A/N: This chapter has officially become the longest chapter that I've written so far for this fanfic. This turned out a lot longer than I'd initially planned, as I was hoping to finally use this chapter to spoil you readers on elements of Emilia's backstory. However, due to its length, I've decided to leave that reveal for the next chapter. On the plus side, you get some spoilers for Peter, so it's not all in vain. XD Thank you to everyone who has read and followed this fanfic. And a special thank you to the one reviewer who reviewed the last chapter shortly after it had gone up. It was refreshing to wake up to. But I hope you enjoy this next instalment. Be sure to read the author's notes at the bottom of the chapter once you've finished, as I've mentioned important information I can't place here due to spoilers.

Chapter 14: Ties That Bind

With the majority of the villagers currently preoccupied with the Demon Triad, it didn't take long for me and Viola to return to the entrance of the village. Despite how unfortunate the circumstances were, it had worked in our favour in making the village scarce enough so we could keep a better eye out for Peter. The entire walk back towards the entrance my eyes were scanning every front garden for any sign of his messy locks, every alleyway for any sign of his baggy clothes, every abandoned market stall for any sign of his silly grin, all in case he was hiding somewhere else instead of where we agreed to meet. But I was met with nothing every single time.

'Come on, Peter. Where are you?'

I was naturally filled with growing dread each time I failed to see any sign of him, which contributed to the anxious thoughts swirling around in my head. If Peter already knew about his grandparents and was wandering around in a grief-stricken state, he was susceptible to dark thoughts. And for a happy little guy like him, that wasn't a good thing, especially with the Demon Triad running around. The last thing I wanted was for them to try to use him to get to me, given the extremes they'd already gone to by killing off an elderly couple connected to him and making it look like an accident. I could only hope I got to him in time before either he did something he was going to regret, or before the Demon Triad got to him first.

When Viola and I finally reached the village entrance, I had been expecting to see Peter stood waiting for me looking like the life had been sucked out of him, more so than usual due to his sickly appearance. Instead, I found myself coming to a sudden stop a small distance away at the sight of a familiar looking back of a dark blue surcoat (and a long-sleeved white shirt and a light blue sleeveless vest underneath it) and black trousers of a tall man standing in his place, facing away from me. From out of the corner of my eye, I saw Viola come to a sudden stop at my side upon sighting the man before us, her lone eye growing wide with alarm. It was obvious she sensed the potential danger based on my reaction.

"So, you've finally decided to emerge from your hiding place," the familiar deep voice said, leading its owner to slowly turn around to face us whilst reaching a gloved hand up to move through short, dark blue strands. "You chose the wrong time to appear, but I suppose in your case it always is the wrong time."

My shoulders stiffened as my gaze locked with his dark blue eyes, further confirming my suspicions. Like his sister I had not seen him since a couple of months ago, but he appeared just as stoic as all the other times I'd happened to see him. I briefly glanced away to look at Viola when I felt cold fingers grip at my right arm, seeing her clinging onto me and scowling his way. But she didn't have anything to worry about. If he was after me, he would have struck by now.

"… Hello, Oleander," I said, prompting Viola to look at me with her eye wide and her mouth gaped open. "I bumped into Charlotte a moment ago. I'm surprised she never recognised my face. Looks like you chose to keep the secret from your sister about seeing me that day."

Oleander showed no reaction to my response from what I could see from the corner of my eye, only glancing between me and where he probably thought Viola was stood as the latter turned her head in between us once with a confused blink. He was observant enough to realise there was a spirit there, even if he himself couldn't see them.

"You know how she is. She goes to great lengths just to please the old man, whereas I honestly couldn't care what he thinks of me." His eyes drooped a little. "With or without the abilities of the unholy, I am a natural failure in both his eyes and hers. So why should I allow my sister to give the old coot what he wants? But I assume you've already worked out I was not co-operating with the Demon Triad due to how long it took them to track you to here."

I shrugged my shoulders. "I always thought you were acting a little strange whenever I saw you. The fact that you even let me get away on purpose that day was enough of an indication, to be honest."

"Emilia, why are you being so casual with him? Isn't he with the Demon Triad?" Viola asked, her tone filled with a mixture of confusion and worry.

"Relax, Vi. It's not what you think." I paused to turn my gaze in Oleander's direction before continuing. "He happened to give me unexpected help in evading the Demon Triad a couple of months back. He's not on my side, but he's not on the side of the Demon Triad, either."

"You have a spirit with you, I take it?" Oleander enquired, his eyes locking with where I had been formerly looking at Viola, causing her to tighten her grip on my arm.

Despite my reassurances, she appeared to be intimidated by him. I couldn't blame her. When it came down to appearance and poise, Oleander was considered to be the spitting image of his father. This was enough of an illusion for people to assume he was his father's pride and joy, but sadly Charlotte topped him due to possessing the powers he lacked.

"He can't see you, Viola. You're fine."

I waited until Viola let out a small sigh of relief and finally let go of me before I made to respond to Oleander, who was allowing this to go on despite how strange it probably looked to him.

"She's been acting as my guide. It's not like I've got anyone else on my side at the moment, being the evil witch and all…" I frowned after using sarcasm. "But your presence here is something to question. Based on how you were standing, you've obviously been expecting me to show up."

"Very perceptive of you," Oleander mumbled, turning his head to glance behind him towards the direction of the forest. "You're looking for the little Chandler boy, aren't you?"

My eyes widened at the question out of surprise, but not because he knew about Peter and that I was looking for him. After all, Peter had already told me people in black cloaks and silver eye masks had attempted to chase him towards the Witch's House the second time he reappeared. There was no doubting that those people were definitely with the Demon Triad, as it connected with recent events and explained them so easily. My reaction was more so based on suspecting why he had asked me the question.

"… Have they taken him?"

Oleander focused back on me with a furrowed brow, placing a hand to his hip as he did so. "What do you think?"

