Forewarning; this chapter is half as long as normal chapters.


"So let me get this straight…" an exhausted Alcina said while pinching the bridge of her nose, leaning back in a chair in the dining room, with Bela standing behind her. "You were in the sauna and Cassandra walked in and she-"

"Naked." Ethan added from his seat in front of Alcina's

"Cassandra walked in naked and she thought you were Bela." Alcina stated, trying to wrap her mind around the situation.

"That's normal for her, we are sisters after all." Bela said, helping the case.

"And when she walked in, she saw who you were and became angry that you saw her in such a state?" Alcina asked.

Nodding, Ethan answered "Yep. Which I understand."

"So she then attacked you, in a fit of rage and embarrassment, and began to choke you to death." Alcina continued the rundown.

"Uhh… yes.:"

"She will hear from me about that, but onto more pressing matters… As you were about to die, mold began overtaking you?"

"Sorta? As I said, it changed me physically, but not mentally. My ability to think was completely unaltered." Ethan explained.

"But you were strong? As in, could overpower Cassandra strong?" Alcina asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Yeah. It was… weird, to say the least. Aside from feeling a burst of energy, I felt normal. No burning sensation, no pain, anything."

"Mother, what if… What if his mold has become active to the point it can be summoned?" Bela asked curiously. Alcina thought for a moment but sighed in return.

"I don't know, honestly. This is unheard of. We've never known anything to become infected by mold and remain mostly the way it is. Ethan, do me a favor, and try to summon the mold again."

Ethan, a bit hesitantly, agreed to try. Sitting up straight, Ethan tried to reach deep within his mind and call upon the mold, but nothing. No black veins, no energy, nothing. He kept trying, but the only thing that he summoned was a headache. "Nothing. I'm not even sure how it happened before, it just did."

Alcina looked further perplexed. "You feel nothing? No extra power? No whisps of anything different?" she asked. Ethan shook his head no. This caused Alcina to become further curious. "Strange. Every single one of the lords knew something was different after, including me. We just felt the power. We knew what we could do right away."

"I don't think we can apply our knowledge to Ethan's situation, mother." Bela interjected. "Our situation is very different than his. He was exposed to and infected by a direct source. We were implanted with an infected specimen."

"Perhaps you are right, dear." Alcina said tiredly. "Let's worry about this tomorrow. We need sleep." Alcina said, rising up out of her seat and walking towards the exit. "Come, Bela, let's find your sisters."

"Yes, mother. Goodnight Ethan, see you tomorrow." Bela said as she walked out behind her mother as well.

"See ya." Ethan replied, getting up and stretching. He had decided to leave the bit about Cassandra's flies out. He didn't need to give them any more reason to be wary of him. Now instead of having to worry about him consuming moldy wine, they had to worry about him just calling on his own mold at will.

He hoped that Cassandra would calm down in the morning and they can talk about what happened. As he walked out of the room, he noticed someone waiting for him. "Bela? What're you waiting for? It's getting very late and I'm sure you have plenty of work to get to."

"What else happened?" Bela asked, ignoring what Ethan said.

Ethan was taken aback a little. "What? I just told you and your mother?"

"What else happened? Mother may have bought the act, but I didn't. Something else happened." Bela said has she interrogated Ethan.

"Nothing. Promise." Ethan said, trying to put Bela at ease, but it was clear she wasn't buying it. "Fine… something happened to Cass's flies at some point. She all of a sudden couldn't use them." The wide-eyed shock that rushed across Bela's face was expected. What was not expected was her reply.

"It happened again?" She said in a hushed whisper to herself.

"Wait, again? This happened before?"

Bela shook her head. "Just forget what I said. Do not tell mother about this."

Ethan laughed a bit, "Yeah no shit. That would be the last thing I do. I'd rather not live in the dungeon again."

Bela did not find the joke funny, however. "I am going to bed. I recommend you do as well." she said as she walked away. Ethan sighed. Things had been going so well recently, it shouldn't have surprised him that something was bound to happen. "Well, at least I'm not dead…" Heading back to his room, Ethan flopped onto his bed and fell asleep instantly

Morning came quicker than Ethan would've liked. The pounding on his door that woke him up was not relenting no matter what he threw at the door and yelled for them to fuck off. Stomping over, he opened the door and instantly shot awake when he saw Cass standing there.

