A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

With Elora floating ahead of them, they started moving slowly across the courtyard, towards the Ashcroft manor. Elora's figure was glowing softly, as she used her expertise to carefully search for any sigils along the way.

Occasionally, she would fly down, and her figure would light up as she disabled some trap or warning sigil. She made sure that no alarms would go off anywhere, as that might even spoil their later plans.

Behind them, the guards that Erik previously knocked out had already woken up but remained to guard the place as if nothing had happened. Which was understandable, because, in their mind, that was true.

Elora simply sealed their memory of getting knocked out, before waking them up again. They were just first-rankers, after all. To them, it was like blinking; except, their blink lasted five minutes, but neither of them realized that part.

Meanwhile, Emma and Emily looked around with melancholy in their eyes. They started telling him stories of how they climbed that tree, or played games on that field, and Erik listened patiently.

But despite the slight melancholy they displayed, he didn't miss the smiles on their faces. "You two seem happy," he commented when a lull fell in their memories.

"And why wouldn't we be, Master?" Emma smiled softly, before sweeping her arm in front of her, as if revealing the estate to him. "When you first arrived here, we hardly knew you, and you hardly knew us. And with everything happening back then, we didn't really have time to show you the place."

Then, she turned to him with a bright smile, "But now we do! In fact, we've both come to love you! And now we're bringing the man we love home, not only to show him the place, but to have him meet our parents properly! It's a happy occasion!"

On his other side, Emily grinned mischievously, "A happy occasion indeed. The only that would have made it even better is if I could have seen our parent's faces when they realize we're bringing home the same man."

Emma pursed her lips a little uncomfortably, "I'm sure they would have accepted us eventually…"

But Emily scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Maybe Mom would have, but our father was a traditionalist through and through. You know that as well as I."

Emma looked at her older sister sadly, "You know he loved you, right? He loved both of us. He just didn't know how to be a father to two girls…"

Emily grumbled a little, although she appeared to accept her sister's words, "Well, he could have at least made a little more time for us."

At that point, Erik decided to step in, "Well, no matter how they would have reacted, I would have liked to meet them. Why don't you two tell me a little more about them?"

Happily, Emma started telling her own rose-tinted stories about their parents, and their time growing up in London, followed by a somewhat more realistic telling by Emily.

In the meantime, they'd made it to the manor proper, and entered inside. There were no more sigils here, so Elora decided to give them their moment, by disappearing back into Erik's soul.

Here, the stories continued. Although, as it turned out, they would also create some new memories. Three of them, in fact.

It started when they visited Emma and Emily's childhood rooms and, to no one's surprise, Emily teased Erik with the possibility of having some fun in her room.

A possibility that Erik gladly turned into reality, after convincing Emma to join in as well. Thus, they walked out of the older sister's room about an hour later with satisfied expressions. But it didn't end there.

They also stopped by the wine cellar where Erik had once been chained up, which prompted Emily to request a punishment, leading to another short, perverted tryst.

And finally, the third and last time, was in a somewhat surprising location: the study room.

This was the place where Emily's usage of a sigil led to her corruption, and where Emma had been locked away for years, chained to a wall. Erik had been surprised, when Emma insisted they visit this room as well, but naturally wouldn't try and dissuade her.

In fact, he was proud that she wanted to face her demons.

When they entered the room, Emma was stone-faced and determined, while it was actually Emily who looked to be far more nervous and anxious. Guilt was written across her face, and she was having trouble looking at her little sister.

But Emma knew the cure for Emily's depression. After they entered the room, she looked around slowly, and took a deep breath, before turning to her big sister.

She smiled brightly, and hugged her sister tight, much like she'd always done in the past when Emily was having trouble with something, "It's alright, big Em. I forgive you, really."

She'd told her this before a few times, but for some reason, it hit harder this time, as a slightly trembling Emily hugged Emma back. She nodded softly without a word.

Then, Emma turned to Erik, and she put a hand on his chest. A slightly perverted grin appeared on her face, "As for you… I'd like you to use the pleasure and love you give me to wipe away the bad memories of this place."

Despite his surprise, Erik didn't see a reason to refuse her, as the emotions he felt from her were determination and love.

Thus, they had sex for the third and final time that day.

Afterward, they continued reminiscing, and even Emily eventually was giggling happily. Emma was glad to see her big sister like this. It hadn't even been two months since Emily had married Erik, and Emma was still getting used to seeing her big sister happy again.

It almost made her forget about her big sister's homicidal tendencies.

The mood was happy as they moved joyfully through the house, but unfortunately, it didn't last. Erik had felt the slight anxiety they felt through his bond with them, but he knew what it was about it, and let them come to it on their time.

And that time was now.