Placing a hand to my forehead, I closed my eyes and turned my head away, shaking it in disbelief. I had suspected this to be likely from the start, but naturally I didn't want it to be true. Sadly, it appeared that I was right, and I suspected this had something to do with the witch hunters Peter ran from when he returned to apologise to me.

"… Are they using Peter to get to me?"

"Surprisingly, no. Although, I can understand why you would come to such a conclusion."

My eyes opened in surprise at his prompt response and forced my gaze to turn back to Oleander, who had closed his eyes now.

"No?" I repeated out of shock, causing Oleander to nod.

"No."

I blinked in surprise again as confusion began to settle in at this declaration made by Oleander. There were multiple reasons I had in mind as to why the Demon Triad would target Peter, but I had assumed the most likely scenario was in connection with him getting involved with me. However, I knew very little of Peter's background other than what Viola had already told me. And with the information I already had of both the Demon Triad and Peter, there was only one other conclusion I could come to regarding Peter's abduction.

'He couldn't be, could he…? Then again, the Demon Triad have been known to try to wipe out anything and anyone connected to those affiliated with them to remove any trace of their group from this world. That's why they allowed the villagers to kill Father. That's why they killed Mother. So, if Peter's grandparents became casualties in this mess, then…'

"… Is he… one of the duds?" I asked, my voice cracking as I tried to get the words out despite my doubt.

Oleander opened his eyes and stared my way for a moment in silence at my question, with Viola staying silent and listening to our conversation so she could follow it as best as she could. It wasn't long, however, before Oleander turned away from us and removed his hand from his hip.

"Follow me to the boy and I shall tell you if you're right. We do not have much time. Who knows how long that fire will keep my dear sister occupied."

I briefly glanced towards Viola when Oleander started his walk towards the forest, seeing her looking my way with a confused frown. I was quick to wrap my left arm around her shoulders and pull her forward with me when I began my walk to follow Oleander, offering her a brief smile of reassurance as she stumbled a little before regaining her footing.

"I promise I'll elaborate on everything later, Vi. I'll probably need to speak with Peter about this anyway when we find him. For now, you're just going to have to trust me."

I picked up the pace in my walking so that Viola and I were walking in line with Oleander on his left side, leaving me to glance his way and take notice of how close he and I were in terms of height. We had a ten-year age gap, with mine and Charlotte's being thirteen. And yet the latter was only three inches taller, with the former only being two. I'd always found it strange, but I suppose that was where my genetics played a part. My mother had once said I was quite tall for my age.

"… You can probably imagine that Father was not happy when your mother fled with you all those years ago," Oleander said, prompting my eyes to droop.

"Naturally."

"And, of course, seeing Father so irritated always prompts Charlotte to do reckless things."

"As I saw many times whenever my mother left the house…"

"So, you shouldn't be surprised to hear that she attempted to replicate Father's 'experiment' a few years after your mother's escape from the cult."

I came to a sudden stop the moment those words left Oleander's mouth, causing my arm to fall limp and drop away from Viola's shoulders. I was silent as both Viola and Oleander halted upon noticing I was no longer following them, my gaze locking with the former whilst the shock slowly coursed out of my system. I knew exactly what Oleander was talking about, and based on everything I had heard today I could feel the cogs inside my head turning and creating links I hadn't noticed before.

"… Viola, do you know the names of Peter's parents?"

Viola furrowed her brow at me out of concern, but was quick to answer my question with a slight nod regardless.

"I don't know his mother's name, but I heard his father was called 'Adam Chandler'."

I swallowed loudly at feeling the sudden rush of nausea make itself known, catching Viola raising a brow at me out of concern as I placed a hand to my throat. I turned my gaze to Oleander as he watched my reactions without saying a word, feeling the sweat starting to gather on my forehead. My suspicions were becoming reality, and I was struggling to accept it.

"… Please don't tell me Charlotte kidnapped that man and did what I think she did."

The remark left my mouth before I was able to pull myself together, prompting Oleander to give a shrug of his shoulders as I shook my head in disbelief.

"What can I say? The father was an 'Adam'. And the boy does have her eyes."

The confirmation from his words was enough to strengthen the nausea feeling in my throat, prompting me to make retching noises and cover a hand over my mouth. I soon felt Viola at my left side with a hand on my shoulder, her eye wide with shock at my reaction.

"Emilia? Are you okay?"

I nodded a couple of times to reassure her, feeling the sweat starting to stream down the sides of my face. I could only imagine I looked like a ghost at this point.

"I-I'm fine…" I stuttered, my voice hoarse as I paused to take a deep breath and bring in some air through my mouth. "I-I'm okay. I-It's just… the thought of that woman being the one who brought Peter into this world… I feel physically sick just thinking about it."

I was repulsed at the idea of Charlotte being Peter's mother, being as in contrast to her he was much more pleasant in terms of personality. But at the same time I was relieved to know he didn't take after her regarding personality traits. However, I was more focused on the coincidences beginning to pile up between me and Peter now, as it was clear that I was right with my assumption. Charlotte's presence here and the death of the Chandlers was starting to make a little more sense in my head. This was more than just her coming after me.

Taking another deep breath in and out, I moved my hand away from my mouth and glanced at Oleander with a frown. I didn't need to say anything to prompt an explanation out of him. One look at my current expression was enough for Oleander to sigh and reach a hand up to rub at his forehead.

"If you want me to elaborate some more then keep walking. We're wasting precious time for you to save him."

When Oleander turned around and started to walk forward again, I was quick to follow alongside Viola and join him at his side, my frown staying on my face. Oleander didn't say anything to me at first, keeping his gaze fixed ahead of us as we started to exit the village and return to the forest path. But eventually he did prompt himself to.

"… Charlotte abducted Adam Chandler and used him to give birth to the boy you know as 'Peter'. The boy is one of the chosen."

I groaned and lowered my head as I covered my face with my hands, not liking the fact that he had further confirmed my suspicions. But that didn't stop Oleander from continuing with his explanation.