"We need to talk." is all she said as she pushed her way in, past Ethan.

"Talk about what."

"Last night." Cass replied, standing by smoldering embers in Ethan's fireplace, watching the soft glow.

"No shit, Cass. I meant to talk about what about last night. A few things kinda happened." Ethan said, irritated this conversation had to happen so early. While Cass scowled at the tone, she didn't attack him for it.

"All of it. We can go ahead and simple stuff out of the way; you are to forget what you saw before the fight."

"Done." Ethan replied instantly. "Next."

"What the hell happened to you? How did the mold manifest without anything to trigger it?" She asked, jumping right into the discussion.

"We're not sure. We think because you were about to kill me and the fact that my mold is become more active on its own, I somehow called on it. I don't know how and I tried to do it again last night for your mother, but nothing. Outside of the physical change, I was… well, me. I tried to tell you that but…" Ethan trailed off.

Cass sighed and looked at her feet. "I know. It wasn't until after that I realized that your behavior was different from the other times. I was just so…" Cass struggled to continue, so Ethan stopped her.

"I know. I could see it in your eyes. Your reaction was justified, given recent history."

Cass scoffed, "I wish my mother saw it like that. She was irate earlier this morning when she summoned me. She said that she would have to figure out a punishment later for me, as she was too busy at the time."

"I'll talk to her about that." Ethan replied. "You don't need punishing. Things happen."

"I don't need you to fight my battles-"

"This isn't a battle. Your mother is upset you fought and tried to kill me. I think she's more upset about you trying to kill me before the mold, but still. I will try to talk some sense into her." This caused Cass to laugh a good bit before looking at Ethan.

"Good luck with that, silly manthing! She's not one to take suggestions so easily." Cass laughed once more before walking out of Ethan's room. Ethan sighed, rubbing his face. It was too early for this. Sitting on his bed for a moment, Ethan decided that given last night's events and the ensuing fight, he was due for a bath. However, as she began to collect his required items, the door opened and Cass stuck her head in the room.

"Did you like what you saw?" She asked, smirking.

Catching onto the trap, Ethan replied with a smirk as well. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Good boy."

"Fuck off." Ethan replied, throwing a shirt at Cass. She quickly pulled her head back and left, cackling as she walked away.

"Too god damn early for all this shit…"

Making his way to breakfast, Ethan decided to take a detour and try to catch Alcina before she also left for the first meal of the day. Approaching her door, he was about to knock when it opened.

"Oh, Alcina! Perfect timing. I need to talk to you."

"Walk and talk Ethan, we are overdue."

Trying to keep pace with the large woman, Ethan began to plead Cass's case. "I heard that you are planning on punishing Cass for what happened."

"Indeed. Though I have yet to figure out how…" she replied, thinking about it.

"See, that's the thing." He started. "I don't think you should."

Alcina huffed. "What are you talking about? She tried to kill you before the mold and almost did!"

"But she didn't. Think about it though, I mean it honestly wasn't the most rational way to react to the situation in the sauna, but it was still understandable. I mean she is a woman. How would you react, honestly." Ethan asked, trying to play devil's advocate.

"I… suppose you have a point. I will settle for a verbal reprimanding…" Alcina conceded.

"That's more reasonable."

"Are you implying I'm unreasonable, Ethan Winters?" Alcina asked with a bit of a snarl in her voice.

"Wha- no!" Ethan sputtered.

"Relax. I am just teasing." Alcina smirked, looking forward. "I have to have my fun somehow."

"That's what daughters are for." Ethan grumbled. "It's only funny when you tease them. To me, I fear for my life."

"Now whos the unreasonable one." Alcina countered. She was getting used to Ethan's presence, that much was obvious. "Say, when are Bela and you going to have a drink together again."

Ethan almost tripped over the rug in the hall. "What? I figured with what happened to the kitchen and wall you'd want to keep me, her, and alcohol away from each other."

