It happened not long after his conversation with Joan. Despite her earlier boasting, Joan fell asleep after claiming she was just 'sitting down for a moment'. The two kids were snoring nearby when something came crashing through the hallway window.
Dean leapt to his feet and pointed the rifle towards the window, all thoughts of sleep swept away in an instant. To her credit, Joan was also quick to react. Her eyes snapped open, and she leapt to her feet. Mark was a bit slower, groggily rubbing his eyes.
"Get inside the bedrooms. Now!" Dean shouted.
Joan nodded. She ran into the girl's room and began shouting at the children to wake them up.
"What's happening?" Mark asked with a worried voice.
"I don't know yet. Mark, can I get you to wake everyone in the boy's room and tell them to hide?"
Mark looked him in the eyes and nodded before retreating to the boy's rooms.
Slowly, Dean crept towards the window, making sure to stay out of sight from anyone outside. On the floor surrounded by broken glass was a large brick. He resisted the urge to hurl the brick back out the window. Just who the hell threw a brick at an orphanage for the Goddess' sake?
As he was picking it up, he heard running footsteps behind him.
"What's happened?" Layota asked urgently.
"Someone threw a bloody brick through the window," Dean snapped, a bit more harshly than he intended.
Readying his gun, he stood up and approached the wall where the window was. He kept close to the wall as he peeked out the window. Outside in the blackness he could vaguely make out some figures. One of whom was holding a fire torch.
"Why are they..."
Dean didn't get to finish his sentence. The person threw the torch a few feet, and something in the yard caught fire. A large wooden circle with a single line splitting it in half. That was as much as Dean could make out.
Dean could hear Layota letting out a muffled moan. Joan and Cait were busy keeping the other children away from the window.
"They're trying to scare us out." Dean said.
He thought about using his gun to scare them off but decided against it. Doing so would be a waste of ammo and might provoke them to shoot back. For the moment, they had yet to make any overly violent moves, and he was going to make sure it stayed that way. He took another look out the window.
It was difficult to see anything in the dark, but a few faces could be seen in the light of the fire. They were young servants and other staff members he'd seen a couple of times before. Some were laughing and jeering, while others simply looked up towards the broken window. To Dean's surprise, they turned around and left after a few moments.
He turned back towards the inside and nearly tripped over the brick.
He bent down and took another look at it and noticed there was a small note attached to it with a string. He untied it and opened the note.
Marianne Edmund is dead. His words are proven.
The note crumpled as his hands closed tightly around it.
"Dammit, she should have been fine locked up in the guest house. Did she make some sort of mistake?" Dean hissed.
Of course, there was a chance the note was a simple lie meant to provoke him, but at this stage, Dean couldn't help but assume the worst.
"What are you talking about?" Layota asked with worried eyes.
"Matin and Marianne. They locked themselves in the guest house to wait this whole thing out!" Dean said, more to himself than the concerned Layota.
Was it a mistake leaving them like he did? They probably all should have stayed together from the beginning rather than spread themselves out like this. He truly was a fool.
"Oh I do hope they're alright." Layota said.
Dean didn't reply. This message attached to a brick shouldn't be taken at face value, but it didn't bode well. He looked out the window once more at the burning circle. Thankfully, the smell of burning meat didn't reach his nose. It was just a regular fire. Not like last time. He took a deep breath to stop the shaking.
"So this is what your faith looks like when brought to the extreme." Dean muttered.
Layota looked at him, eyes widening. She too looked out at the burning symbol of the faith she'd followed all her life and a tear rolled down her cheek.
"I've never seen our symbol used in such a horrible way." She moaned, burying her face in her hands.
Dean walked over to Layota who looked like she could collapse at any moment. He put a hand on her shoulder and looked her in the eye.
"You're the matron here, aren't you? The kids will be looking to you for guidance. Don't forget that."
Layota looked back at the crowd of children, their faces masked with fear. Some of the younger ones were crying. Layota quickly wiped her tears away and went back to the children.