"Shortly after his birth, as your mother did with you, Chandler took his infant son and fled from the Druitt Household. It appears he left the boy in the care of his grandparents and ran away elsewhere to prevent Charlotte from discovering his son's actual location whilst pursuing him, leaving them to move to this village to further protect him. When she realised Chandler's ruse, she killed him in cold blood." I dared to raise my head when Oleander paused briefly to give me a chance to process everything he said. "Although she has been searching for the boy all this time, she was here with the intent to capture you. However, it seems you've unintentionally helped her kill two birds with one stone…"

My shoulders slumped at Oleander's remark, my hand reaching up to place itself on my chest at the slight pang of guilt I could feel beginning to build up. I didn't need to say anything for Viola to know I was blaming myself for had happened, which was further proven when I felt her cold hands on my left upper-arm.

"… So, she killed the Chandlers and took Peter," I concluded, turning my gaze towards the ground and swallowing the bitter taste that came from the words I'd dared to speak.

"… She did," Oleander replied, lowering his voice before continuing. "She had two of our members follow the boy upon growing suspicious of his resemblance to Adam Chandler when he was spotted around the village. They stalked him to his home, murdered the elderly couple when they tried to protect him, and proceeded to knock him out cold before setting the home ablaze, according to their accounts."

The hand over my chest clenched into a fist as I felt it starting to shake, finding myself struggling to accept the scenario presented by Oleander.

'So Peter witnessed their murders…'

"No doubt that's scarred the poor boy…" I mumbled, finally daring to raise my gaze to face Oleander and raising my voice once more. "Does Peter know that Charlotte is his mother?"

"I cannot answer that. Whether the Chandlers told him of his mother's identity is unclear. However…" Oleander paused to briefly focus his gaze on me. "… it would seem my decision of waiting for you to appear was the right decision, after all."

I raised a brow out of confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

"You enquired a moment ago if the boy was 'one of the duds', as you so kindly phrased it. You've obviously acknowledged the idea that despite bearing the mark to summon unholy power, he has become one of the many who have failed to inherit such in the past. That means you've witnessed a scene with him that indicates this."

I nodded to that.

"I have." My eyes briefly turned to Viola walking beside me and staring at the two of us as we talked, still clinging onto my arm. "Viola here has been with me for some of the time I've been in the Witch's House. And since Peter has started hanging around me recently, he never appeared to notice or acknowledge her. In fact, when I told him about my powers he seemed surprised, like he'd never known such abilities existed until that very moment."

I focused my gaze back on Oleander just as he shook his head in dismay at my explanation.

"It would seem that the Chandlers haven't informed him of the Demon Triad, then. Because he was taken from Charlotte whilst still an infant, she was unable to confirm if he had gained the power she possesses. But if you say that the boy hasn't shown any signs of having it…"

"… he's going to end up as a 'sacrificial lamb' when Charlotte confirms it for herself," I finished, gritting my teeth shortly after for a moment to let out some anger before quickly relaxing it again.

"Precisely."

"And yet despite suspecting that, you've still decided to help me rescue your technical nephew. I would have thought you wouldn't care if he became a sacrifice, considering that means your sister's plan initially failed." I paused to smirk. "Unless a certain someone has taken pity on the boy due to their status as a legitimate heir pardoning them from such a vulgar fate…~"

Oleander glanced my way and scowled at my comments, causing my smirk to widen a little out of amusement.

"You can neither confirm nor deny that on my behalf. Even so, do not speak such nonsense."

"Whatever you say…~"

And that was my last sarcastic reply towards Oleander for the time being, as the moment I saw him come to a sudden stop in the middle of the pathway, I, too, stopped and focused my gaze ahead, with Viola following suit and still gripping onto my arm. I hadn't seen Viola's reactions to everything we'd been saying, but I could only imagine she was completely lost regarding what we had been discussing. I was going to have a lot of explaining to do later.

I blinked in surprise to find that Oleander had led us to the border of where the forest started, and had stopped a good distance away from where part of the shrubbery around its outskirts concealed a large, black carriage from view. We currently had a view of the back of the carriage, where two tall figures in black cloaks and silver eye masks stood on either side of a large, brown chest tied down to the back with rope. It didn't take me long to work out what was in the chest and why they were guarding it.

"… Peter's inside the chest, isn't he?" I asked in a whisper, my gaze turning to Oleander as he nodded and reached out a gloved hand to place on my shoulder.

"He is, which is why I need you to pay close attention to what I'm about to say." When I nodded in response to his whispered reply, Oleander leaned in a little closer to my ear. "The boy is tied up and gagged inside the chest, and is being guarded by two members of the Demon Triad who have never seen your face. Because you're already wearing a black cloak and you're lacking a mask, those two are likely to assume you're amongst the newly inducted child members recently put forward from the other noble families involved in the cult."

I frowned in confusion at this.

"Since when did the Demon Triad induct child members from the offspring of the noble families involved in their group?"

"That is how it's always been. Had you remained under Father's watch, you would have become one of them yourself by the age of eleven. And since you happen to be coincidentally wearing the colour cloak the Demon Triad decided would be best to tell the inductees apart from the actual members, it is almost as if you are right at home."

I narrowed my eyes at Oleander's comment as he faintly smirked in amusement, getting his brief moment of satisfaction at teasing me before it faded. Oleander paused to raise his other index finger and point in the direction of the two mentioned members, causing my gaze to follow him.

"When you approach them, they will ask you for the name of the noble house you're from and for you to recite two verses from a specific poem as proof of your alliance. Do you know the answers to give them for both requirements?"

I didn't need to consider if I did or didn't know. My mother had prepared me well using the knowledge father had taught her in the likely case I encountered someone from the Demon Triad and needed to slip by undetected if she wasn't there to help me. She'd told me that my father originally came from a noble family affiliated with the Demon Triad, so he had been well informed on the activities and traditions situated within the group.

"… I believe I do," I answered, causing Oleander to raise a brow out of curiosity as if he was pressing for me to elaborate a little further. "My father kept me and Mother well informed on the subject."

Oleander chuckled in amusement and turned his head away from me slightly at my response, prompting me to scowl out of annoyance.

"What's so funny, Druitt?"

