Luke didn't know that he had just escaped detection by Amaranth's blood sense. His idea of coming with Wednesday and her stealth ability had been the right decision.
As for why Amaranth never detected him in Jericho when Luke was watching her and Deacon (the faceless one), it was because Luke had been observing them from kilometers away with his abilities. Amaranth's range couldn't detect him from such a distance.
From a distance of over 100 meters, Luke and Wednesday hid behind a large tree.
"I have something to confess," Luke said, turning off the camera.
"What is it?" Wednesday asked, raising an eyebrow. Luke's behavior had been strange ever since he started taking pictures.
"I know those hooded figures. They aren't the ones controlling the Hyde, although they are involved," Luke said, beginning to explain the whole story.
He told her that months ago, he had discovered the presence of the hooded figures in Jericho. With this, he managed to attack one of them and read their memories, learning about the true person controlling the Hyde, as the hooded figures had contacted the person and wanted to help them.
Throughout the story, Luke told her, Wednesday had a stoic expression and listened intently.
"So… those hooded figures are from the Spellman family. The same ones who attacked at last year's Poe Cup and now want to use the person controlling the Hyde to kill you," Wednesday said.
"Yes. I fought three of them and managed to recognize one. It's a faceless one. He's not strong; I was able to read his memories while he was watching over the Hyde," Luke nodded.
"The Hyde is that normie named Tyler, and the person controlling him is the normie botany teacher?" Wednesday asked, hiding her surprise.
She knew both people. Sometimes, after leaving therapy, she would have breakfast at the café where Tyler worked, and she had met him. The boy was very talkative with her and seemed like the typical friendly normie. He didn't seem like a hidden Hyde or a serial killer.
As for the normie teacher named Marilyn, she knew her better than Tyler. She was the head of her dorm and had had a few conversations with her. She also seemed like the typical friendly normie. Not a normie who would want to revive Crackstone to kill outcasts.
"Yes. The hooded figures gave Marilyn a power-enhancing drug to use on the Hyde after his defeat by the two of us at the harvest festival. I don't know if she's used it yet," Luke said.
"If you knew the real identity of the culprits, why did you act like you were solving the mystery with me? You could have killed the Hyde and the normie, and the prophecy would have been over," Wednesday said. Her tone was icy, and this time, her anger was noticeable.
"It didn't suit me. My goal is to gather evidence that the Spellmans are helping the Hyde kill normies and aiding in Crackstone's resurrection. You know there's an old grudge between my family and the Spellmans, right?" Luke said, and Wednesday nodded.
The families of important psychics knew that the Poes and the Spellmans had been at war for hundreds of years, and the Spellmans were winning that war for obvious reasons.
It cannot go unnoticed that the Poe and the Spellman die. And that now the Poe is almost extinct.
"Last year, they attacked the Poe Cup, but there's no evidence to prove that. So I wanted to gather the best possible evidence to present it and ensure they receive the punishment they deserve," Luke said.
This way, the Spellmans would be in a difficult position. Most likely, they would leave Luke alone for at least the remaining years he had at Nevermore. He would then plan how to continue his fight to prove to the world that they had made deals with demons.
"I understand your point. If you gathered evidence that they helped with Crackstone's resurrection and presented it to the outcast police, they would face severe punishment," Wednesday nodded. Reviving a xenophobic normie who had made deals with demons was a serious crime.
"However, now I can stop Marilyn and Tyler. That way, Crackstone won't be resurrected, and the punishment for the Spellmans won't be as severe," said Wednesday.
It wasn't the same if the Spellmans had helped with Crackstone's resurrection and he had been revived, compared to him not being resurrected at all. The punishment would be lighter since nothing had happened.
It's like someone planning to murder another person but being stopped before they can. Their sentence would be less severe compared to if they had successfully committed the murder and were caught afterward.
"Why are you telling me this? Your plan won't work anymore. Although you can present evidence that they helped the Hyde kill innocent normies, it won't be the same, since Crackstone won't be resurrected," Wednesday said, looking at Luke with curiosity.
"Because for Crackstone to be resurrected, your blood is needed," Luke responded, and for the first time, Wednesday showed a hint of surprise, though not much.
"Explain further," Wednesday said, and Luke told her that he had read Marilyn's memories, learning about the full ritual for Crackstone's resurrection. It was a lie that he had read Marilyn's memories; he knew because he had seen the show.
'That explains the visions I've had. It's a grudge between my family, Crackstone, and the Gates...' Wednesday thought, connecting many dots.
"Marilyn, or rather Laurel Gates, stole the Book of Shadows from Pilgrim World. In that book, there's a dark necromancy ritual. Once she has the body parts she needs, she will come after you," Luke said.
"Now I understand why Rowan said I would destroy Nevermore. My blood is the key to Crackstone being revived and released from the blood coffin," said Wednesday.
"Yes," Luke said.
Then the place fell silent. Only the sound of the wind and the nature of the forest could be heard. Wednesday stopped looking at the ground and looked back at Luke.
"At first, you used me, but now you recanted and confessed everything to me. Why?" asked Wednesday.
"My original goal is to have Crackstone revived so that the Spellman's punishment will be greater, but that takes your blood," said Luke.
"So?" asked Wednesday with a raised eyebrow.
"So... I don't want some crazy normie taking your blood and hurting you," Luke said, scratching his cheek, a little embarrassed.
'Manipulative and protective at the same time... Fascinating,' Wednesday thought, pulling Luke close and kissing him.
Luke at the feel of Wednesday's lips opened his eyes in surprise. He didn't understand what was going on. He just confessed to her that he used her, and now he was getting a kiss from her?
Maybe since she is also manipulative, she is attracted to that kind of thing? Strange.
"You're not mad?" asked Luke after the kiss was over.
"Your plan is logical. Your family is at war with the Spellmans. I would have done the same thing myself. Although I don't know if I would have told you everything before completing the plan," Wednesday said with a thoughtful look.
'Hey...' Luke thought, rolling his eyes.
Wednesday imagined the scene of Luke being captured for a dark ritual and his life being in danger.
'I'll most likely step in to save him too regardless of the plan,' thought Wednesday, being honest with her feelings. She would look for ways to find proof without endangering the people she cared about which were few. One of them and the last one she added to the list is Luke.
"Now, what will you do? I'll get Marilyn. I never thought that smiling normie was to blame for everything," Wednesday said.
"I'll help you. To catch her and have them believe you that she's the culprit, you need proof. I have a way to show everyone she's the culprit," said Luke with a faint smile.
"Oh, how?" asked Wednesday. She couldn't just go attack and kill Marilyn. She needed proof or to kill her without anyone noticing. She preferred the former, since if caught she would be considered a criminal and wanted by the outcast police.
Luke told her about the memory extraction technique. He had already mastered it at a basic level. In addition to wanting to extract the faceless man's memory, he would do it with Marilyn. Then, he would present the evidence to the outcast police.
In addition to getting rid of Marilyn easily and quickly, he would also contribute the evidence of the Spellmans. He would prove that there is a possible ritual to revive Crackstone through Marilyn's memories.
Luke and Wednesday returned to Jericho to continue the day's volunteer work. They couldn't be out for long.
Again Luke ended up confused. He thought Wednesday would get mad at him, but that didn't happen. They even already planned their next moves to get Marilyn.
He even managed to kiss her again, a very good feeling. The third time he kisses her and it is after confessing to her that he used her, strange.
The problem is that their relationship seems to have improved. Luke had not expected this to develop. This posed a problem for him. He was already expecting Enid, but now he was with Wednesday.
What was he to do?
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