Astraea

"What have you found out?" Briony asked as soon as they were seated on the work desk at the center of their 'private space'.

When Briony and Brylee entered the house, their mother immediately greeted them and told them that Bell, Brina, and Bianca were in the 'private space'. And they eventually know what it means.

Though their mother doesn't really know the real meaning. They only thought that it was some kind of a secret bonding between the girls.

When they entered the room, Bell, Brina, and Bianca were already there discussing things.

Bell raised her head to look at Briony. "Are you sure that the woman you met at the convent is Torin's sister?" She asked coldly.

"Uhm...not 100% sure. But why would she say that she is Torin Wald's sister when she is not. Who would associate themselves with a person like Torin Wald? And besides, we didn't see anyone in the convent that could be Torin's sister except her." Briony replied with a frown.

"Which is suspicious, don't you think so?" Bell said with a deeper frown.

"Yeah, we thought of that as well," Brylee said. "It was kind of suspicious because according to Brina, there were 25 nuns and 3 helpers there yet we didn't see at least one of them except Meredith."

"Hmm..." They watched as Bell sunk back into her seat and contemplated.

Brylee looked at Bianca. "What happened?" She asked.

"The man that we encountered today said that Torin went to see his sister near the harbor." Bianca timidly said.

"The harbor?" Brylee said then she looked at Briony.

"Brina, how did you know that there were 25 nuns and 3 helpers in the convent?" Bell asked in a cold tone.

"I hacked into the village's system. It is recorded in their data." She said behind her laptop. Having a photographic memory that is beyond normal, Brina could easily learn a lot of things and the first thing that she mastered after being a bounty hunter is hacking into various private systems seeing that it would be helpful.

She learned to hack in just one day and mastered it within a week. Her sisters know how to hack as well but nobody does it better than Brina.

"Although Meredith didn't directly say it, she gives us a hint that Torin might return to their house near the harbor. And the man that you encountered today said that Torin went to his sister in the harbor. It seems..." Brylee trailed.

"Torin had been expecting this. He knows that Iris would send someone to hunt him. He knows that we will see his sister in the convent and that we will visit his apartment and neighborhood to find information." Bell said more to herself but her sisters could hear her.

"He intentionally provides us with wrong information. Did he want us to go and find him at the harbor?" Briony said and looked at everyone solemnly.

"Seems like it." Brylee shrugged her shoulders.

Bell smirk. "He's toying with us? Then he'll get the fun he wanted." Bell said in an icy tone.

"Brina, can't you really find any pictures of Meredith Wald?" Bell looked at Brina and asked.

Brina shook her head. "I tried multiple times but failed. Do you think that the Meredith Wald that Brylee and Briony met at the convent is not the real Meredith Wald?"

"I'm sure of it," Bell replied with certainty.

"I think so too. The woman we met at the convent doesn't have any resemblance to Torin Wald." Brylee said and nodded her head.

"Can you find any real-time footage of the convent?" Bell asked.

"As I've said, there were no CCTV cameras around the convent. The place is so isolated and hidden. But I could try and hack the government's satellite imaging system to get a real-time intelligent video of the convent." Brina said.

"Could you do it now?" Brylee asked with anticipation.

Brina pushed her wide-rimmed glasses up her nose and nodded her head. " Yes, I can. Just give me a minute." She said then she lowered her head on her laptop.

A minute is too long because Brina did it in just a matter of seconds. But Brina looked at them regretfully and showed them the monitor of her laptop.

"Most parts of the convent are covered with trees. We will not be able to see anything except those that come and go in the convent." Bianca voiced out her observation.

Brylee cocked her head and said with a grin, "Welcome to the club, little sister."

"She's right," Bell looked at Bianca then to Brina. "Still, keep on watching the place. How about the harbor?"

"I've already looked up to it. There were CCTV cameras around, but I'll use the satellite for a better image." Brina worked on her laptop with her finger then after a couple of seconds, she turned it around for her sisters to see.