"Hush hush, it'll be ok. Momma's here, momma's here."
She began to slowly console the younger children while hugging them tight.
Cait, Joan and Mark approached Dean while Layota was occupied.
"I think I heard more crashing downstairs." Joan said.
Dean looked towards the stairwell. There was a strong draft coming from there that hadn't been there before, a cold he could feel assaulting his feet and lower legs.
"Let's go take a quick look. If you're coming, stay behind me."
Cait nodded and did as instructed.
"Are you doing ok?" he asked her.
"I'm fine, but I don't like what they're doing." Cait whispered.
"Yeah, breaking things like this isn't allowed!" Joan echoed.
The two seemed united in their opinion. Meanwhile, Mark stayed close to Dean. He still seemed confused, but he had a determined look to him now, the kind a child used when they wanted to look as grown up as possible. However, his hand clinging to the hem of Dean's jumper betrayed his fear.
When they went downstairs and turned on the lights, they were met with even more destruction. Most of the windows had been smashed in with bricks.
"This is in poor taste." Dean muttered under his breath.
What had possessed them to attack an orphanage of all places? He felt renewed anger towards Nicolas' followers. After a moment of cursing under his breath, he felt a tug on his sleeve. It was Cait.
"I'm cold." She whispered.
"Yeah, it'll take a while to board up all these holes, and in the meantime this place is going to freeze."
Flakes of snow were already settling on the floors beneath the windows, carried in by a wind that had grown stronger during the night.
"Everyone, look for something to cover these windows. Boards, blankets or tablecloths, anything will do." Dean said.
Everyone agreed and searched for suitable coverings one room at a time. Dean didn't let them go off on their own, making sure each child had at least one partner. After a good bit of work, most of the windows in the hall had been covered. Layota caught up with them.
"Thank you. You all must be freezing. Come to the living room. I've got a fire going."
Dean and the rest nodded their thanks and made their way to the living room. Inside, the children had gathered, covered in blankets and wearing wool hats and scarves. The broken window had been covered, but it was still cold inside. Thankfully, the fire was getting warmer, which meant they would survive the night.
"We shouldn't stay here after tonight. It's too easy to break into." Dean said.
"Are we going to try going down the mountain again?" Cait asked.
Dean shook his head. He'd given up on that plan. Marianne had been right. They were better off waiting out the storm.
"Let's go back to the monastery first thing tomorrow. I want to see if everyone's alright. After that, we'll try to find a safe place to stay."
It was possible that the guest house had been broken into and Marianne killed, but he needed to be sure. There were plenty of other places they could take shelter once they arrived. He thought of the fortified building that now housed the library and the catacombs underground. He also knew that a confrontation with Nicolas and Maria was becoming more likely.
Layota nodded.
"I'm not sure what they're doing at the Cathedral, but we don't have a choice, do we? If we stay here, we're going to run out of fuel and freeze to death."
Dean was worried about bringing the children closer to the problem, but they could no longer stay in this building. He felt like a noose was tightening around his neck.
"Let's try to rest for a couple of hours until morning." Dean suggested.
Cait walked up to him and held out her hand. He wasn't sure what she wanted exactly, so he simply looked back at her.
"The gun — I'll take it." She said.
"Wait, are you sure?"
"Yes. You need sleep." She said in a stern voice she rarely used.
Dean sighed. He was exhausted to the point that he could hardly think straight. He hadn't realized it until Cait had pointed it out. The gun felt heavy in his hands.
"But you can't use it, can you?" He asked.
"I don't think you've had much practice yourself, mister. Let me protect you for once."
That was a fair point. They were both novices. The gun was more of a deterrent than anything else.
"I see, well thanks."
"Don't worry about Cait, I'll stay with her!" Joan said. She looked even less tired than she had been earlier.
"How are you not tired?" Dean asked in amazement.
Joan shook her head.
"Kids have more energy than old people."
"Old people — now just you wait... ah forget it."