He didn't answer me straight away. Oleander allowed himself a moment to calm down before he let out a small sigh.

"… You really are the spitting image of her, appearance and personality wise." I blinked in surprise at his comment as he turned to face me with a hint of nostalgia evident in his eyes, with me already having a suspicion regarding who he was clearly referring to. "You insist on referring to the man who raised you as your father, even if the two of you held no actual blood ties. But I suppose I cannot fault you for that."

A faint smile was sent my way, prompting my eyes to widen a little out of shock. Oleander and I had only interacted once, but from the times I had observed him and his sister from a distance I had never seen him smile at anyone. I was a little suspicious of his comments about my mother, but I decided not to question them for now. Oleander and Charlotte were closing in on their teenage years around the time my mother had given birth to me, so I didn't doubt that they had encountered each other before her escape from the Demon Triad.

Oleander's smile faded as quickly as it had come, his gaze fixing back in the direction of the carriage as he gave my shoulder a light pat.

"But I don't doubt your words. If you say he kept you well informed, I'll place my trust in that. He was considered to be one of the most reliable allies in Father's eyes."

I was silent as I watched Oleander straighten out his back and remove his hand from my shoulder, turning his body around so that he was facing the way we had just come from and reaching a hand down to open the small sack attached to the belt around his trousers.

"I will try to stall Charlotte for as long as I can, but the rest must be left up to you. I'm sure you can handle yourself just fine, though," he paused to turn his head slightly to face me, a smirk appearing as he held out a gloved hand towards me with a small silver key in between his index finger and thumb. "After all, you did inherit his cunning and witty nature. You wouldn't have gotten this far by yourself otherwise."

I found myself mirroring the smirk being directed my way, giving a stiff nod as I reached out to take the key from his grasp and put it in the pocket of my cardigan. I had a feeling that key was for the chest Peter was being imprisoned in.

Oleander took that as his cue to turn away and begin his walk back down the path towards the village, and I continued to watch him even after my smirk was dropped until he was a good distance away. He held up his gloved left hand as an act of acknowledgement towards me as he did so, with the back facing me.

"Until our paths cross again, Emilia."

I raised a brow as I watched his retreating back disappear into the distance, leaving me to smile in amusement for a brief moment as I turned my head away.

'Heh. I honestly wasn't expecting him to make the effort to use the name my mother gave me. I suspect she might be the reason why he's been helping me, in the end…'

But that was another mystery for another time. Oleander and his somewhat strange motives could wait. I had other pressing matters that needed my attention.

My gaze soon crossed with Viola's, who was staring at me with a confused frown that clearly suggested she had been unable to follow anything Oleander and I had been discussing, hence her silence during our interaction. In response to her current expression I gave a shrug of my shoulders, reaching up both of my hands to fix the sides of my hood and pull it a little further over my face.

"I promise I'll explain everything when we return to the house, Viola. In the meantime, I suggest you stay out of sight until I retrieve Peter. I'm going to try to send them away from the chest and in the direction of the village."

Viola's brow relaxed when she nodded, responding only once I'd turned away and started my walk in the direction of the carriage.

"Got it."

My gaze remained focused on the pair of cloaked individuals as I made my approach through the shrubbery, taking a deep breath in and out through my mouth to keep myself calm as I saw Viola start to turn her head to look around for a suitable hiding place out of the corner of my eye. I'd made sure to tell her what I was going to do so she didn't put herself in their way when she chose to hide. Otherwise, that would have been disastrous on both of our ends.

The two masked figures turned their heads my way the moment I stepped into their view-line after the rustling of the bushes got their attention as I'd stepped my way through them, but I didn't falter, which I was surprised at. Since I was young I had always feared the Demon Triad based on what I'd seen of them and what my parents had told me about them. That fear still stood even after the death of my mother and the anger and grief that I now felt from it. Had the circumstances for this whole situation been different, I wouldn't even be interacting with the Demon Triad right now. I wouldn't have stood up to Charlotte to protect Ellen, and I certainly wouldn't be making an effort now to approach this carriage to rescue Peter from that chest. But it was already evident that Viola and Peter had brought out the empathy I had tried so hard to hide since this whole mess had begun. This was partly my fault, and now I had to try to fix it.

'Remember, Emilia. You're doing this for Peter. You're doing this for Peter.'

By the time I had come to a stop in front of the two taller cloaked figures, I could feel my hands starting to tremble at my sides, my heart pounding hard against the front of my chest loud and clear. I didn't dare glance back to see where Viola had chosen to hide herself. I couldn't risk giving myself and her away if these two members could see her. All I could do was trust that she'd found a suitable hiding spot that wouldn't expose herself, and that this spontaneous plan concocted with some guidance and information from Oleander worked in my favour.

Raising my gaze to glance up at the pair only made the shaking worse, and I was forced to clench my hands into fists in attempt to hide my fear. They were not that much taller than me, but the few inches between us (along with the scowls I could just about make out past the masks) was currently making all the difference. Momentary silence rang around between us before one of them dared to break it.

"… State your business," the shortest of the two (specifically the one to my right) spoke up in a deep but menacingly posh voice, one which caused me to flinch out of surprise.

For a man close enough to my height, he sounded a lot more intimidating than I'd expected from someone who appeared to be from a noble background. But already I could tell by the generic statement used that they were expecting me to prove if I was affiliated with them or not. After all, like Oleander had pointed out about me earlier, anybody can wear a black cloak and pretend to be with the Demon Triad. It was the knowledge they were bothered about, and since they hadn't directly hinted for me to give them my noble family name, I suspected they were waiting for me to recite the first two verses of that specific poem. I knew it word for word, so this was going to be child's play.

Putting my fists behind my back as they continued to tremble a little, I stood up straight and took another quick deep breath in and out through my nose, clearing my throat before speaking due to how dry it suddenly felt. I blamed nerves for that. I'd escaped lucky the first time with Charlotte. Taking a second risk wouldn't guarantee another success.

'You can do this, Emilia. For Peter. For Peter.'

