In shadows deep, our secrets hide,
With painted smiles, we bide our time.
A soothing word, a gentle lie,
To keep the truth from asking why.
Yet deep inside, our hearts may know,
The storms of doubt, they churn and blow.
For every mask, a weight to bear,
In truth's harsh light, we find despair.
(I am not the creator of the poem and I did not find anyone to credit; the poem is used explicitly for the context of the chapter without monetary gains, thank you.)
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After talking a little with Joan and testing her self-control ability, I am amazed by her tenacity and dare to say that she is far ahead in this regard compared to me. But maybe that makes sense? After all, she has had a different perspective on life than I have. I decide to bring her with me to the city while I help her cover her entire body, not just because of her new nature but also because of her appearance; after all, Joan of Arc is still alive in people's memory.
Upon arriving at the inn, we headed to the room where I see Léa running into my arms, worried.
-"Brother, Lucas, Lucas was taken by the guards along with the others." Léa says as she looks at me, concerned.
Her words reach me, and I pause for a moment to understand the information.
-"Don't worry, everything will be resolved. But why was Lucas arrested?" Kael asks in a cold tone.
-"Probably some report, and he was caught with the gold you gave him!" Léa says sadly.
We leave the inn and head towards the guard barracks.
Point of view of Léa
We arrived at the barracks and Brother Kael steps in ahead of us. Along with him comes someone covered in clothing, probably a vampire as well, but brother Kael hasn't introduced him yet due to what is happening.
As soon as we enter, I hear the brother speaking with the guards.
-"Who are you?" asks one of the guards.
-"Relatives of a person you arrested. I heard you caught them with gold coins, I came to testify that I was the one who gave them." Kael says calmly.
-"And where would you get the gold coins from? Why so many clothes? Show your face, trash!" says one of the guards while putting his hand on his sword.
The brother calmly takes off the hood covering his head, and as soon as the guards look at him, they become petrified for a few seconds.
-"I've never seen anyone with white hair, but that still doesn't explain where the gold comes from, so just leave and as soon as the investigation is concluded, if they are innocent, they will be free." says the guard.
-"At least show us the boy, so I can leave in peace." says Kael.
The guard seems uncomfortable but leads us toward the cells; there's a metallic smell in the air similar to the day my brother killed those bandits. I can't help but think the worst about what happens down here.
As soon as we reach the cell, I see a body in the corner that doesn't move, Lucas along with the other children bleeding from their hands, and Paul missing an arm. My heart starts beating very fast as I look inside the cell.
-"They didn't want to tell the truth so the children were punished with whips on their hands for stealing, the man with the appearance of a bandit had the arm he used to beat the guard amputated, unfortunately the older woman ended up dying." Says the guard coldly. "The laws must be followed and the punishments given according to the crime committed!"
I looked at my brother and saw his gaze, the same scary look from that day. The presence that comes from my brother, I feel that I have felt it before, a presence that makes my whole being tremble. The person who came with my brother also seems to feel something as he steps back and strikes a defensive pose.
-"Joan, take the man and the children with you." Says Kael in a cold tone like ice.
Joan's point of view
As I look at Kael, the only thing I can feel is fear. The moment I arrived in the city, I understood that my gaze can see things. At first it was strange, but then I understood. It was the nature of people; I can see the truth.
But when I look at Kael, there is no truth. I can't see anything.
Kael's point of view
As soon as Joan picks up Paul and calls the childrens to leave, a guard takes his sword out of its scabbard and points it at me, the next second I grab his neck and lift him up. He tries to get rid of my hand but I just break his neck.
What happened next was a massacre, once again my hands were soaked with so much blood that I can smell the iron ingrained in my skin. Maybe some of the guards were innocent, but now it doesn't matter anymore or maybe it never did.
As soon as I leave the barracks I find Joan at the entrance waiting for me, she has evacuated Paul and the children to the forest. She doesn't say anything to me but I feel her look on me as if she wants to say something, but in the end we are both silent as we go to meet Léa and the others.
2 years later
Two years have passed since that day. Paul and the children joined us as we found a new home near a small town. With the gold I gathered, Joan bought a small mansion a little away from the town and created an orphanage where she takes care of several children, including Léa and Gabrielle, who now have kids of their age to play with.
Life became calm and peaceful again, but the relationship between Joan and me is a bit strange; she seems to want to talk to me but ends up avoiding me most of the time, and when she does speak, the conversation just turns awkward and uncomfortable.
One day, perhaps to finally break the ice, she comes close to me and tells me to follow her. Upon reaching a river inside the forest, she looks at me with a serious gaze.
-"What are you, Kael?" Joan asks with conviction.