Dean was too tired to argue. He sat down next to the sofa and covered himself with a blanket. The large number of people in the room kept the cold bearable, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
When he woke, it felt as if he had closed his eyes mere seconds before. The dim light shining through the curtains told a different story, however. He tried to get up but felt himself pinned in place. Was he tied up? His eyes widened, and his muscles tensed. Were they under attack, captured?
He felt breathing on the back of his neck. He struggled for a bit and managed to turn around only to come face to face with a pair of blue eyes.
"Good morning, Dean, did you sleep well?"
"Wha.... Oh Cait."
Seemingly wide awake, Cait looked at him with the same fond expression a person might show while watching a sleeping child.
"If things weren't so messed up now, this would be a fantastic way to wake up." He mumbled.
Truth be told though, it was a little off putting to have someone stare at you in your sleep.
"We slept together." Cait giggled.
She looked proud, as if some lifelong achievement had just been accomplished. Her eyes were wide, and she had a dumb grin on her face.
"Ugh, yeah. We sure did. Us and everybody at the orphanage." He said, gesturing to the rather packed living room.
This reasoning didn't dampen Cait's spirits, who continued to smile.
"Are you two done flirting?"
Dean turned to see Joan looking down at them. A look of disapproval evident on her face.
"Remember, you're in a room full of kids when you start getting all close like that, Goddess save us."
Dean managed to pry himself free from Cait, who seemed to have no intention of letting go despite what Joan had said to them. He noticed that about half the room had already awoken, including Layota who was getting the kids out of their sleeping clothes and rushing them to the bathroom.
"Who took over watch duty from you?" Dean asked.
"Watch duty?" Cait asked.
"Yeah, you were watching out for dangers with the gun, right?"
"Yes, but I got tired, so I went to sleep."
"Then who was on watch duty?"
"I was."
Dean stared at Cait for a long moment. He had so much he wanted to say. He sighed, inwardly thanking the Goddess that nobody was hurt or captured.
"You know what, forget it. At least everyone's safe."
Cait grinned proudly.
"We should get going soon while it's still early morning," Layota suggested as she came back into the living room.
She had taken little time to get herself ready and looked a little worse for wear. Her gray hair was unkempt, and her eyelids drooped even further than usual.
Dean could feel the cold coming in from the semi-repaired window. It wasn't just the children he had to worry about. He needed to take care of Layota too.
"I couldn't agree more." He replied.
Preparations didn't take long. Within half an hour they were on their way to the monastery. Dean took the lead with his hunting rifle ready. He was followed by Cait and the children. Layota brought up the rear.
The young ones struggled through the snow despite Dean and Cait making way for them. Dean was thankful that the monastery was only five minutes away.
As the guest house came into view, Dean noticed something was wrong. The large doors to the guest house had been left wide open.
Cursing, he began running as best he could up to the entrance and looked inside.
"Is anyone there?" He shouted.
There was no answer. Those at the front of the group tried to peer into the guest house from behind his back. Dean looked up at the exterior walls and saw bullet holes in the stone and nearby windows. This wasn't good.
"Let's go in, but stay behind me." Dean said.
Cait and the others nodded and they made their way inside. Dean checked the salon, kitchen, dining room and servant areas but found no trace of anyone. The downstairs rooms at least, were clear.
"Let's head upstairs." Dean suggested.
At that moment, someone spoke from above.
"Who's there?"
An old bald man with bushy eyebrows looked down from the second floor landing. It was Methaeus.
"Methaeus?" Layota asked, hearing the familiar voice.
"Is that sister Layota?" He asked letting his guard down.
He made his way down the stairs and greeted them with a brief bow. Unlike Layota, his appearance was impeccable as always, despite his age.
"I am happy to see you and the children safe, but how did you get in?"
Layota looked confused and turned to Dean.
"The door was wide open when we arrived," Dean said.
Methaeus' eyebrows shot upwards in a rare look of surprise.
"That's impossible. We locked the doors tight last night on Lady Marianne's orders. Nobody could enter from the outside."