"… 'I was angry with my friend; I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe; I told it not, my wrath did grow.'" The pair's eyes widened in surprise, but I still went on. I wasn't going to stop just because they'd shown the opposite reaction to what I'd been expecting. That would ruin my act. "… 'And I watered it in fears, night and morning with my tears. And I sunned it with smiles, and with soft deceitful wiles.'"

I had to bite the inside of my lip when I was finished as I watched the two cloaked figures turn to stare at each other with shocked blinks, clearly showing that they never expected me to have recited the first two verses without slipping up. They must not have recognised me as anyone they were aware of being amongst the inductees, which was a little worrying… But it's not like I could back out now.

After standing there in deathly silence and feeling my forehead growing damp from the sweat most likely gathering upon it, the pair raised a hand each in front of their mouths to muffle their voices so I couldn't hear the conversation I assumed they were about to have between each other without my input. However, I was still close enough to pick up what they were saying, and thus chose to listen without showing any outward reaction that gave me away.

"She recited the first two verses of 'A Poison Tree' so confidently and on prompt," the tallest of the pair said in a whisper, the high range and posh accent suggesting it was a female group member who also came from a wealthy background. "She must be one of us."

"I wouldn't be too hasty," the shorter man paused to briefly glance my way before looking back at his companion. "She might have recited the poem correctly, but this is the first time I've seen someone looking like her amongst the recent new arrivals. And if I remember rightly, none of them were assigned to this area due to the severity of the mission."

"Then what do you propose we do? Send her away?"

"Don't be daft! The mistress will have our heads if she knows we let a potential spy get away with some of our secrets! Let me handle this. I know how to make sure if she is part of the inductees or not."

When the female group member gave a stiff nod, the pair lowered their hands back to their sides in sync and turned to face me once more, prompting me to swallow as quietly as I could due to nerves. I was under suspicion now, which wasn't good in the slightest. And the worst part was I could do nothing but continue with my farce. I was already in too deep the moment the poem verses left my mouth.

My gaze focused on the cloaked man on my right when he fidgeted a little as if to prepare to address me, leaving me to mentally prepare myself for what was to come. I was hoping I could succeed in bluffing my way through this for Peter's sake.

"From which noble house do you fall under?"

The former surname my father had abandoned was quick to spring to mind seconds after the question was asked, allowing me to respond promptly and without hesitation.

"Normandy."

Both cloaked figures visibly gaped with horror when the surname left my lips, but the woman on my left was quick to recover and narrow her eyes at me.

"… Normandy, you say? The noble house who formerly served the Druitt family?"

I nodded once in response despite the suspicion and doubt I could hear in her tone. I was determined to push forward with my answer, even if the risks of being exposed were high. Although, I had to admit that I had been unaware of the fate of the Normandys within the Demon Triad. Naturally, abandoning the group had left both Father and Mother out of the loop regarding what had happened over the last sixteen years, so all I could do was rely on the knowledge they'd already had and hoped the Demon Triad continued to stick to their traditions and rituals without change.

The woman turned her gaze to the man to my right. "Weren't they demoted to the lower ranks years ago to forbid them from partaking in the rituals and activities of the group anymore? I'm sure it had something to do with one of the current Lord's sons..."

The man gave a stiff nod, a scowl becoming present and visible from just behind his mask.

"I believe you're referring to 'Julius Normandy'; the one who betrayed our leader and fled with that wench to who-knows-where."

I clenched my jaw as I felt the anger within me at the comment starting to bubble in the pit of my chest, attempting to suppress any urge to scream down his insults by keeping my mouth closed. Instead, I exerted my rage through the thoughts in my head.

'That 'wench' was my mother, you insufferable pig!'

"But yes, they were demoted to the lower ranks sixteen or so years ago," he continued, prompting his eyes to narrow at me out of suspicion as well. "And last I recall the current offspring of the Normandy didn't include a daughter..."

The anger within me was quelled when his suspicions were made clear to my face, causing me to gulp quietly. I could feel the sweat dripping down the sides of my face now as I dug my fingers further into my palms, my mind scrambling for an excuse I could give which was convincing enough.

'Come on, Emilia. Just remember what they told you. Father and Mother prepared you for this. You've got nothing to fear.'

The response left my mouth before I had a chance to stop it, my panic having pushed forward a specific surname which I felt I needed to use.

"I- I- I'm not actually from the current offspring of the Normandys. In fact, I'm from their cousin family; the Lincrofts."

I'd remembered my father once telling me that the surname we had stemmed from his other relatives who lived far away from the area we had chosen to settle in. They weren't involved with the Demon Triad and weren't as well-known as other noble families, so I knew I could play it safe here. I could see now why my father had chosen to undertake 'Lincroft' as a fake alias. Not to mention my father was well educated enough to teach me for the first seven years of my life at an advanced level, so my manner of speech could easily help me to pass off as someone from nobility. Of course, this was also a double-edged sword sometimes, as it made me recognisable to the Demon Triad as a young girl who dressed the opposite to how she spoke.

The two cloaked figures were silent for a moment when the explanation was given, their current expressions remaining as if they distrusted my words. When the silence had dragged on long enough, the man on the right dared to relax his expression, a hand reaching up to rub at the tip of his bare chin. It was common for the male participants of the Demon Triad to shave their facial hair so all members, whether male or female, would look very similar to avoid one culprit from being recognised by the public; another fact my mother had once imparted to me from my father that I had been reminded of because of his action.

"The Lincrofts?"

"Yes, sir," I answered, straightening out my shoulders a little more before continuing with my farce. "My dear grandfather recommended me to Miss Druitt as a trial tester for the Normandys to return to the Demon Triad's higher ranks. I have only just arrived to this village today, but I have been working closely with Miss Druitt as her personal messenger to work my way up and prove my loyalty. She sent me here to impart such to you, actually, and claims it to be urgent."

It took all of my willpower not to twitch at allowing the title of 'Miss Druitt' to leave my mouth in such a calm tone. I could already start to feel the nausea rising to my throat from doing so.