"I'd like for that not to happen again, true, but between you and me, Bela is a bit… tightly wound. She needs to relax now and again, but she doesn't really know how, or that she needs it. Mold and flies be damned, we are still living things. Stress is still unhealthy for us. So, while trying your best to minimize destroying my home, I'd like for you to help my daughter relax."

Ethan thought about it for a moment before snapping his fingers, "Got it! I can have her tag along with me when I visit Duke! He'd like the extra company, and we can teach her to play poker!"

"Please don't corrupt my daughter, Ethan. We don't need to add gambling addiction to our already extensive repertoire."

"It'll be fine. Me and Duke don't play for money, anyway. We just play for fun."

"I remember prohibition in America. Such a strange time…"

"I keep forgetting you were in America at that time. Some people would love to talk to you about history."

"Not you?" Alcina asked, curious.

"Nah, not much of a history buff myself if I'm being honest. I was more of a math and technology guy. That stuff fascinated me more."

"But you knew all those things about the Great War and the time around that."

Ethan gave a so-so gesture. "Eh, just surface-level stuff. If you ask me details about any of it, I couldn't tell you anything else."

"Did you go to university, Ethan?" Alcina asked.

Ethan nodded. "Yeah, I did. I worked with computers." He said, dumbing it down a bit for her.

"That makes sense. You seemed like a technology-oriented man. I studied art."

Ethan stopped for a moment. "Wait, you went to university?" The look that she gave him told Ethan that was the wrong way to word that. "I mean, I didn't think university was something you would've cared about."

"Hm, I suppose it can be surprising. Yes, I furthered my education. Knowledge is power after all."

"I don't think art is too powerful of a power…" Ethan countered. Alcinca rolled her eyes but didn't reply. "Do you paint?" Ethan asked.

"No, not anymore. I used to dabble but I was always better at examining rather than creating, though I enjoyed it at times. Just something different to do." Ethan nodded his head while listening.

"I took some extra art classes in high school, nothing too serious, but I liked them. They kept things interesting in school. I liked drawing with rulers and guides, making 3D shapes and views."

"Why did you not stick with it, then? Architectural drawing is similar to that." Alcina inquired.

Ethan hummed a bit over the question. "I mean I liked drawing in my free time, but I couldn't do it for work, honestly. I wasn't that good nor had the drive for it. Working with computers felt good. I figured it was what I wanted to do when I found myself learning stuff about it on my own. How computers work, logic, math, etcetera."

"When I was a young woman, I wanted to run a business. Alcohol was prohibited then so wine didn't cross my mind until I moved back here. My family dabbled in wine production but were never serious about it, so I picked it up and made a living off of it."

"Made a living?" Ethan asked.

"Mhm. Did you think we were so wealthy from my family? Ethan, that well ran dry many years ago. Not only am I wealthy from my own business, I am the major supplier of funds for Mother Miranda-" Alcina quickly shut her mouth, shocked at what she just told Ethan.

The information wasn't lost on Ethan, either. He understood the implications of knowing such a thing. Alcina practically just gave him insider information on how to severely hinder Miranda's entire operation. However, that was too long-game for Ethan to use. If he was going to get his daughter back, he would do it as quickly as possible. His goal was his daughter, not toppling a mold cult.

"Anyway," Ethan started redirecting the dead-end of a conversation, "How does one exactly run a wine business? I know how it's made, but how do you export it out of the mountains?"

Luckily, Alcina quickly jumped on the lifeline. "The Duke. I have an arrangement with him to move the wine to logistic hubs, where they are shipped across the world. We don't ship anything ourselves for several reasons. Along with that, we also have multiple levels of wine. Three, really. The first level of wine is fairly standard. A simple but elegant and refined wine. Well-trained maids are the ones who handle the production and storage at that level. The second is of a higher quality, and far more expensive. The last and top level of wine we produce here I directly oversee the production of. That is also the wine we add blood to."

Ethan grimaced a bit. "It's kind of… nasty, that you use blood. Do your clients even know the top-shelf stuff has wine?"

"I may be a monster to some people, but I'm not that type of monster." Alcina chuckled. "They do know. Originally, only the super excentric would buy the wine. The idea of a virgin maid's blood being mixed into premium wine? I could barely keep it in stock when I was small time. However, as time went on, demand grew beyond the insanely rich and it became more of a novelty. Keeping it a secret is the trickiest part, but the Duke has that taken care of for me."