"Maybe they got in through the windows?" Mark said.
The boy had a point. There was no stopping people from breaking a window in the back of the guest house and entering that way, but Methaeus shook his head.
"They attacked us yesterday, but there was no activity last night from what I can tell."
"Where are Matin and Marianne?" Dean asked.
Methaeus looked confused.
"They should still be in their rooms at this hour."
Dean ran up the stairs and towards the corridor with the guest rooms. One room along the hallway was wide open. As he feared, it turned out to be Marianne's room.
Inside, the blankets on the bed had been tossed aside and were resting on the floor, but everything else was in tidy order.
"She slept here last night, but it looks like she got out of bed in a hurry." Dean muttered.
Even her heavy fur coat, which she always wore outside, had been left hanging near the entranceway. Just what had possessed her to go out into the night without it?
Methaeus and Cait had followed him up.
"What happened here?" Methaeus asked worriedly.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Dean responded.
He shouldn't have left them here. He shouldn't have run off on his own like that.
After a brief look around and finding no further clues, they left the room and closed the door behind them. They then made their way back to the entrance hall, where the children and Layota had gathered.
Dean noticed that Methaeus kept casting suspicious glances at Cait, but he decided to ignore that for the time being. When they got back to the entrance hall, he found Mitch waiting with everyone else. He seemed calm, and Dean noticed the handgun once again, tucked away at his waist.
Mitch was the arms dealer, likely responsible for selling weapons to Oscar and possibly even Nicolas and his cronies. Well, he'd confront him about it later. For now, he had to find Matin.
"Matin and Marianne have gone missing." Methaeus told Mitch.
Mitch nodded as if what Methaeus had just reported on the weather.
"I would have said our group was getting smaller were it not for the sudden influx of children." He said flatly.
Mitch also paused when his eyes met Cait. His hand reached down to touch the handgun, and Dean felt himself tense. He stood in front of Cait and stared Mitch down.
Mitch, seemingly unruffled by the standoff, shrugged and took his hand away, putting it back in his pocket.
"So many mistakes." He said, "It's a wonder you've lasted this long."
"What did you say?" Dean asked, temper flaring.
"You've been running around like a headless chicken, just trying to look busy while avoiding the root of the problem. We could have used you when they attacked yesterday"
Dean took a step forward.
"At least I'm trying something. What have you done but sit around in the guest house without lifting a finger to help anybody?"
"There's no reason to help these people. They can't offer me any profit."
"Mitch, there are children about. Please be careful of what you say." Layota warned.
"We don't have time for this. I'm going looking for Matin and Marianne." Dean said.
"I don't think splitting up is a good idea, Dean" Layota said.
"I know it isn't, but I'm not leaving Matin and Marianne alone like this. If there's a chance they're still alive, I'm going to go find them."
"Commendable, but you're likely going to be taken out just as they were." Mitch added. "They outnumber you by a significant margin."
"How do you know they were taken out?" Dean asked. "Are you in on this?"
Mitch remained silent. However, he parted his jacket far enough to reveal his handgun.
"I can attest to his innocence," Methaeus said. "He's been with us the whole time. He had many chances to kill us and didn't. As a matter of fact, I was playing chess with him alone for hours last night."
Dean shot a glare at Methaeus but said no more.
"I'm going now," he said.
He looked back at the children before stepping out. He would only be gone for a few minutes. They should be fine, especially with Methaeus and Mitch there to keep an eye on them.
"I'll stay here and look after Layota and the children," Methaeus said, noticing the direction of Dean's gaze.
Dean nodded thankfully before stepping outside the guest house. He wasn't surprised that Cait had followed him. Given that everyone seemed to distrust her, he didn't want to leave her with them, anyway. What was surprising was Mitch, who had also joined them outside. Dean gave him a questioning look.
"Thought you said I was just running around like a headless chicken?"
"Yes, I did."
"What? Don't tell me you're worried about Matin and his mother, mister arms dealer."
