Searching for a Lost Book

Seraphine had spent the next morning searching for the book, it was the perfect excuse to keep her mind occupied while she let the old man be in charge of the shop that morning.

Mr. Pawn had not asked her any question concerning the absence of her spectacle when Xavier dropped her off the previous night. He must've heard about what happened at the bonfire somehow, he only told her to take the morning to properly search for the book while he manned the shop.

True to Xavier's word that the people who were absent at the bonfire might come feed their eyes the next day, there had been a long line of people, queued up and waiting for them to open with the excuse of pawning their item when it was obvious they had other thing in mind.

As her gaze settled on the heap of books and other items on the floor, looking for a book she speculated was no longer in the shop, she brought out her jotter to study the drawing of the tattoo she had briefly seen on Leonard. Similar to what she had glimpsed in the book, but her attention had not been fully concentrated on it that time. She had read that people with such tattoos are hunters.

Left with so many questions of what they hunt? How they hunt their preys and exactly what do they hunt? She was however sure that he was not aware yet of what he was due to the incomplete tattoo.

Baffled at who could have come for the book, the angry voice of the old man disrupted her thought process, she could hear his frustrations and annoyance all the way from the counter to where she was in the far end of the corridor.

Few minutes later, his heavy steps got closer, "I don't understand why people make what doesn't concern them their business" he fumed, taking his frustrations on the poor fly which had been keeping her company by buzzing round the place.

"All of them must be taking a lesson from Mrs. Mosey, they all came to pawn useless things all in the name of coming to see you" handing over a sheet of paper, "we're close for today, these are the ones which genuinely have something to pawn, I've sent away the nosy ones" muttering offensive words to describe the rest.

Mr. Pawn studied the girl who had gone quiet, he heard her heavy sigh as she turned her back to him, "you know you have nothing to blame yourself for, right?" His annoyance rose at the shameless people who had found nothing to do than to gossip and look down on people, "you were born like that and no one has the right to treat you differently"

Her mood lifted a little by the old man's comforting words, something that hardly comes out from him.

Mr. Pawn looked at the mess she had made all in the name of searching for a book.

"When I suggested you look for a book, I didn't mean dismantling the whole house, you know" he scoffed.

"Don't worry, I'll assemble them right back, in no time" Seraphine gave him a tight smile, she had been waiting for him to make a nasty remark about the scene before him.

"Who said I'm worried, just make sure I don't have to be around when the owners of these items come for it" picking up a vase with a small crack at the base. He raised it to her face with an accusing look.

"The owner brought it like that, she said the crack has a sentimental meaning, that was the reason she wasn't willing to sell it" she defended.

Back to her search, aware of Mr. Pawn's absence, she heard a knock on the door, ignoring the sound, the person will eventually read the closed sign on the door and leave afterwards.

Her search was interrupted yet again when another knock came, perhaps it best if she show the person exactly what they want to see. Darting to the entrance, she found no one at the door.

The old man had done a good job of chasing them away, she was about to shut it back when she caught a piece of paper stuck at the edge of the door step. Staring at the illegible words which were scrawled on it, with a mindless care, she threw it in the bin.

The sound of a carriage pulling up made her turn back, she could see Mrs. Mosey peeping from her stall as Xavier stepped out of the carriage.

He had promised to come calling after researching the Lancasters.

"Did you find the book?" Xavier eyed the mess around her, leaning on the doorstep with his foot across the other, he brought out his handkerchief and pulled her to him to clean the dust on her cheek.

"Err" unable to form a reasonable word due to Xavier's close proximity, Seraphine instead shook her head.

"Stay still or you'll smear it across your cheeks" he cupped her face with his hand, handling it with the outmost care as he would a child.

The image of Xaver- sucking her neck days ago flashed in her mind vividly, "no" Seraphine blurted, her face still in Xavier's hands.

"No what" he whispered

"I haven't found the book" putting a considerable amount of distance between them, she started putting the items back in place.

"What did you find?" She asked

"Apparently the Lancasters comes from a family of hunters, they have strength and agility higher than ordinary human, along with being skilled in swords and knife fights. Back then, they are known for hunting down creatures aside from human, killing them because they find them evil. But not anymore. However, there's still a residual strength that is usually present in the first born son. A little in the second son though"

Seraphine had paused her activity, captivated by the new information, she tried to imagine Leonard Lancaster as a hunter, "that means if there's a way to activate the residual power, Leonard could become a hunter"

"Possibly. According to you, he's not aware yet of what he is but we need to be sure if his parents were or not. I've also been informed of his cruel punishment to people around him"

Nodding in agreement, giving Leonard's aggressive behaviour and attitude towards people, if he knew he was capable of being stronger.

"How did you know so much in such a short time?"

"When you have Herbert as a butler, wealth of information is at your disposal. The old man has ears as far as the world beyond" glancing around to see the messy corridor had been arranged, he cocked his fingers at her, "let's go"

"To where?"

"You'll know when you see it"

"Then we need to hurry because I'm meeting Diane and others later.

"Don't worry, we'll just make a stop at three places and we'll join them afterwards.

"Three places?" Her curiousity was now full to the brim.

"Don't worry, you'll be in awe of the first one" smirking

"I'll be the judge of that"

Pulling her into his arms, he wrapped his arms around her, deliberately looking into her eyes as he drew her closer. Seraphine's cheek turned pink when her bosom brushed the hard muscle of his chest.

"Ready?" Looking down at her white eyes which felt like being swallowed by a sea of cloud

"When you are" she whispered.