"How do you put… you know, the blood into wine? Like how do you get it?" Ethan asked. He sort of knew the answer, as he was told not too long ago, but he wanted to hear it directly from Alcina.

"Originally I had to forcefully take it from virgin women. Most of the time, it killed them." The way that Alcina said it made Ethan a tad upset. It was obvious she didn't care… "If you're wondering how I could tell if they were virgins, there are ways to find that out, but it's not an exact science. Since then, I've simply reduced the requirements to be blood-diese-free. Theres no taste difference between virgins and whores."

"Isn't that like false advertisement?" asked Ethan. Alcina smirked a bit while looking at him.

"You think I'm worried about false advertisement claims?"

"Good point."

"Where was I? Ah yes. Now, however, I simply have the maids donate blood. More blood in the long run, cheaper, and I won't exhaust the local supply of women. It's also easier and cleaner."

"Who draws the blood?"

"Miss Adina. She has the necessary medical knowledge. That's one of the reasons we hired her."

"Well, I can't say I exactly approve of the practice, but I assume it's not as unethical as before." Ethan then stopped for a moment, realizing something. "Wait a minute. What if someone had a blood disease and you couldn't use them?"

"Well, even with a blood disease we can sometimes still use them, with Adina's go-ahead. Some don't survive the conditions in the body and are safe for my customers. Those that we truly can not use, we try to find other uses for. Most of the time, we need workers regardless so it does not matter. During the busy season, we need as much blood as possible so we will bring in temporary workers to help fill out the ranks so we don't have to force half-empty maids to work. If we really can not use someone for blood and we don't need them as a worker, I typically send them away after learning of their condition, and I pay them according to how long they've worked."

"Hm, that's surprisingly nice of you. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't that." The moment Ethan said that he knew he dug himself into a hole again.

Alcina turned and glared at Ethan, annoyed, for the umpteenth time. "What's that supposed to mean, Mister Winters? You've been on thin ice this entire conversation."

"I mean- ok, with your outward appearance and certain actions paint you as a more dominant type, so it's a bit strange when I see you're actually a fairly normal acting woman, aside from all the other things. Even your daughters. The more time I spend here, the more it makes you all seem…"

Ethan was at a loss for what to say next. Well. He actually knew what to say next. Human was what normally followed that sort of sentence, but as Alcina said, he was already on thin ice.

"Makes us seem…?" Alcina prompted, trying to get Ethan to finish his sentence.

"Complex. Deep. It makes you seem more complicated than I originally thought." Ethan said, saving face. Alcina seemed to take the answer rather well as her scowl disappeared and she looked forwards again.

"We are our people, Ethan. We may serve Mother Miranda and have unusual traits, but at the end of the day, we are still individuals. Between you and me, my family is the most 'normal' out of all the Lords."

"How so?" Ethan asked, interested in hearing about the rest of Miranda's group of misfits.

"Well, let's start easy; Salvatore Moreau. Last of the Moreau family. The family used to be heavily involved in medicine and medical care. However, Salvatore didn't take to medicine. He was a sailor and fisherman, something his family despised. After being implanted with the Cadou, he quickly lost his mind and his body became heavily mutated. Out of the four Lords, he's seen as the biggest failure. However, he still had money, nobility, and land that was useful to Mother Miranda, so she allowed him to join the 'table', so to speak. He has the mind of a child and is desperate for attention from Mother Miranda. He is quite insane, smells like rotten fish, and is an absolute nightmare. However, a part of me does feel bad for him. His history is not a pleasant one.

Then, there's Donna Beneviento, the last of the Beneviento family. While folklore does say they were nobility at one point, they are not any longer. More of a respected family than anything, the family itself had a few businesses that secured their petty wealth. Donna herself is an absolutely lovely woman, though quiet. My heart goes out to the poor girl, she's had probably the roughest life before Mother Miranda out of anyone here. Her story isn't mine to tell, however. Her damned doll Angie on the other hand is far worse company. A sick, demented, and downright creepy doll."

