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Erin tightened her robe and dashed out of the courtyard. She hopped over the steel fences that defined the manor’s space instead of exiting through the main gate. She uttered a silent apology to Aera and Amyra for her sudden departure. She had not even given the two a glance as she scurried off after the maid informed them of Aedan’s abrupt arrival.

She forewent the paved roads and took to the trees. In seconds, she arrived at the small village that was just in front of the portal which she and her companions came through.

There was already a crowd forming in front of the portal, barring Erin from catching a glimpse of Aedan. She was about to shout at the crowd to make way when the crowd itself parted and made way for an anxious-looking Olivia. Erin’s smile was turned upside-down when she realised her premonition had come true. In Olivia’s arm was Aedan, who looked like he should be dead with the kind of wounds he had but his chest was still rising and falling. His complexion was pale to the point that he resembled a corpse. Olivia herself was also wounded but it was nothing compared to Aedan’s condition.

“Olivia” Erin called out as she joined Olivia by her side in her haste. “What happened?”

“The Covenant,” Olivia gave a succinct answer without stopping as she made a straight dash for the manor.

“How is he?” Erin asked, looking at the haggard Aedan in his arms. Never could she have imagined Aedan to be in such a state. Judging from the soot and singed marks, he was caught in some kind of combustion.

“He’ll live but it’s the seal that is the issue. It’s breaking.”

Erin sensed a shiver went down her spine. She had been told repeatedly by him of the consequences should the seal break. “Is there something I can do?” she asked.

“Get Lilian and tell Cassius to prepare the healing chamber.”

Erin didn’t ask any more questions and did as she was requested. She went ahead of Olivia and returned to the manor first. She found Cassius waiting in the front yard along with a row of servants. Upon seeing Erin’s troubled face, they knew something was wrong.

“What has happened, m’lady?” asked Cassius.

“Aedan has been gravely injured.”

“The lord has?”

“He will live but that’s not the main issue here. The seal is coming off and Olivia has asked you to prepare the healing chamber.”

Cassius nodded after a slight pause in his actions. When he turned around to face the servants, his voice boomed loud and clear as he gave out clear and concise orders to each of the servants. Immediately after, they disappeared into the mansion in a rush. Cassius gave Erin a bow after telling her of the healing chamber’s location and also disappeared back inside with a look of trepidation. They all knew the stakes here.

Erin didn’t linger either as she quickly headed to the next person on the list. Lilian was awake when Erin found her in the library. Going by her groggy expression, she had just woken up and she carried an apprehensive air with her wake as if she sensed the brewing storm and woke up from it.

“What’s wrong?” Lilian asked with an expression devoid of her usual mischievous humour.

“Aedan’s back but he’s hurt badly. The seal on him is breaking. Olivia had asked for your presence at the healing chamber.”

“Take me there now,” Lilian said.

Nivia was stirring in her sleep as the two left the library in a hurry.

The healing room was a room located under the manor, a great portion of the dungeon. As its name implied, it was a chamber for healing purposes among many other purposes. When Lilian and Erin arrived at the healing chamber, the servants were already there arranging the various materials and tools in the room. There was a stone altar at the centre of the chamber that was engraved with a great deal of runes. The same kind of runes were etched on the walls and ceiling of the chamber.

“The preparations are ready,” said Cassius, who was standing in one corner of the room. His arms were splayed apart. Mana was poured from his body and onto the walls and ceiling, making the runes glow faintly. After a quick Appraisal, Erin understood the runes were there to prevent any Mana from leaking out of the room.

A series of hasty heavy steps resounded loudly from outside and inching closer to the room. The doors were flung wide open as Olivia barged into the room with Aedan in her arms. She headed straight for the altar and laid Aedan on it as gently as she could albeit still a little rough judging from the heavy thump of a sound.

Erin stood by the altar and glimpsed at the seal on the back of Aedan’s left hand. It was more faded than the last time she had seen it. Her hand moved by itself to part the few strands of hair off of Aedan’s sweat-soaked face with the thumb stroking his forehead. She could hear how hard her heart was beating. She was afraid and she couldn’t remember the last time she held this much fear in her heart. Though his wounds were already better than they were a few minutes ago, the circumstances weren’t any better.

Bliss and sorrow clashed within Erin’s heart as she gazed at Aedan’s pallid face. “You fucking son of a bitch. To think I would feel so much towards you, a fucking man. Now that you have my heart, don’t you dare wither on me or else I swear you will never have any peace!”

“Lady Lilian, how well-versed in sealing spells under Spirit Magic?” Olivia asked.

Lilian’s brows were raised. “Well-versed enough to know the implication behind your words, Olivia. Are you sure that’s wise?”

“There’s no other choice.”

“What if I fail?”

“The runes etched in this room will give you ample time to try again and again until you succeed.”

“What’s this sealing spell you two are speaking of?” Erin asked.

“The spell is called the Binding of Absolution, or simply the Binding,” Lilian answered. “It’s how the Fae punished a criminal who had committed a great offence against the Faerie-kin as a whole. It basically suppresses the victim’s Mana nigh-completely and greatly reduces their level before throwing them into a prison cell where they would live out the rest of their life.”

