Lucas sat rigid with arms folded across his chest. Somehow Helena's younger sister had made it to the castle. He wanted her out of his home and back in Millbarrow as soon as possible, but Helena had pleaded with him to let her stay an hour before Grattle took her back. He didn't want her reminded of the life she had before she came to the castle, but he couldn't deny Helena an hour with her sister either.

It was Mrs. Marcus' idea that they all have tea and cakes together. Once the suggestion was out there and everyone else eagerly agreed to it, he couldn't be the one to say no without undoing the little bit of rapport he had with Helena. Everyone else was enjoying themselves while he sat like an awkward guest in his own home.

Andrew of course was over the moon at being in another child's company even if she were a few years older than him. 

"So Catherine do your parents know you are here?" Lucas asked stiffly.

Helena looked at him as if were silently telling him "You have no idea how to deal with children do you?". Which was true, he didn't. Even when he was a child he hadn't known how interact with them.

"I left them a note. Borrowed Samson from old Mr. Crow and set off early this morning. He got spooked when we were almost at the castle so I left him in the forest,"  Catherine answered ignoring Helena glares. "He knows the way back with or without someone".

"Mother and father are going to flip when they notice your gone," Helena softly scolded.

"I only came to see if you were okay. Mother's been nagging father to come and check up on you, but he can't afford to close up the shop," Catherine replied, nibbling on a bit of cake.

Lucas felt Mrs. Marcus nudge him slightly. He knew she wanted him to engage more with the child, to show Helena that he could get along with her family. It reminded him far too much of the day Anna had introduced him to her mother Lillian. They had tea and cakes and to his face, she smiled and told him that she was happy that her daughter had found someone like him, but behind his back it was entirely different.  It was all poisonous whispers in Anna's ear.

"You can assure your mother that she is fine," Lucas told her in his most reassuring tone which sounded awkward and strained, but it didn't seem to bother her the same way it didn't ever seem to bother Helena.

~~~~

The weather had changed from bright and sunny to a downpour of rain. Lucas had long learned to accept the peculiar weather up at the castle and it seemed to him that Helena had accepted too. It was late in the afternoon, and Grattle had left two hours before to take Catherine home.

Helena had looked a little downtrodden at her sister going home so Lucas had invited her to help him reorganize some of his private collection books in his study. He usually wouldn't allow anyone to step foot in there, but he hoped the gesture would take away some of the sting that her sister couldn't stay.

"Do you think that Grattle will be back soon? I just want to know that Catherine got back okay," Helena asked as she knelt on the floor rearranging the bottle shelf.

It was the first time Lucas had ever sensed nerves or worry from her. He didn't like it.

"Grattle has been going back and forth to the village for the past thirty years in all kinds weather. There is no one who knows the paths better than him, Catherine is in the safest of hands," Lucas answered, he placed his hand on her shoulder to offer some comfort when she didn't shrug it away he kept it there.

"Andrew told me that Grattle doesn't change that he came to the castle years later and before he came you used to send a pigeon to inviting a new girl to come why don't you go the village yourself?"

"I can't, none of us can. There is like this invisible force field in the middle of the forest and no matter how hard any of us have tried we can get through. When Grattle came here he was a child begging for scraps of food I should of sent him away," Lucas explained with regret clear in his voice.

 Helena turned her head slightly and looked up at him. Her worry for Catherine momentarily drowned out by her curiosity and her desire to know everything about the world.

The word he knew that would leave her lips came out no more than a whisper. "Why?".

"There is someone here you haven't seen and you won't see her or at least I hope that you never do. And before you start no I won't tell you more about her," Lucas told her, his voice shook a little. He hated himself for not keeping it more controlled.

"She tricked Grattle to going outside at night, this small skinny boy surrounded by monsters he was always going to get hurt.  He had the misfortune to run into a Chimera it burnt part of his face, all of his chest and a good majority of his back. When I found him in the morning I thought he was dead, it wasn't until I saw him blink that I knew that he was alive".

"It wasn't your fault,"  Helena told him. Slowly placing her hand over the hand he had on her shoulder.

"Grattle's back!" Andrew half shouted bursting into his study.

Lucas removed his hand from her shoulder as if it'd suddenly become something deadly to touch.

Helena looked hurt by his action, but only briefly before turning to smile  at Andrew. "Let's go go find him then and see if Catherine got back okay".

Thank you for reading!

The Kanefire Curse hit that 10k milestone and that wouldn't have happened without all of you wonderful people reading this and your amazing support.

I am now hosting a competition for a permanent cover for The Kanefire Curse in my graphics book for hose that are interested in taking part or for those that would just like to check out the entries.

This banner was made by ThisIsToTheDreamers