The Daughter of Lilith | A Story of Love and Power in the Shadows

Part 7

The morning came too soon for Leanne. She got up with a sense of foreboding. She could tell her brother felt the same way. 

His trip to the market was successful. He brought home coin, bread, and pastries. Lots of their customers couldn't afford their wares with real coin, so they traded exclusively depending on what it was they wanted. 

The ate a few of the tarts for breakfast. After, Leanne disappeared to put on one of her nice dresses. At one point they were her mothers, so the color was slightly worn from the usage of the past. She pinned her hair up and secured her bonnet in place. She stared at herself in the mirror. She looked worn out. As evidence, there were bright purple bags under her eyes.

It took her a long time to fall asleep that night. After completing her chores and taking care of her mother, she had laid down expecting sleep to come easily. It didn't. Both Kenelm's and Fern's words reverberated in her mind.  

"Staring at yourself again?" her brother's voice said, drawing her out of her thoughts. He was at the entrance of the room, looking at her, smirking. He was wearing nice attire, although they were short on the legs and arms. His hair, that was too long, flopped in his eyes. "You'll break the mirror if you look any longer." 

Leanne noticed the dull look in his eyes, but all the same she retorted back. "It's already been cracked when you looked in't." 

Leo laughed and disappeared from the door frame. Her smile turned into a frown and she peered back into the mirror. 

She knew she shouldn't feel this way about going to church. 

She used to miss church. The community. Her long forgotten friends. But she didn't know if she'd be accepted back after being gone for so long. Don't be ridiculous, she thought. It's just a building. 

Leanne was further shocked when her father announced he would join them. He also wore his best clothes, although they looked as good as new, and his hair was brushed. She wondered if he had really worn them before the minister had came around. 

They all piled into the wagon in silence and made their way into town. Leanne had secretly hoped the roads would be too muddy to trek all the way, but she was disappointed. She sat in the back, sitting on some wood, to slim the chances of getting her dress dirty. The clouds above them were ominous and looked as though they were about to burst with rain. 

She held Kenelm's cloak to her chest feeling the rough fabric on her skin. She was still angry at him, but she also recognized he was not wrong. 

She wanted to apologize to him, but then again for what? She didn't do anything to him. If anything she should be apologizing to Fern. But she still couldn't shake his disappointed face from her brain. 

She heard the chatter of people before she realized where they were. Her head lifted as they drove to the entrance of church. 

The pastries churned in her stomach as her brother jumped off the wagon and went to help Leanne. The townspeople were milling in front of the stone church stopped briefly to stare. She felt the eyes as her brother set her on the ground. She briefly brushed off her dress and held the cloak, as if it was her life line.

Their father pulled the wagon away to park. Leo glanced at her then the people around. They had stopped staring and resumed walking into the building. 

"Are you ready for this?" Leo muttered under his breath. Leanne didn't respond. She only wished her mother was with them. 

They were prompted into church by an elder and they joined the mass into the building. Leanne had forgotten the splendor of the church. It was too large for their small town. It was built over. hundred years ago, when their town was bigger. Inside there was a high ceiling with a large candelabra over rows and rows of pews for the community.