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The millisecond of her remaining consciousness beyond the impact didn’t even have a chance to think anything other than, for the first time in her life, she was terrified of the light.

With an annoyed huff, Ingram turned to Orpheus and Magnar instead of going down the decline leading to the Veil’s forest.

He couldn’t fault them on their desire to hunt. He, too, wanted to care for Emerie in this way.

But now that he knew he could love both Emerie and Aleron indiscriminately and in different ways, he wanted to link them. He’d spent the last two days burying his cock in her any way he could, secretly hoping their essences would just... combine.

That, somehow, the universe would tether them together without his knowledge. On a physical level, they had been one, so why could it not seep beneath their skin?

Obviously, that’d been unsuccessful.

But he’d been craving it, while unwittingly suppressing his affection for the pretty female in worry he’d be betraying Aleron somehow.

When I return... I will ask.As soon as he did, in fact.

He was impatient, as always.

He could almost picture it.

Orpheus and Magnar would be with him, likely everyone else also, but Ingram wouldn’t care about their presence. He’d just pick up the little female, embrace her in his arms, and ask her to be his bride.

Whether or not he was just being foolishly disillusioned, all he imagined was her smiling face kissing the side of his bony face as she said yes.

Just the mere thought had his sight glowing bright pink again. Even his tail tip curled in delight.

His feet itched with urgency, and he nodded to them both.

Okay, let them hunt and return as quickly as possible.

Magnar and Orpheus stepped to the side, creating a small gap, and faced the direction they’d been originally heading. Both froze, just as a little Ghost had her back turned and looked as though she was tiptoeing in an attempt to sneak away.

Orpheus cocked his head. “Reia...?”

The Ghost halted and straightened as though someone had shoved a board up her dress. It was hard to tell who it truly was, being see-through and cloudy white from head to feet.

She turned solid, and blonde hair fluttered as she spun around with her arms out in greeting.

“Orpheus,” she exclaimed, with an awkward cringe. “Fancy meeting you here.”

“Reia!” he yelled, closing the small space between them so swiftly she let out an oomph of surprise when he impacted against her. He crouched as he wrapped his arm around her midsection and pushed her hair back like he was checking for some kind of non-existent wound. “What are you doing here, Reia? Why did you die?”

“A-about that,” she stuttered as she looked in every direction except them. Her green eyes were filled with a deeply troubling emotion.

The growl that rumbled from Orpheus was low and thunderous as his orbs turned red. “What did you do?” It was as if he knew she’d gotten herself killed. “You were supposed to stay within Faunus’ ward. Why did you leave it?”

“What if I didn’t leave it?” she grumbled defensively with a pout. “You’re jumping straight to conclusions. We totally could have been attacked.”

“You were attacked?!” All three Mavka roared.

Magnar and Ingram darted their heads towards the Veil, white bursting into their orbs.Emerie!His heart had only ever constricted this tightly once in his life – when he’d seen part of Aleron’s skull in a Demon’s clawed hand.

“Eep!” Reia put her hands out with a cringe marring her features. “No, no, no! I left the ward. Shit, fuck. What a way to put my foot in my mouth.”

Before anything more could be said, another Ghost wavered and warped as she materialised by Magnar’s side. She lay asleep, curled up on her side with her knees tucked up.

Ingram was the first to notice her, but the moment she stirred even a little, Magnar darted his head in her direction.

“Delora!” He knelt down around her and desperately tried to pick up her intangible form.