Wait a minute, thought Belle to herself before saying, 

"This is the town Pauline was talking about. She plans to move in here in two days," she didn"t want to see another person who she knew die during her knowledge. 

"We don"t know how far the plan might go if the ma.s.sacre will be stopped or if it will go on but there"s still weeks or months for it," said Lucas looking at the plumbing line and then looked at the people who were walking past them, "A death reaper and the ability of death cannot try to interfere with the fates that are set."

"Why not? You saved Isabell," said Belle. When her parents had died, Belle had no clue of who or what she was, of what resided out in the world apart from what she already knew. Things that were present behind the curtain. 

"Isabell was a different case Belle," said Lucas, "Being her reaper, all I would have to do was to let her live again but I took her soul. I took her soul and placed it in another vessel. It was done once but it cannot be done again, not to hundreds of people which makes it impossible. Don"t forget the consequences, Belle. Unless Pauline wants to move out from the town don"t try to persuade her." 

"How am I going to save Vivian then?" asked Belle, and they started to walk around the town. Walls painted fresh making the buildings to stand out more.

"You will need to find that out."

That was no help at all. 

They put a round around the town and then went to the forest that took a while. Belle didn"t know what they were doing here, "Reapers are not to take part in the events but you are a mortal. Half mortal and half-dead because of the incomplete soul that has drifted and taken a form and thought of its own," he gave it some more thought and then said, "There might be chances that nothing might happen if you intervene but the Hawerts will know the change in the number of souls when the count goes down."

"But they won"t know it"s me."

Lucas agreed. Right now the Hawerts didn"t know it was her but he realized if a reaper were to find the same person living in both the realms, it would cause quite some problems to not only Belle but also Lucas and Barron would be found through her. 

"What if I try to make sure nothing happens. Just keep her and the others safe."

"Too many people Belle," said Lucas walking ahead into the forest and Belle followed him, "People trying to keep others safe end up being the scapegoat. Be careful. We are here to find children who have been abducted by the switchers."

"How come the council doesn"t try to fix it?" Belle asked before realizing what she was wearing. She was in a gown, dressed up pretty. 

Lucas chuckled hearing this, "Why would they, when they are benefitting from it," he noticed how Belle twisted the handkerchief in her hand, "Let me help," he offered her. 

Keeping a watchful eye around their surroundings, he walked behind as Belle took her hair in all her hand. Taking the kerchief he tied her hair into a ponytail so that her hair wouldn"t hover on her face, "Better?"

"Much better," said Belle and then asked, "When did you find out about the abduction?"

"The groom"s uncle complained about it," Belle"s eyebrows raised, impressed by Lucas" quick thinking and calculation. She couldn"t tell how much she admired him, "Black witches are often found in the thickest of the trees, deep into the heart of the forest. Are you ready?" he asked her.

"Yes," Belle answered, her own eyes looking at the forest and she heard a bird cry, flying up in the sky.

"We are near," said Lucas as they walked further and into the heart of the forest. 

With her hair not hindering her where she could move her head left and right, suddenly a knife went past between her and Lucas that had her turn around to see black witches. Not one but three of them who surrounded them at different distances. 

Belle had learned how to fight through Lucas but she had never fought an actual person who was going to try to harm her. 

"Who do we have here? A couple walking in the middle of the forest. Wanting to make love in secrecy," said one of the black witches. They weren"t in their human form but in their scale-like appearance, slit eyes and two of them who had horns on their head. 

Belle who had only been kissed by Lucas so far couldn"t stop the blush that formed on her cheeks at the thought of being loved by Lucas here in the middle of the forest. Seeing her expression that had no worry or fear, one of the witches to her left looked at her annoyed. 

"We were looking for people to be fetched if the sheep have entered the forest willingly there"s no harm to take them," said the witch and soon a fight broke between the witches and them. 

While Lucas handled the two black witches while another witch who looked as young as Belle started to attack her. When the black witch used her hands that had knives in them, Belle dodged behind the trees for the witch to swipe the sharp blades against the trees. 

The black witch memorized Belle"s moves and when she moved right, the black witch moved along with her and caught hold of her, throwing Belle against the ground.