'More like 'Miss Dread'.'

"... Really?" The woman on my left questioned out of surprise, prompting me to nod and drop my shoulders.

It seemed I was beginning to get through to them now.

"Yes. She requests your presence immediately at the Chandlers' former home, and to switch out guarding the carriage. She has also asked me to take your place until your replacements arrive."

The man tilted his head to the side at this.

"Did she mention why she needed us to leave?"

I was quick to shake my head.

"No, sir. Miss Druitt wouldn't give me the details, and rightly so. I have yet to fully prove myself as a reliable ally. I have no right to hear such secrets."

Using the same tactic I had done with Ellen regarding her lack of vision for perceiving Viola was once again coming in handy here. I could tell these two were suspicious of me regardless of what I was telling them, which was natural. However, the knowledge about the ways of the Demon Triad and how they operated was truthful enough. Being at the level I claimed to be, it was only right that Charlotte would never give me specific information in case I proved to be useless in the end. So these two members wouldn't be able to confirm if I was lying or not without physically leaving to speak with her themselves.

I watched as the woman focused her gaze back on her companion with wide eyes beneath the mask, prompting me to bite the inside of my lip to prevent myself from smirking outwardly. This was going too well, and the last thing I needed was to ruin it by breaking my act.

"It sounds serious. Miss Druitt very rarely calls upon us unless the matter is grave. And if she has refused to impart such information even to an inductee…"

The man on my right was silent as he switched his gaze between me and his companion, leaving me to stay silent and await their final decision on whether to trust my words or not. My fingers twitched a little behind my back out of discomfort as the silence continued to drag on, but eventually the man was the first one to relent with the shake of his head and an annoyed huff, prompting me to sigh internally. He had taken the bait.

"Then I suppose we have no choice but to go and see her," The man concluded, turning to me with a stern scowl and pointing an index finger my way, clearly not pleased with this sudden change in plans. "Lincroft, we're trusting you to watch over the carriage until our replacements arrive. Don't leave your post in the meantime."

He paused to lean down towards me and stopped when his face was nearly inches from mine, prompting me to flinch as he moved his index finger forward to give me a light jab in my left shoulder.

"And no matter what you may hear coming from inside of it, do not look inside that chest. Do I make myself clear?"

I gave a stiff nod without another moment's hesitation, raising my shoulders and loosening my hands from their formed fists to cross my middle and index fingers on both hands. They'd naturally assumed Charlotte hadn't said a word to me about Peter and that he was inside the chest, which sounds like something she would do. Unfortunately for them, the crossing of my fingers allowed me to lie to their faces and have them be none the wiser until they returned.

"Yes, sir."

My response was met with a nod of acknowledgement and satisfaction, leading to him standing up straight again and putting his hands behind his back.

"Very good," he paused to turn his head in the direction of his companion. "Let us be off. We cannot keep the mistress waiting."

Keeping my hands behind my back and clasping them together to uncross my fingers, I watched the two members of the Demon Triad walk forward with a quick pace and pass me by on either side. I didn't dare to make a move for the chest, instead glancing back to watch the pair retreating from the area in the direction of the village. My toes twitched in the comfort of my shoes for the urge to charge forward and rescue Peter from inside that chest, but I knew I had to be patient. Any hasty movements after getting this far could destroy everything.

The moment the two Demon Triad members had disappeared from sight behind the shrubbery, along with Viola suddenly poking her head up from behind one of the bushes closest to where I had been standing, I took that as my cue to turn around and move towards the chest without a second thought. Listening to the rustling of the bushes behind me as Viola stood up and made her way to where I was, I reached into the pocket of my cardigan and brought out the key, my hands trembling as I attempted to slot it into the lock with some difficulty.

'Please be okay, Peter. Please be okay.'

"Shouldn't you check the carriage to make sure there's no one around to see us?" I heard Viola ask from behind as she made her approach. "They might have someone else here keeping guard."

I shook my head as Viola joined me at my left side just as I finally succeeded in slotting the key into the lock.

"There's no time. But I highly doubt they would have anyone here they haven't mentioned. If that were the case, they would have made it clear that I didn't need to remain to keep watch over the chest whilst they sought out replacements."

I turned the key to the right and let out a shaky sigh of relief at hearing the click, prompting me to move my hands to either side of the lid and lift it up without a second thought.

Viola and I found ourselves gasping loudly in sync the moment Peter entered into our view-line out of shock, my whole body trembling with both shock and anger at the state he was currently in. With his eyes closed tight, Peter was curled up in a foetal position at the bottom of the chest with his back facing us, his wrists and ankles bound with rope and his mouth gagged with a white handkerchief tied around the back of his head. His shirt had been pulled up his back some, revealing a faint scar of a mark carved across his lower back that had probably been put there from infancy, and one I knew all too well; an upside down triangle (with a horizontal line drawn through the middle of it) on top of a circle with an upright triangle underneath it, accompanied by a vertical line from the tip of the upside down triangle to the upright triangle that split the circle into two semi-circles.

'The mark to summon unholy power…'

The movement of the lid was enough to prompt Peter to lift his head and open his teary hazel eyes to glance my way, leaving me to watch them grow wide with relief and fright upon locking gazes with me. The resemblance between him and Charlotte was obvious for me now. He really did have his mother's eyes, and that fact alone caused a pang of pain to strike my chest along with the sight of his tear-stained face.

'She really is just like her wretch of a father; treating her own child like a tool… Tch!'

"Stay still, Peter," I said, gritting my teeth out of anger and reaching my hands inside the chest to grab at the rope around his wrists. "I'm going to untie you and get you out of here, okay?"

Out of the corner of my eye I caught Viola doing the same for the rope around Peter's ankles, which I was thankful for. She was obviously trying to be of some help whilst she had the chance to be. As I went about untying his bonds, I took notice of the fact that the satchel I had given him was missing. It made me wonder if Peter had lost everything at the hands of the Demon Triad when they burnt down his home… But aside from his missing satchel and the mark to summon unholy power, Peter didn't seem to be physically hurt anywhere, which put my mind at ease a little bit. I could worry about his mental state later.

