Ella dragged her feet across her room, blinking away the blur in her eyes. She sighed for the fourth time since she had awoken fifteen minutes ago, stretching her arms to ready herself for the day ahead.
She faced the mirror in her bathroom and scoffed at how she looked. Two large patches of darkened skin surrounded her eyes, pimples riddled her usually unblemished face, and the skin on her neck, arms, and torso were as dry as the Sahara.
She couldn't care less of how people saw her, much less what they say about her. In fact, other than the usual gardener, priest, and renovation workers, no one had seen her outside of the manor.
In the following months that marked Richard's disappearance, Ella found herself becoming more pragmatic in her dealings with the world. Even when confronted with the optimistic words of Lady Anastasia's divinatory spells not working on Irwin, Ella merely shrugged with mild exuberance.
If she were to be honest, she neither had the energy nor the reason to do anything else but to make sure that the manor was working as Irwin had left it.
She tied up her matted hair into a ponytail and changed into a sweatpants and hoodie before leaving the room to make her and everyone's breakfast. She didn't have to and, god knows, everyone wanted to pitch in with helping the house, but she was adamant on her service.
They, however, stalled long enough for Lady Anastasia to admonish her reckless endeavor. The only thing she had to do for the house was breakfast and some light inventory of the prison cells under the shed in the courtyard.
"Morning, Ella!" Garth greeted her the moment she descended the stairs. In his hands were a cup of ice cream sundae with three small chocolate bars as a garnish.
"That's not breakfast, Garth." She admonished and chuckled when he quickly hid the cup.
"Uh, that's–I just got back from a hunt. I need a pick-me-up." He groaned before returning to his meal. "You cooking breakfast?"
"I'll try." She replied, walking into the kitchen only to find it at full capacity.
The wheelchair-bound Lady Anastasia was swiftly flipping pancakes and levitating it towards her daughter, Annalize. The child was greedily munching on the flat cake with reckless abandon, pouring maple and strawberry syrup to her father's mounting frustration.
"Peachy. Do not." Lord Archibald scolded before giving an exasperated sigh when Annalize continued on her pursuit of mixing multiple syrups together.
They turned towards her when she entered the room, giving smiles and greetings before returning to what they were previously doing. This has been the morning routine of the family ever since they came back home and found Richard missing.
"Good morning. Anyone found Gordon yet?" She asked as she began taking over for Lady Anastasia, so that she could enjoy the food.
"The hunter? He is guarding the prison, along with the other fellow. 'Don't trust him', he says." Lord Archibald reported while shaking his head.
"Gordon doesn't trust anyone," Garth spoke up, sitting opposite Archibald. "Do you think we could get a pool somewhere around the back?"
Lord Archibald snorted, giving him a genial smile, "December is right around the corner and you want a pool?"
"I go hot." Garth reasoned when he suddenly looked down and saw Annalize's hand sneakily taking out a chocolate bar. "Hey!"
"I'm not doing anything." Annalize waved her hand, as if trying to hypnotize Garth. When it didn't work and the hunter took back the chocolate bar, she turned to her mother and complained. "My magic isn't working, mom."
"That's because you aren't using your magical energy." She says, waving her hand and subtly forcing Garth to drop a chocolate bar unto Annalize's plate. "See!"
Ella joined in with two plates full of pancakes, sitting next to Garth and elbowing his side when he didn't put away the dessert. She knew that they too were feeling the gap in their soul with Richard's disappearance and that having this family breakfast was one of the ways to let that disheartening feeling subside in waves.
She smiled, relief flooding her body as she gazed at Annalize's errant eye gazing at Garth's ice cream sundae. The child was her main worry in this trying times, not only was Richard and her close as thieves, Annalize had just recently lost–
"Take Annalize away!" Lady Anastasia roared as her eyes glowed with a dark purple light.
A wave of oppressive energy filled the room, causing her to seize up and fall down her seat. She nearly hit her head on the countertop, but Garth helped her up as he too buckled under the pressure.
"Garth!" She yelled as the hunter rushed towards the other side of the kitchen, grabbing knives as best he could.
Archibald had already taken Annalize out of the kitchen, which was a worry on their backs when a pop resounded out of thin air and an otherworldly creature appeared before their eyes.
The long-haired man carried a familiar woman, but before Ella could comprehend what was happening, Garth had begun throwing knife after knife at the intruder. She too joined in, grabbing her plate and throwing it like a ceramic frisbee towards the man.
But to her surprise, no matter what kind of plate, drinking glass, knife, and utensil they threw, it merely bounced off the man and the woman he was carrying; Like an invisible yet sturdy barrier was between them and him.
"Get the guns!" She ordered hastily, grabbing a frying pan to protect herself.
When she noticed that Garth was not obeying her and was instead looking past her, she turned around and saw Lady Anastasia calmly muttering under her breath. Her quickly beating heart calmed for a moment as she felt her ears pop and the oppressive aura that had been unconsciously burdening her body suddenly removed itself.
"That's better, is it not?" Lady Anastasia asked, grinning at the intruder. "Now, why don't you drop that lovely lady, so we can talk without having me destroy your wings."
The man chuckled nervously, "Absolutely."
The woman in his arms suddenly began floating in the air, levitating closer towards the large countertop where they had been eating moments earlier. Now that Ella had gotten a closer look at the woman, her eyes widened with familiarity.
"Charlotte…" Ella instinctively placed her hand over her mouth, breath hitching as she gazed at Richard's companion.
She looked at the man, hesitant to come closer. "I-Is she–"
"I have healed her. Although her psychological status is somewhat… unstable. Even I cannot fix that." The man said.
"Are you…" Garth trailed off before he could ask his question as the man suddenly began to glow in heavenly light.
"I'm an Angel of the Lord. But you may call me Balthazar." The angel said before the glow subsided enough that the mortals in the room would not need to cover their eyes.
"Where is he, Balthazar?" Lady Anastasia asked with venom in her tone.
Ella could tell there was bad blood between her and their kin. She inched closer, heart heavy with anticipation of his answer.
Balthazar, however, disregarded the question and spoke forth. "I have come bearing a gift and a message."
He pointed towards Charlotte with a smug smile. "The gift has been given, witnessed by all."
"I shall prove witness of your deeds, angel." Lady Anastasia said, bowing her head lightly. Although Ella could see hints of annoyance flashing through her eyes. "Now, what is your message?"
"Irwin is coming home in a day's time." With the message delivered, Balthazar was gone. Disappearing with a blink of her eye, leaving them along with an unconscious Charlotte and the hope of Richard's return.
Garth hummed, earning Ella's attention.
"What is it?" She asked.
Garth scratched the back of his neck and said, "Did he say 'Irwin'?"