The Dread Knight's Rage

Giselle and Yari only got to fly around a bit more than halfway to their destination before it was time for them to slip back into the carriage.

With Raidis no doubt still slinking around the human realm, excessive exposure was the very last thing that the girls needed at the moment.

They landed on top of the carriage soundlessly. Yari stretched her beautiful body as she let out a sigh of true contentment.

"Ever since I woke up earlier, I’ve just... I’ve had the most wonderful feeling of bliss within my body. If the dark fae feel like this all of the time, I must know why they are not more cheerful."

Giselle landed beside her sister, still a bit restless and nowhere near as giddy.

"It might have something to do with them being driven out by the very same people they were created to protect because of impulses they could not control."

"...Oh. Right."

Giselle rolled her eyes as she pinched her sister on the butt, which was noticeably rounder than before.

"Besides, not all of them have a pair of puppy-eyed lovers willing to wait on them hand and foot... The noises I heard you three making an hour ago will haunt me for the rest of my days... And I am certain that our actual mother and father were not in that room with you, by the way!"

Yari started to punch her sister in the nose for touching her when her words finally settled in.

"Are you experiencing memory issues..? I haven’t been intimate with my loves since this morning."

"It is you who is having the memory issues, sunseed." Giselle tapped her sister’s head. "We all sat in the living room listening to those beastly noises the three of you made in uncomfortable silence! The only one who seemed to be amused was Lioraeth!"

At any other time, embarrassment would have been the first thing on Yari’s mind. But just this once, curiosity had replaced it.

She did not remember sleeping with Jiaoying and Solomon a second time that day. The only thing she recalled was a pleasant dream of a rather explicit nature.

Giselle watched her sister’s face slowly turn beet red.

"Ringing a bell?"

Yari didn’t answer her sister immediately; instead, she moved to open the hatch on top of the carriage.

"My loves, did we-"

"DARLING!!! Look!!"

The first thing Yari saw was Jiaoying holding Bansha up obsessively, as if she were some sort of living miracle.

Yari and Giselle tilted their heads.

"Treats!"

Both women nearly fainted when a small, distinctly childish voice came out of their furry companion.

As amazed as she was, Yari was under absolutely no illusions about what this development meant for their future.

-

"Treat?"

"Well... Since you asked so politely."

Solomon smiled like a proud father as he started to cut three smaller pieces out of a cinnamon roll.

He turned the plate to offer some to his adorable little hound when Jiaoying suddenly picked up the plate.

"As adorable as she is, I really don’t think we should just be feeding her extremely sugary pastries just because she knows how to ask nicely."

Jiaoying suddenly felt a small paw rest on her stomach.

She glanced down, finding the small pooch staring up at her pitifully.

"...Treat?"

Jiaoying’s lip crinkled as she slowly placed the plate down.

"Just... try not to eat too fast, little angel."

Bansha tucked in gleefully, meanwhile everyone else watched her from around Jiaoying’s kitchen table. All of them were displaying some level of awe.

Dakota’s heart had restarted and stopped again several times already. Nila and Everett were honestly starting to get a bit concerned.

"So, let me see if I have our agenda correct- in addition to finding an explanation for why my sister and I have turned into dark fae, these four have to reach the second stage of Will, and now we also have to figure out why this adorable pooch can talk." Giselle listed off their plans as if she were planning to put them on a calendar.

"Solomon has to make friends too.." Dakota responded robotically.

"All while we hide from a powerful maniac as well." Everett raised his hand. "Can’t forget about the super dangerous part of all this."

At that moment, Ryth entered the dining room carrying a silver tray with tea and coffee.

"Worry not, dear guests. Since the last incident, the house has been repaired with certain... uninvited parties in mind."

Jiaoying placed her hand on her attendant’s shoulder. "I appreciate that, Ryth, but I’ve decided we’re going to stay at the castle for a while. It’ll be far safer there."

The presence of a being dubbed the world’s most monstrous would surely help deter the schemes of one old man.

Or at least, that was the hope...

"If it helps, I’m not actually all that interested in knowing why my little one can suddenly talk." Solomon smiled affectionately as he scratched between the hound’s ears. "I’ve always known she was smart enough.

Raizel laughed mockingly. "Your little one can only say a single word. I’d hardly call her a genius."

Bansha turned to the walking miracle and growled.

"Treats... Bitch!"

The entire table burst into a round of applause, much to Raizel’s annoyance.

"As much as I’d like to go and hunker down in a big castle for the time being..."

Everett stood up from the table, his handsome smile noticeably more bashful than normal.

"I think I should... go home and see my folks for a bit. Just to get some kind of clarity, you know?"

Solomon started to speak, but all of his words remained stuck just on the tip of his tongue.

There was an existing concern that Everett would be captured if he were to travel alone. Surely, his home would be one of the first places someone like the Dean would have tried to look for one of his missing students.

But Solomon had also seen the rather uncomfortable farewell between Everett and Lioraeth. There was a hug, but it seemed somewhat strained. As if they were not sure whether or not it would be the last one they shared.

This seemed to bother Lioraeth more than Everett, but she did not make a fuss. Perhaps even she was capable of realizing that it might place unnecessary pressure on the boy.

If nothing else, Lioraeth was a thoughtful individual. And Everett was already building a rather positive impression of her for all of the help she had extended toward him and his siblings.

Solomon let out a puff of air through his nose.

"Alright, just... be careful, will you? I’d ask which of us you want to take with you, but..."

Everett smiled.

"I pride myself on not needing a babysitter. Besides, I’m immortal now, right? What’s the worst that can happen?"

The entire table seemed to go silent as the rest of the horsemen stared at each other.

Nila and Raizel sighed at the same time, rising to their feet.

"...I’ll just go with him."

"As will I."