I was the first to finish untying Peter's wrists; however, just as I reached around his head to undo his makeshift gag, I saw Peter's eyes move to glance to the right behind me. I paused in my movements when he raised a finger to point over my shoulder and let out a muffled cry of warning, but just as I started to turn around to have a look for myself I yelped at feeling a rough hand grab at my right shoulder, along with my cloak hood being pulled from my head to expose my face.

"Well, well, well…" My eyes grew wide at the familiar deep and patronising sounding voice that entered my ears, rendering me speechless as my shoulder was shoved in an effort to have me fully turn and face the speaker. "What do we have here?"

My mouth fell open at the sight of a tall, large-looking black cloaked man I had seen only once ten years ago enter my line of sight, my eyes staring up into the piercing brown eyes I had failed to see on that day. My shoulders stiffened when the cloaked man gripped at both of them tightly with his hands, his hood exposing tufts of short, grey hair that I remembered very well. Although his voice hadn't changed, the wrinkles that were visible on the skin of his face not covered by his mask proved he had aged since we'd last seen each other. I wasn't expecting for him to still be around after all this time.

"I was just on my way here to retrieve something from the carriage under request of Mistress Charlotte, but never did I expect to come across you again." The man paused to flash that dreaded saccharine smile of his, prompting me to scowl and reach up my hands to grip at his wrists the moment my adrenaline decided to kick in. "My, my, you look so much like your mother when she was your age…"

"Let me go, you old coot!" I yelled with venom, trying to pull his hands away from my shoulders whilst leaning back.

I had no idea how Viola and Peter were reacting right now, but I was hoping they'd taken the initiative and were getting ready to flee towards the Witch's House. A flaw had been made in my plan that I hadn't expected, and now I was paying the price. This is what I feared would happen; that I would be caught by the people I was trying so hard to avoid. And without either of my parents around to protect me, I was practically a goner.

In response the man tightened his grip on my shoulders to keep me still, his smile widening as he pulled me closer towards him. I was hoping and praying in my head for that flame to activate itself again, but I was currently feeling nothing to indicate such at the moment. For an old man he had a lot more strength than I had originally anticipated him to have, even to the point of surpassing the raw strength that I possessed.

"Now, now. There's no need to squirm. I'm sure Mistress Charlotte and Master Oleander will be pleased to see you after not doing so for sixteen years when I bring them to you." His smile morphed into a wicked grin, one which prompted my grip to tighten around his wrists and my squirming to worsen with the wriggling of my shoulders. "And I know for a fact that a certain someone will be delighted at seeing- AH!"

My eyes widened in surprise when I saw a grey blur whizz in front of my face and make contact with the man's left eye, causing him to cry out and release his hold on me as he stumbled backwards. Out of shock I let him go, prompting me to stumble back until I felt a cold hand push me up at my right shoulder to bring me to a sudden stop. When I saw the cloaked man fall onto his back on the ground with his hands covering his left eye, I turned to glance behind me to see a frowning Viola keeping me steady with her left hand whilst holding a small rock in her right one, with Peter free of his binds and gag and sitting up in the chest with a confused blink.

"Grab Peter and let's go, Emilia! Quickly!" Viola yelled, raising her right hand and wrapping her fingers around the rock when the man on the ground let out a groan as if preparing to move. "I'll keep him distracted!"

Without a second thought the adrenaline kicked in and allowed me to turn to face Peter and reach out my arms towards him, having me wrapping one around his shoulders and putting the other underneath his knees. I owed Viola for her quick thinking in this situation.

"Sorry Peter, but you're not fit to go running without passing out yet."

Peter let out a small gasp of surprise when I lifted him into my arms and turned to start running in the direction of the forest, hearing another cry of agony from the man somewhere behind me before a pair of boots crunching across the ground fell in sync close to my right. I didn't dare to look back as we darted in between the trees away from the carriages and deep into the woods, hoping that with the picture of the Witch's House as my ideal destination in mind the demon's magic would kick in and shift the forest as intended. I suspected, however, that Viola had just attacked that member with the other rock in her hand for good measure.

During my run I was caught off guard when I felt a pair of arms wrap around my neck, causing me to stumble a little and glance down to see Peter clinging on to me. I was quick to regain my footing and furrow my brow out of worry when he hid his face away in the crook of my neck, prompting my grip to tighten around the boy and for me to pull him closer to my chest. I would focus on comforting Peter once I was sure we were safe and wouldn't be tracked down. The last thing we needed was for Charlotte to get her hands on Peter again.

I could hear the sounds of shocked and angry voices resounding behind us a good distance away the further we went, but despite not being able to hear clearly what they were saying I could at least tell apart the ones that sounded familiar and the ones that weren't. And one of those voices happened to include Charlotte's. I feared that if we'd stayed there any longer, she would have walked in right before I was subdued by that man. The adrenaline pumping my pulse within my chest forced me onwards, preventing me from looking back for fear it would slow us down. They had obviously just encountered the injured member at the scene of the crime, and I wasn't about to waste time trying to work out what he was telling them.

However, I soon felt a familiar tingle shooting up and down my spine as we continued to run through the forest, causing me to glance around at the trees surrounding us on all sides. Images of them in varying positions were quick to fade in and out between each other and overlap every few seconds, indicating that the house's magic was acting with my will and desire in mind. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Viola glancing around at the shifting and fading images of the trees as well, leading me to believe she had caught on to what was happening, too.

I started to slow my pace down into a jog when I felt the tingle in my back dim down and eventually disappear after continuing for a while during our run, with the images of the trees finally falling still. Breathing heavily as Viola and I finally came to a stop in the middle of the newly made forest clearing, the two of us dared to turn our heads back to glance towards the trees now behind us crossing over each other's paths, as if acting as a makeshift blockade that sealed off access to us from the rest of the world. The sight was enough to prompt a sigh of relief out of both me and Viola, our gazes turning to one another as we allowed our shoulders to slump. The house had heard my plea and used its magic to block our pursuers off from us.

