at the floating dried leaves on the surface of the water, "Death will come when it has to come, and though everyone wants to live, no one stays alive forever. That is the cycle of life."

"But it isn't so for the reapers."

"No," whispered the reaper, "We are the only true immortals."

Belle wondered if he knew about the Hawverts plan, but this Grim appeared to be living in a frog's well. And his answers were limited, "There's something else I want to ask," and she threw another coin and Rower didn't have to turn as he seemed to be an expert in catching coins.

"What is your question, Miss Belle?" asked the Grim.

"Do you know the first black witch?"

"The first black witch," asked the Rower and then said, "Yes. Humans killed him. Flamed and burned in ashes. The history of the witches isn't that complex. There was a white witch who gave birth to a girl and a boy. They were both white witches. The boy turned corrupt after playing with the forbidden magic and as the time grew it led to a series of more black witches. Some came from him and some who turned from white to black witches. A very small and simple story."

"If they are both dead, does that mean they are here?"

"The white witch has passed through the gates, and the black witcher...he is a mystery."

"I heard the black witches talking of how they were trying to resurrect him from the dead," informed Belle and heard Rower hum. When she and Lucas had been in Valeria, the magistrate spoke about the first black witcher as if it was a female, but Rower now mentioned it was a male and not a female witch.

"How interesting. And what have you planned for it?"

"Nothing so far."

"Even more interesting. I will save you a good spot if you return with just your soul," said Rower and Belle murmured thanks.

When the boat started to row near the land, Belle, who was looking at the water, looked up to find Lucas, who stood there, waiting for her. Was she dreaming? Getting up from her sitting position carefully, she felt her heart lighten. Rower didn't comment on Lucas' presence, and he stopped the boat right at the shore. Belle was glad to see Lucas here, and she hopped out of the boat to only be engulfed in a hug by Lucas' arms.

Lucas was in his reaper robes, the cloak placed over his head similar to Rower but his face had skin and not just bones. While Lucas held Belle in his arms protectively, Lucas' eyes met Rower's empty eyes that were filled with darkness.

'I didn't expect to see you here,' confessed Rower, in a whisper which Belle couldn't hear, 'You will both be hunted if one of them finds you.'

'I will see what happens at that time,' answered Lucas.

"How did you know I was here?" asked Belle when she pulled away to notice Lucas staring at Rower, and she turned to look at Rower who didn't move and looked like a statue.

"Instinct."

'Bullshit. You followed the water,' came Rower's voice.

'Get out of here fucker,' Lucas retorted back, 'Go catch some dead fish.'

"Are you alright?" asked Lucas after he shifted his eyes back to Belle.

"I think I need blood," confessed Belle and before another word could be spoken, Lucas and Belle disappeared in a blink of an eye to return to the land of the living.

Rower looked at the space in front of him, "And just like that they disappeared," he murmured under his breath.

Belle, who returned to Adams mansion with Lucas, she could start feeling her jaws hurt as her fangs appeared without any notice. Before Lucas' arrival, she wasn't feeling hungry as everything around her was dead, but Belle remembered how Lucas' blood tasted, and all she could think was to bite into him. Already in the room alone, Belle's hands aggressively tore open the shirt that Lucas had changed after returning from the land of the dead. As soon as she saw his skin, her fangs dived in his shoulder to suck his blood out of hunger.

"The longer you would have stayed there, you would only end up corrupting your soul because of your thirst for blood," Lucas said, patting her head gently whilst she continued to take her fill of blood from him.

As time passed, Belle finally felt relaxed as the thirst for blood reduced, and she pulled her fangs out of Lucas' shoulder, "Feeling better?" asked Lucas, caressing her cheek.

"I feel tired," she admitted. Since the time she had returned from the land of the dead, she had come here only to end up back in there and then again to return, "I don't want to visit the land of the dead any time soon," she whispered, and Lucas grinned.

"Let's put you to bed."

.

Scroll to read the next chapter...