Philippa nodded and hummed as if she were ready to honor Belle's decision.
"Why don't you hear me out? Then you can decide accurately if you won't come with me."
The tiredness in Belle's eyes continued to weigh down on her, and despite not having pulled through her mother's death, she still tried to maintain a strong façade.
"I doubt it's going to change my mind."
The older lady smiled. "I promise it would." She said confidently. "Would you not like to pay a visit to Edward's grave?" Philippa dropped the bomb.
And like she had expected, she received a reaction from Belle. The younger woman was surprised and confused at the same time. Zack, who also listened, was not exempted from the surprise.
The reason for their surprise was simple. It was unheard of that someone hanged to death would be buried. The most that was done to the bodies of the convicted was that they were disposed of in Death Valley.
A place that was a person's worst nightmare. Though Belle had not seen the valley before, the information she had read up on the place were able to create a clear image of how horrid of a place it was.
It is said that Death Valley is covered in fog even during the night. An addition of fog, eerie quiet, and danger gives off a scary atmosphere. Not to forget the source of noise, the waterfall behind the valley, which makes the place spookier.
The most mysterious thing about the land was that, despite the tons of dead bodies that had been piled and thrown into it, there was only one particular smell in the air. It definitely wasn't the smell of rotten corpses.
It was probably a fine mix of blood and soil.
The council guards who returned after disposing off a corpse always had a tale to tell. Surprisingly, none had stumbled upon any dead bodies in any of their visits.
Seeing their inquisitive gaze probing her for an answer, Philippa explained, "During the time of Edward's death, a councilman by the name of Sirius was the one who took away his body to bury."
Zack looked at Philippa suspiciously. "How do you know this? And why did he do it?"
Where she sat, Philippa crossed her legs elegantly, meeting Zack's gaze straight on. "I have my source. I don't have an answer to your last question."
"So are you telling me that you know where my father was buried?" Belle asked hopefully.
"No. The only way to find out is through the councilman."
At this point, Belle was conflicted. On one hand, if she goes with Philippa, she gets a chance to visit her father. On the other hand, she runs the risk of getting caught.
She looked at her uncle once before turning to Philippa to say, "Even if I agreed to come, there would still be a problem."
The lady stared at her with a single raised brow. "And what would that be?"
Belle took a deep breath before exhaling the air through her lips. She said, "My face glows without my knowledge. And it is beyond my control."
Philippa shifted her gaze to Zachariah, questioning the genuineness of what was said.
"Then you will have to learn, or hopefully it gets better on its own. Either way, there's got to be some way you feel when it happens."
"Allow me to give it some thought." Annabelle's eyes dropped to her thigh, where her hand sat.
"We leave in two days; it should be enough time to gather your thoughts." Philippa smiled softly at her as she stood up. "My deepest condolences, Annabelle."
"Thank you."
"Do you mind stepping out with me for a moment?" Her words directed at Zachariah, and he nodded before following her outside his house.
The rain had already stopped pouring, but droplets of rain from the rooftop still went pitter-patter on the ground. The aftermath smell of soil after a rainy day wafted into the clean air outside.
Though the sky was now clear of any dark clouds, there was no sign of the sun peeking out of the horizon, leaving the weather a tad bit cold.
Lady Philippa inhaled the air. "What a fine evening."
"Are you sure taking her away from here is a good idea". To say he was worried was an understatement. He faced her and said, "Staying in the illusion has been effective till date; I don't thin—".
"Old age is quickly catching up with you, Zachariah." His brows furrowed at her. "These days, humans die too quickly. And I advise you settle down with someone."
"You never take me seriously." He said in distaste. She looked at him from the corner of her eye.
"I do. Piper was a strong willed and intelligent woman. She must have also wished a free life for Belle."
"Yes, she did. But the risk of losing her angel just for the sake of freedom did not sit well with her." His voice was monotonous as he answered.
"I came from Winstol hoping to talk with her, but it's a shame I came too late."
"How are you going to take care of the glowing thing?"
"Who said anything about taking care of it?" She smiled, confusing Zack. Philippa said, "Ignorance is bliss, but when knowledge slips in, we become too aware.
"Oh pray, I'm unable to grasp the meaning of your words." Said he.
"Now that she knows, she might sometimes be aware when it happens."
Inside Zack's house, in Belle's room, she had a blank expression plastered on her face. Her eyes focused on the empty space in front of her, and her mind was lost in its thoughts.
The girl didn't cry. How badly she wanted to do so, but it seems the water in her body has long dried up. Maybe it was for the best.
And maybe going along with Lady Philippa wasn't all that bad. It surely was a good means to escape, just in case the man from her late night encounter ever decides to trace her back. She thought.
Feeling the need to step out of her room, she stood up, ready to walk the distance to her door, but Belle stopped walking when she caught her reflection in her mirror.
Her jaw dropped in wonderment. Right in front of her, the mirror reflected the infamous glow that she had heard about from her mother but had not seen until now.