Ethan's nose scrunched up in disgust. "Yeah, I remember seeing that thing at the 'trial' you all put me on. Fucking creepy…"

"Fucking creepy indeed." Alcina cursed, which was a rare sight. "Donna uses the doll to communicate. Outside of that, nothing is outstanding about Donna nor her doll. Finally, Karl Heisenberg. Ignoring that infernal man for a moment, I am sure it's obvious that 'Karl Heisenberg' is a rather strange name in an area like this. Unlike the rest of us, the Heisenberg family were immigrants. Most of the family didn't even stay in Romania, only a select few. They were the leaders of industry around here. Factories, warehouses, and the like. Not very weather or had that much notoriety, but they had resources. Many. Unlike the rest of our families, the Heisenberg family is still alive, in Europe. Scattered, but around. They are unaware of Karl's existence, however, and Karl himself does not care. Of the four of us, Karl was also the only one who did not follow Mother Miranda's teachings. I don't believe he is entirely loyal, either. If Mother Miranda knows that but simply does not care, I have no idea."

"If I remember correctly, you and Karl didn't exactly get along. What's the story behind that?"

Alcina groaned a bit. "That damn man thinks he's so much better than me! Better than Moreau, yes. Beneviento, perhaps. Angie without a doubt, but me? Never in any lifetime! The way he also sucks up to Mother Miranda while also going behind her back is infuriating!" Alcina yelled, balling her fists. "He just wishes to be the top dog in the junkyard, but he's pissing on the wrong tree!" Ethan had to suppress a laugh at the fact that Alcina called herself a tree, which she most certainly was. "He's so egotistical and want's to be the most dominant in the room. Typical man!"

Ethan could tell there was a story about the way she said 'man' but refrained from asking. "What about Miranda? What's her story?"

"That's a dangerous question, Ethan Winters." Alcina warned. "Many would not be so forgiving as I would be. However, I suppose I could tell you what I know anyway… which is next to nothing." Ethan looked at Alcina with a raised eyebrow. "Mother Miranda has never told us anything about herself. In short, she is the figurehead of the Cult of the Black God. While we lords know more of the truth, that the Black God is really just the mold, the villagers are very devout followers."

"Hm. Still, so many questions, though I suppose you're right; they are dangerous. Perhaps too dangerous to keep asking… What about your daughters? What's the story with them, if you don't mind me asking?"

Alcina looked a little uncomfortable. "That's a story for another time." is all she said. Nodding in understanding, Ethan continued walking alongside Alcina until they walked into the dining room, breakfast had just been wheeled out. Fruits, slices of bread, baked goods, cheese, cooked meats, and oat products were spread across the table, ready for the Dimitrescu family- and Ethan- to serve themselves. Breakfast was always more of an informal affair in the castle. Bela, Cass, and Dani were already there, stuffing their faces, bickering like children.

"Mother, Cassandra is being mean!" Dani called out, pointing an accusatory finger at her sister. Cass whipped her head toward Dani and began to slap her.

"I am not! I just said I thought your stories are silly- which they are!"

"Girls, it's too early for this. Please save the rough-housing for later." Alcina sat down with a glass of some sort of juice and a small plate of meats and cheese, with a smaller dish of fruit. "Cassandra dear, are you Ethan going to be busy today with practice?"

"Not today mother." Cass said as she reached across the table to grab the salt, "Yesterday was more than enough, I decided that we are due for a break."

"That's good, as I will need you with me today as we begin preparations for spring."

"Understood, mother."

Bela looked between the two for a moment, perplexed. "Mother? Aren't I the one who normally helps you with that?"

Alcina didn't look up from her meal, "Yes, but you are already very busy, I don't want to add to it. Also, you best get your work today done, as you will be going with Ethan to the Dukes tonight."

If Bela wasn't confused before, she very much was now. Putting her fork down, she looked at Ethan who gave her an unknowing shrug in return. "Um, mother? Why am I doing that?"

"Because you are going to be joining them for their nightly get-together. You need to unwind dear, and ever since I decided to let Ethan visit the Duke on his own, even I can see his demeanor is more relaxed."

"Mother, if I want to relax I can just easily do that on my own." Bela replied, slightly offended that her mother was ordering her to relax like she couldn't do it on her own.