"A client is a client, and a rich client is even more valuable." Mitch replied.
So, it was all about money in the end. Regardless, Dean supposed he could be happy with an extra gun at his side, not that he would let Mitch out of his sight.
Dean saw two trails in the snow leading away from the guest house and towards the library building. He hadn't noticed them when he had arrived, having been too fixated on the open door.
"One of the trails is more recent than the other." Dean observed.
The snow had mostly filled in the other trail, but the one he looked at was still rather deep.
"Makes this an easy job, I suppose," Mitch agreed.
"It's also easier to walk in them!" Cait added unhelpfully.
They set out towards the library, Dean scanning the surroundings as they went. Before long they could hear a sound. It sounded like someone crying. Dean quickened his pace. They soon reached the library building's corner and, behind it, Dean saw Matin on his knees. He was hunched over, sobbing.
Dean rushed over, followed by the others. Marianne was lying on the ground next to Matin. He knelt down next to Matin and took a quick look at Marianne before flinching away. It was hopeless. Her skull had been smashed in, and it looked like every bone in her body was broken. There was blood, yes, but something else was oozing out, something thicker and pinker. Cait shrieked when she saw the remains, covering her eyes and looking away.
Dean looked up the high wall of the library. The building towered above, sheltering them from most of the snow. She must have fallen from the roof to end up in this state.
"Dammit!" Dean screamed.
Why had this happened to her? She wasn't the easiest person to like, but she didn't deserve this. She had always acted like an aunt to him, always showing him kindness and hospitality whenever she could. Sure, she was greedy, but she also loved her son very much. What was Matin going through now? Dean couldn't even imagine. He looked down at the two once more.
Marianne, her once proud and even haughty stature, had been replaced with that of a broken rag doll. She looked older in death than she had in life. Matin's eyes were wide as he looked down at his mother. It was doubtful he had even noticed Dean's arrival.
Marianne was gone. She was never coming back. There would be no second chances. Dean bit his lip. He walked a few steps away into the snow, the cold all but forgotten, and there he stood. The sound of Matin's sobbing ringing in his ears.
"Look everybody! The Saviour's words ring true. She has fallen to her death, just like he said!"
Dean turned around and was shocked to see a massive crowd approaching them from the front entrance of the library. At their head were Maria, who had spoken, and Nicolas. Nicolas stared coldly at Matin and Marianne. He looked even paler than usual, which gave him a ghostly appearance. Dean could hear whispers among the crowd. They sounded in awe. Eventually, cries of triumph could be heard.
"The greedy witch is dead."
"She's been judged just as Nicolas, I mean the savior, said."
"He was right!"
"It's the Goddesses' punishment!"
"She got what she deserved."
Dean felt heat rising to his head. He'd failed to protect yet another person. Now, these people were gloating about it!
He took a few steps towards the crowd, raised his rifle and-
He was met with the muzzles of multiple rifles and shotguns. The crowd was armed, and they stepped forward to defend Nicolas. A hopeless standoff ensued. They looked to be just as unfamiliar with weapons as he was, and they seemed to be unsteady on their feet. Even so, with that many guns pointing at him, he didn't stand much of a chance regardless of their lack of skill. Next to him, Mitch stood calmly. He hadn't even reached for his handgun yet.
Dean's muscles froze. His rage immediately quelled in the face of certain death.
Shoot you coward!
Despite trying to tell himself what to do, his finger would not budge. He was going to die here.
Someone stood in front of him. It was Cait.
"Don't hurt him," she yelled, holding out her arms.
"Cait, no. Get out of the way!" Dean yelled.
He tried to move to the left and get a better shot at Nicolas, but Cait reacted fast and he couldn't get around her.
Dean could hear the clicking sounds of the guns as they prepared to fire.
Nicolas calmly held up his hand.
"Stand down. Don't you dare shoot them." He said in a commanding voice Dean had never heard before.
The young men and women who had been ready to shoot Cait and Dean looked at Nicolas in confusion.