“And you’re about to cast such a spell on Aedan?”

“If you have any other suggestions, I’m all ears. In an hour, that seal will break and everyone in the Grove knows the consequences of it.”

“What will become of him then?” Erin asked. “Will there be any complications to his body, sould, or mind?”

“I won’t lie, Erin. I know not of the side effects well and this spell has never been used on such a high-level individual. The highest known level that the Fae had cast this spell on was a level eighty-one individual. He died after a month due to the rapid decline of his health. His level had been what was keeping him alive all this time. A similar fate could befall on Aedan if this spell is cast on him and that is if, a huge if, this spell would even work on him in the first place. If the spell fails to work on him, I will be left exhausted. Also, it requires the assistance of Exalted Spirits, which I’m not quite confident in without using a catalyst.”

“The more you speak, the more I think this is a bad idea,” Erin said.

“It’s the only one we have, Lady Erin,” Olivia responded.

“Can it be taken off after it has been cast and how long does it need to stay on?”

“It can be taken off but the process will be just as complicated and tricky as the conjuration, and that’s taking the side effects into consideration. The Binding spell will stay until a more suitable sealing is available. What say you, Lady Erin?”

“Me? Why do you ask me? I’m not the one who’s—”

“You are Lord Aedan’s paramour. You are the most suitable person to be making the decision for him.”

“The person whose life is about to be ruined is not me. You should ask Aedan instead of me.”

“But Lord Aedan is unconscious.”

“I’ll just have to wake him up,” Erin said and flicked her tail at Aedan’s crotch.

Olivia gasped while Lilian muttered a grim yet humorous, “Oh, my.”

All the male servants winced and covered their crotches as Aedan jerked up from the altar with a yowl. “That was very heartless of you, Erin,” Aedan groaned.

“Me, heartless? Says the one who’s pretending to be asleep while others are running around like headless chickens in this precarious state of things for your sake.”

“I was not pretending, mind you. I was drifting between wake and sleep until you came along and socked my cock and jolted me wide awake. Couldn’t you have just woken me up in a milder manner?”

“That was me being mild,” Erin retorted sternly. “And now is no time for such trivial arguments. I’m sure you know what’s going to happen.”

“Of course, I know. I knew this day would come.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “You mean you have always known you wouldn’t be able to fix the seal in time?”

“I mean I am not naive to think that the path ahead will be a breeze. There’s bound to be complications and detours. I have foreseen this.”

“You will be weakened.”

“I may not have been a weakling for a long time but I still remember my days as a nobody quite vividly. I will never forget my lowest moments. Besides, if I’m weakened significantly, you can thrash my arse around to your whims.”

“Tempting offer.”

“Isn’t it?” Aedan smiled and turned his gaze to Lilian. “I am ready, Lilian. Do it.”

“Aedan…” Lilian said softly. “You are aware of the repercussions, are you not?”

“I am well aware, Lilian, but it's nothing compared to what will happen if I don’t do this. Are you worried about me, Lilian? I am flattered.”

“Don’t be. I doubt you are actually flattered considering how you could easily charm three Fae.”

“Three Fae?” Erin blurted out and glared at Aedan.

Aedan smiled with a cramped face. “Lilian, as Erin has said, now’s not the time for discussing such trivial matters.”

“Yes, trivial indeed,” Erin grumbled in her mind but immediately reprimanded herself for being unfair to Aedan. She wasn’t exactly chaste herself.

“Fine, Aedan. If that’s your wish, then I shall do it,” Lilian said and placed a hand on Aedan’s right shoulder. “Erin, come here.”

“Me?” Erin pointed at herself and walked over to Lilian. “I know nothing about this spell.”

“You don’t need to. I just need to borrow your affinity with the Exalted Spirits here. Being Aedan’s paramour, you would have a great affinity with the Exalted Spirits here.”

“What do I need to do?”

“Just place a hand on his other shoulder and give me your other hand.”

Erin placed her right hand on Aedan’s left shoulder and surrendered her left hand to Lilian’s right hand.

“For what’s about to happen next, keep your hands on Aedan’s shoulder until I tell you otherwise,” Lilian said and gripped Erin’s hand tight. She then nodded at Olivia, who then nodded at Cassius and the servants in the room.

Cassius and the servants dropped to their knees and clasped their fists together on their chests. They began to chant— no, they began to pray. They were praying to their future god. Erin could hear their prayers and somehow, she knew the words and she joined in their prayers. Lilian was surprised but kept it to herself and continued with the conjuration of the sealing spell.

The Spirits around them manifested in dazzling glitters, draping over the three like one big veil, shrouding them from the grim world around them. Lilian began chanting in a language that Erin recognised as the Ancient Faerie Tongue but had no knowledge of. If she wasn’t so busy with the Covenant, she would love to have Lilian teach her.

The Spirits began to converge on Aedan’s collarbone. They seemed to sear themselves onto his skin but the calm expression on Aedan’s face told Erin the searing was only in appearance, not in actuality. The glowing glitters started to fade.

“Is it over?” Erin mused.

“Not even close, Erin. This is the only beginning,” Lilian said. “Just… try not to faint.”