"… That was a close one, huh?" I said as a joke through my intakes of breath, leading Viola to smile in amusement and respond with a nod of agreement.

"I'll say…!" But her smile was quick to fade when she directed a frown at me out of concern. "Are you okay, though? Did he hurt you?"

"No. I'm fine." I paused to allow a relieved smile to appear. "Especially thanks to you. I never knew you had such courage in that little blonde head of yours. And considering you only have one eye now, I'm surprised you got him in the eye."

Viola smiled out of shyness as her cheeks flushed a light pink due to embarrassment, a hand of hers reaching up to place itself on her nape and giving it a quick rub.

"Heh. When you've been in the house for a long time, you do learn to gain a bit of a backbone…"

"… Miss Emilia?"

I blinked in surprise and glanced down at Peter when I heard his muffled voice address me through my cardigan, causing my brow to furrow with worry and wipe my smile away. I wasn't expecting him to speak up so soon. But I could tell from how quiet and timid his voice had become that the events of today had affected him terribly, and rightly so. Someone as young as Peter could easily be scarred when exposed to the evil of the world.

"… Yes, Peter?" I replied, keeping my voice at a low volume.

"Are you talking to another ghost?"

My eyes turned in the direction of Viola then, who gave me a nod as if to confirm that I could mention her if I wished to.

"Actually, it's my ghost friend from the house. You know, the one who you saw me talking to in the library the other day."

I focused my gaze back on Peter when I felt his head shift against my arm and chest, resulting in me locking gazes with his tear-stained face once more. There were no more tears lingering in his eyes at the moment, but I feared that was due to change soon.

"… So, did they come with us to the village?"

"Uh-huh."

"And- And did they untie me and throw that rock at the man in the cloak?"

"They did."

Peter fell silent for a moment and furrowed his brow as if in contemplation, turning his gaze away to stare towards the ground.

"… I see," he mumbled, eventually focusing his gaze in the direction I had been looking in before at Viola. "… Thank you, ghost. Even though I can't see or hear you."

I looked at Viola to see her blink in surprise at Peter's act of gratitude, obviously having not expected him to say anything to her at all. Even if I expressed a blink of shock at Peter's actions, but was quick to return to reality when Viola smiled a little.

"You're welcome, Peter. Even if you can't see or hear me."

"They said 'you're welcome, Peter,'" I repeated the part that was relevant for his benefit, prompting Peter to turn to look up at me again with a blink.

"They heard me?"

"Of course. Spirits are perfectly capable of interacting with us. We just can't interact with them."

"Unless it's you."

I chuckled a little at Peter's remark, nodding in agreement at his attempt at humour.

"Unless it's me, yes." I paused to furrow my brow further with concern. "But ghost talk aside, Charlotte didn't hurt you, did she? Physically, I mean."

Peter shook his head as I felt his grip around me tighten a little, prompting him to rest the left side of it against my right shoulder.

"No," he answered, turning his face towards my cardigan again just as his voice cracked. "But she was so scary, Miss Emilia…! She's my Mom, you know…!"

My eyes drooped out of pity as I pulled Peter a little closer to my person, just as I felt him beginning to tremble in my hold.

"… I know."

"S-She k-killed g-grandpa and g-grandma, a-and s-set t-the h-house on f-fire-!" Peter stuttered, momentarily pausing to hiccup as I felt the shoulder of my cardigan growing moist from what I assumed to be his returned tears. "S-She wouldn't stop yelling about things I didn't know of, a-and had me tied up inside that chest-! I-It was so dark and scary in there on my own-! I-I d-didn't t-think y-you would f-find me…! I-I thought I wasn't ever going to see you a-again-!"

I closed my eyes and rested the right side of my head on top of his, allowing a moment of silence to resound around the area between us that didn't include Peter's hiccupping and sniffling. His fear was understandable. He was better letting it out now than keeping it bottled in.

"Don't be silly, Peter. Charlotte is a greedy and cruel woman with no conscience. If you think I was going to let her or any one of those cloaked and masked people run off with you, then you're sorely mistaken."

I heard Peter start to sniffle and hiccup for a second time before he tried to speak up.

"T-That's what grandpa and grandma said about her, too. Even her name… I always thought it was a pretty name."

"It is," I paused to open my right eye and stare down at Peter with a smile of amusement. "It's a shame her face isn't."

I opened both of my eyes when I felt the vibration of Peter's snickering at my remark course through her skull, my smile widening. I knew for a fact that I hadn't cheered him up, but at least I'd brought him some temporary comfort for now.

"You act like you've seen her before. Do you know my Mom, too?"

I turned my gaze towards Viola at that, who was watching this scene on with a furrowed brow of worry of her own. Even she was pitying Peter and the situation that he had been put through.

"I do, Peter, more than you know. But I'll tell you about that another time. There's a lot we need to talk about, and I know you must be really confused regarding everything, but right now…" I paused to lift my head from his. "… let's get you back to the house. Leave any questions you have until after you've had some time to calm down, okay?"

When I felt and saw Peter give a nod in response, I turned around to face the pathway ahead and began the walk in the direction of the house. I didn't need to look back or say anything to Viola for her to get the message, as the moment I started walking she was soon following suit at my right side without another word.

A lot had just happened in the short span of time we had been separated from one another, and I knew he was going to need time to grieve and come to terms with the situation. He probably had a lot of questions for me after everything he'd seen and heard, and I needed to know what his grandparents and Charlotte had been saying to him before I could tell him and Viola everything I'd been keeping to myself up until now. But I wasn't too worried. Because unlike me, Peter wasn't going to be alone through it all. He still had me, and I was going to make sure I was there for him, even if I'd never had that luxury.

A/N: Firstly, the mark depicted on Peter's back is a common sigil from Demonology to summon forth unholy power. If you google search the image, you should find it somewhere to look at. And secondly, the poem Emilia recites two verses from is titled 'A Poison Tree' and was written by William Blake. It happens to be a favourite of mine. XD