"Nic-, I mean. My savior, he's on their side. Surely we can't just leave them like this?"
Words of agreement echoed, some even raised their guns once more.
"They are not our targets. We're only after the leaders, remember?" Nicolas replied.
"But my savior, he's pointing a gun at-"
The young man spoke no further. Maria, who had suddenly appeared behind him, slashed his back with a knife, and the young man went down screaming.
"What did I say about questioning the savior, you piece of shit?" She growled.
The young man rolled around in pain. The cut looked deep enough to hurt but probably wasn't lethal. However, Maria looked about ready to finish the job. Nicolas looked at Maria with a mixture of tired disapproval and frustration.
"Maria, what did I tell you about harming people like that?"
"All I do, I do for you, my savior!" Maria said with a wide smile, all hostility instantly vanishing. Her eyes remained wide and unnerving, however. She stepped away from the injured man with a hop and stood beside Nicolas.
"Maria, what the hell happened to you?" Dean whispered, unable to raise his voice.
"Aim your guns at the red haired boy and the arms dealer." Nicolas commanded.
The crowd did as instructed, and now Matin and Mitch were staring down the barrels of their guns.
"Shoot me, and they're next. Now lower your gun, Dean."
He didn't want to lose yet another friend. Dean did as he was told immediately. Satisfied, Nicolas stepped forward and looked down at Marianne before turning back to the crowd.
"That's the second one down! Well done everyone. The Goddess' prediction has all but been confirmed. Now, only one remains!"
There were mad cheers of exaltation from the crowd, primarily led by Maria who was practically jumping up and down in excitement.
"With this, we are one step closer to reaching our new lives! No more will we be hidden away on this cold mountain. We will finally find true happiness!"
Nicolas, who had been so quiet and reserved before, spoke loudly and clearly as he addressed the crowd. His voice was like thunder, and it echoed across the yard. It reminded Dean of Oscar. How could someone so frail produce that kind of voice?
Spurred on by Maria, the crowd grew even more excited the more Nicolas spoke.
"There is more work to be done. The Goddess requires one more sacrifice before our new lives can begin. All you need to do is remain faithful."
Nicolas looked once more at Marianne's corpse and sneered.
"That one was for mother." He whispered.
Matin, who'd finally pulled his eyes away from his mother's body, stared at Nicolas as he approached. He looked like he wanted to say something but didn't have the breath or the strength to say it.
Nicolas, on the other hand, casually approached Marianne and without a single ounce of hesitation, kicked her. Again and again. More blood and innards scattered on the ground.
Matin screamed. Getting to his feet, he lunged at Nicolas only to be caught by the collar by Maria. She twisted him around effortlessly and delivered a punch to his abdomen.
"That's for knocking me out from behind earlier." She said mockingly.
Matin fell to his knees, winded.
"Matin!" Dean yelled, rushing over to his friend.
Matin was on the ground, a choked sob slipping past his lips.
"What...what was it all for?" He groaned.
Dean took his friend in his arms and hugged him tightly. He didn't know what else to do.
"Oh my, how pathetic. What's a mother's boy without his mother?" Maria teased.
Dean shot her a hateful glare, but it bounced off as if it meant nothing.
"Honestly, I don't know why you're crying so much. This is probably the best thing that's ever happened to you Matin, Congrats!" Maria yelled, clapping her hand enthusiastically. "Now you're an orphan, like Nick and me! Although you might be a bit old..."
Nicolas grimaced and sniffed.
"It's beginning to stink out here. Let's leave her to rot. We have preparations to make."
"Oh, is it time for the party?" Maria asked.
Nicolas turned around and walked away.
"Not yet, but don't worry, it will start, and end, soon."
"I can't wait!"
Dean and the others watched as the cult members departed. Some kept their guns trained on Matin and Mitch as Nicolas and Maria sauntered away.
"Nicolas!" Dean shouted.
Both Nicolas and Maria turned to face him. Dean had no idea what he was going to say. In a way, he didn't want them to leave. He needed answers, yes, but a part of him imagined breaking their faces with the butt of his rifle. These last few days had certainly broken him.