"Don't argue with me dear, just do it." the mother said tiredly. "It's not that big of a deal."

"Yeah, we don't even hang out that long honestly. Just a couple of hours. If it really upsets you, we can do something else." Ethan offered, trying to help ease Bela's irritation.

"Fine, fine. I will join you two tonight. That means I must get to my work now, however."

Alcina smirked, "Then get to it, dear."

With a groan, Bela got up and left. Dani was laughing a bit, and even Cass was smiling a bit. Alcina sighed, "That girl I swear."

Cass cleared her throat, "Mother, why is it that you're so concerned about her?"

"Because a mother will always be concerned about her children. That's part of being a parent." Aclina replied. "Am I right, Ethan?"

"Right."

"I suppose you have a point, mother." Dani said in understanding. "You are right, Bela does need to relax. I don't think she knows just how frantic she has been the last few weeks with everything."

"My point exactly, dear." Alcina said, agreeing with Dani. "Your poor sister just doesn't know when to quit. Though I admire that about her, it's not always good. Why, I remember when I was first trying to get this business off the ground. A lot of sleepless nights. I've had to have some of my maids pull me from work late at night because it was interfering with my sleep so much that it was causing issues with my duties to Mother Miranda."

"Wow, though I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Ethan said. "Starting a business is very hard. Most fail within the first couple of years. It's honestly amazing that you were able to create a successful business."

"Anyway! What is it that you have planned for today, Dani?" Alcina asked her daughter.

"I need to straighten out the lack of workers in the kitchen. The workers in there now are stretched so thin, a fire almost broke out due to negligence." The scowl from her mother made Dani explain further, "Oh not to worry mother, I have been supervising during this shortage, and was able to contain the fire. It was not their fault. A pan was left on for too long, I had given an order to the maid to prep it, thinking it wouldn't take as long as it did. It was mainly my fault."

Aclina nodded, taking a bite of her meal. "Understood. Make sure to limit further incidents, Daniela. The workers are not the only ones stretched thin, remember that."

"Of course, mother." Dani agreed.

"It's dangerous when leadership makes mistakes, dear."

"Right as always, mother."

A snickering could be heard from Cass and a quiet muttering. "I am not a suck-up!" Dani yelled, taking offense to the insult.

Cass laughed harder while Ethan rolled his eyes. Those two were always fighting. Dani was too easy of a target for Cass and was too emotional at times, so any jab would give results.\

"Dani, she's just trying to push your buttons, don't let her get to you." Ethan said, trying to defend his friend. Alcina nodded at Ethan's point idly.

"I know, but she's just so good at it!" Dani yelled in frustration. Cass continued to laugh to herself, however.

"Don't worry Dani, I'll make sure to get Cass good for you the next time we spar." Ethan said with a mischievous wink.

"Oh-ho!" Cass sort of laughed at the comment. "You can try, manthing, but don't think it'll be easy!" Cass challenged. "If I remember correctly, you have still yet to manage a legitimate win against me."

"I didn't say win, did I? If I remember correctly, I've got you pretty good a few times. Why, just yesterday I broke your hand."

This took the winds from Cass's sails. "Whatever." She said as she returned to her food. This time, it was Dani laughing at her sister. Cass began to try and stab her sister to silence the laughing, but it only made Dani laugh harder.

After a moment of quiet eating, Alcina rose from her seat. "Well dears, Ethan, I have work to tend to. Good day to you all."

Dani and Cass stood as well. "As do I. Goodbye, Ethan." Dani said, following her mother.

"I guess that's my cue to begin work with mother." Cass said to herself. "Don't break anything while I'm gone!" Cass yelled.

Ethan held up his hands, "I won't, I promise."

"Good boy."

"Shut up."

Ethan sighed. "I can't wait for tonight… gonna be fun." He said with a mischievous grin.


The reason this chapter is short is due to a family 'emergency'. Not really an emergency, but that's the closest word I can think of, but I also think that the length of this chapter suits it. The next chapter may be a hair short as well, and possibly uploaded late. I am going out of town for the weekend to see the Oppenheimer movie so that'll cut into some things.

Thanks for reading!