"We just have to find out which house," Brina said.

Brylee looked at her quizzically. "Can't you just look it up in their system?"

Brina shook her head. "I already did as soon as you returned yesterday and told me about the possibility that he is at the harbor. But I didn't find any house that was registered or rented out to the Walds in their record. It seems like they just squatted there."

"Oh..."

Then they all fell silent. They were devising their plan in their head.

After a while, Brylee broke the silence. " Uhm...you know, I can always come back to the convent without them noticing me." Then she looked at Bianca. "With Briony, of course." She added with an awkward smile.

Bell sighs exasperatedly. "Okay." Then she looked at Bianca. "Do you have classes tomorrow?" She asked.

Bianca shook her head.

"Good, we are going to the harbor. We'll set early." Bell said indifferently.

"So, how were your lessons with Bell?" Brylee playfully asked Bianca.

"I am sure it is fruitful," Briony commented.

"She'll definitely learn a lot from Bell," Brina added.

"A lot of violence, you say." Brylee teased, making everyone laugh except Bell who is glaring at them murderously.

"So, have you kicked a man in his gut?" Briony continued to inquire.

"Or his crotch?" Brylee said with a giggle.

Bianca just smiled and shook her head. If there is anything she learned from Bell in their two days hunt was to be fearless. And of course, Bell's lesson one and that seems important lesson number two.

It was not too long until they heard a knock on their door.

"Girls, dinner is ready." They heard their mother say,

"Coming mom!" It was Briony who replied.

The girls started to leave the study room one by one.

When they reached the dining room, they found their parents already seated. But they were not alone.

"Oh, you have a visitor?" Briony said looking at her parents then she looked at the visitor with a smile.

"Yes, sweetheart. Everyone, take your place." Rowan said motioning them to sit down.

"Girls, this is Colonel Xander Vos. He was one of my people when I was still in the military. He is here for a visit." Rowan introduced the man who is staring intently at Bell.

Colonel Xander Vos is without a doubt a striking and strapping man with a deadly stare that could match or even surpass that of Bell or Lorcan. His face is clean, well-proportioned, and hard. His body is lean, straight, and hot under that white shirt and navy blue jacket.

He looks to be the same age or younger than their Uncle Lorcan.

Bell averted her eyes and concentrated on the food that is served in front of her which was probably cooked by Daniella.

"Xander, these are my daughters." Rowan looked at Xander then at Bell. "My eldest Bellona, followed by Brylee, my twins, Briony and Brina, and my youngest Bianca." Rowan introduced them with pride.

Bell just glanced at him and nodded her head.

Brylee, who is sitting in front of Xander smiled at him before glancing at Bell.

Briony, being a social butterfly smiled and said, "It's nice to meet you, Colonel Xander Vos."

While Brina and Bianca just timidly smiled at him.

"You have met them before, right?" Daniella asked Xander to make the girls except for Bell look at her.

"He did?" Briony asked with curiosity.

"Yeah, I guess. During General Villan's retirement party. Except for your eldest." He said in his deep, masculine voice. A small smile appeared on his lips.

"Oh, right," Daniella said as if remembering something. "Where were you then, sweetheart?" She asked looking at Bell but Brylee was the one to answer.

"Bell was on a vacation," Brylee said because she was sure that Bell would not answer. Bell was actually on a hunt at that time. The retirement party was a surprise one that was prepared by their father's friends in the military that is why Bell was not informed and therefore wasn't able to attend.

"Bell?" Bell heard her name from Xander's lips and it made her uncomfortable.

"Short for Bellona. You know, mom, didn't actually like the meaning of her real name which is 'violent' so she nicknamed her Bell meaning, beauty." Briony explained which Bell finds unnecessary.

"Oh, well, that explains it," Xander said with a smirk.

"Explains what?" Rowan asks.

"The names, I mean," Xander replied.

Bell raised her eyes only to be met with Xander's. Something tells her that this man means trouble.