"What happened to you both? Why are you doing this? Why did you attack the orphanage of all places?" he asked, his voice cracking slightly with heartbreak.
Even with the lives of the others still threatened, all he could do was ask stupid questions. Confusion clouded Nicolas' face for a moment.
"The orphanage — we didn't..."
"The savior doesn't have time to chat with a coward who can't do anything but run away." Maria interrupted. "We're setting ourselves free while making sure some people get what's coming to them. It really couldn't be easier to understand."
Having finished what she was saying, Maria grabbed Nicolas by the hand and started leading him away. However, as she was walking away, she looked towards Cait and, noticing her for the first time, contorted her face in an expression of anger.
Soon after, the young men who had been aiming their guns at them slowly backed away and left, leaving a silenced group behind.
Mitch, who'd been silent the whole time, acting almost like a spectator, grunted a short, mirthless laugh.
"You rural folk have some strange ideas, don't you?"
Nobody seemed to share his humor in the situation. Still holding a distraught Matin in his arms, Dean looked up at the arms dealer.
"Don't speak like this doesn't involve you. You're the ones who put those guns in their hands in the first place."
Mitch looked down at him, his lips drawn in a straight line, displaying no obvious emotions.
"It was Oscar Durin who I sold those weapons to. What happens after that is no longer my concern."
"Why did you even join us?" Dean hissed.
Mitch shrugged his shoulders.
"With how fired up you were, I thought I'd get to see some of my merchandise in action. Sadly, it seemed like you and that crazed doomsayer are both true cowards at heart."
Coward, that word once again. If he hadn't tried to escape down the mountain, would Marianne still be alive?
He looked up at the tall library building. She couldn't have committed suicide. As much as her attitude towards her son annoyed him, he knew that she wanted to see him succeed more than anything else. Killing herself now made no sense whatsoever.
It was Nicolas and Maria. It must have been. He predicted the deaths, and now he was making them look like some divine will was exerting its influence. All the while he was probably having his followers kill people in the shadows. Addi, Oscar, Rosetta and now Marianne. He had killed all four without lifting a finger, and with no police to do detective work, it was almost impossible to prove his guilt. It had to be him. Him and Maria. Dean gripped the hunting rifle tightly as these thoughts ran rampant inside his head.
After a while, Dean began to feel the cold once again. His fingers, which were uncovered, were bright red and he could no longer feel the fabric of Matin's clothes. Speaking of Matin, he wore only a light sweatshirt and jeans. The man must have been half frozen to death.
"Come on, let's get back to the guest house."
"I...don't want to leave her. Please let me stay. I'll follow you soon enough, I, I promise." Matin moaned.
"I know how you feel, but if you stay out here, you'll die too. I'm not letting anyone else die."
"We can't just leave her here! Please, just let me take her with me!" Matin screamed.
"We can't do anything right now. Come on!"
Matin resisted fiercely. His friend's sudden strength surprised Dean. Eventually, Mitch stepped forward.
"I will take her to the graveyard chapel. You take the young man back inside."
Mitch knelt down and scooped Marianne into his arms. He was surprisingly respectful given his previous behavior.
"Good idea," Dean turned to Matin. "Come on, let's get you somewhere warm."
With one last sad look, Matin finally let himself be brought back to the guest house, all the while muttering questions and curses. It would probably take a long time to get any sensible information from him. Cait, who followed beside them, had a look of concern on her face.
The three made their way back to the guest house, feet feeling even heavier than before. He had to hurry. Matin's fingers and nose had grown purple in the cold, and he would likely suffer for spending too much time outside.
The rifle slung across Dean's back was feeling heavier with each passing step. Somewhere deep down, he knew there'd be no peace until Nicolas and Maria were dead. Nobody was coming to save them, and escape was impossible. Was there no other way to save those who remained? He could only grit his teeth as circumstances continued to force him down a dark path.