Maxwell waved at Esmeralda inside the carriage. "Hello, Esmeralda! Sorry for coming to your place unannounced. But my lady friend here wants to see her sister Kate. Since I'm a fellow with a good heart and I can't stand seeing a damsel in distress, I escorted Ivy here into your place to reunite with her sister..." he announced.

He opened the door and commanded Ivy to leave the carriage. "Go to your sister now," he said.

Ivy eagerly stepped out of the carriage and looked at her sister trapped by the branches of the tree. "Kate!" she called out her name.

The carriage slowly floated in the air.

"Sister!" Kate replied excitedly at Ivy, she was trying to break free from the branches of the tree that was holding her back.

Esmeralda saw the scene unfolding in her eyes, she was appraising Ivy, then she looked at Kate. Obviously, the two were siblings, thier physical features are so alike in so many ways. She looked at the tree and gave her command. "Released Kate!"

The tree obeyed and released Kate immediately.

The sisters ran to each other in a happy reunion. Jumping with joy while embracing each other.

It was such a touching spectacle.

Maxwell saw the sister's joyous reunion happening below him, he shifted his gaze to Esmeralda, the old hag was looking at him! She was probably confused why he was doing such an honorable thing of reuniting the sisters. A smirk appeared on his lips. He was done delivering Ivy to her sister, his job is done. Now it's up to Ivy to complete her mission.

Time to leave!

He saluted to the old woman on the ground and instructed the birds to leave the place.

The birds flew back into the direction where it comes from.

Esmeralda was still looking at the golden carriage's form fading quickly into the horizon. A frowned appeared on her forehead. What kind of stunt Maxwell is doing right now? Bringing the missing sister to her home? Reuniting them—for what?

She walked towards the wooden bench and plopped down on it. She looked at Kate and Ivy's happy faces. It would be rude on her part if she will interrupt their happy reunion. So, she sat on the bench in deep thoughts trying to guess what would Maxwell benefit from this stunt?

While in the center of the floating piece of land. The wonderful reunion of the sisters coontinues.

Kate and Ivy were both crying due to happiness.

"Sister! I thought you're already dead!" Kate cried in happiness. She's been dying to find her sister yet she can't do anything. She didn't expect that they would be reunited here in granny's property. She was expecting the worst already for her sister after not seeing her for a long time.

Ivy released a deep sigh and starts narrating to her sister about her situation inside the vampires' dwellings.

"The vampires imprisoned me in a room. They drank from my blood almost daily. Maxwell informed me about you. I begged him to send me here so that I can see you. Now I'm finally here and I'm glad to see you alive and safe! I'm so happy!" Ivy said and embraced her sister tightly.

"D-did they hurt you physically, tortured you in any way?" Kate asked worriedly.

Ivy shook her head. "None of that happens. I didn't undergo any physical torture whatsoever. Fortunately, they like the quality of my blood, they are careful not to hurt me..." she answered. She was about to tell her sister about Maxwell's plan to resurrect his father using their blood but go against it. It's not yet the right time to tell her about it. They just met today. She just wanted to savor this momentous moment.

Kate holds her sister's hand. "Come, let me introduce you to my savior Granny Esmeralda! She's the one who saves me from the monsters in the pit and from the centaur and vampires who are trying to harm me. She's the best!" she said proudly.

Ivy allowed her sister to take her to granny. She studied the old woman's features, Esmeralda looks like a human being like them, but there is something not so human about her, her aura is different from humans. She's not human! she finally concluded.

"Is granny a human being like us?" Ivy asked to be sure.

Kate shook her head. "No. She belongs to the winged tribe. She is not human like us but her physical featured resembles us..."

The sisters stood in front of Esmeralda and the tree.

"Granny, let me introduce you to my sister, Ivy!" Kate said cheerfully.

"Nice meeting you, Granny Esmeralda!" Ivy smiled brightly at the old woman. "Thank you so much for saving my sister! You are so kind!"

Esmeralda smiled pleasantly at the two women. "Don't mention it. I'm always willing to save someone who needed my help," she responded. She looked at Kate and commanded, "Bring your sister inside the house so that the two of you can talk properly."

"Okay, Granny!" Kate steered her sister into the door and they disappeared inside the house.

The tree finally spoke. "Oh, Maxwell sent his spy to kill you inside your house!"

Esmeralda smiled in amusement. "That's absurd! Killing me means they will also die along with me. I think there is another reason for this..."

"But why does that vampire Maxwell send the missing sister here? Is it out of the goodness of his heart?" asked the tree.

"I dunno. Maybe Ivy begged Maxwell to send her to my place so that she can see and talk to her sister. I never know that those vampires are hiding Kate's missing sister. I thought Ivy already died a few months ago," she said. "It's a good thing that she is still alive. Kate can finally feel at peace with herself after seeing her sister alive and healthy," she added.

"Esme, are you going to adopt the older sister as well?" the tree asked curiosly.

Esmeralda smiled. "Why not? The more the merrier. I mean...did you forget our experiment?"

The tree shook its booty and laughed. "Agree, the more the better. But what if Maxwell comes back again to pick up Ivy? What will you do?"

Esmeralda fell silent for a moment. "I will leave the decision to Ivy. If she wants to go back to Maxwell, she's free to do it. I won't stand on her way. If she wants to stay here with her sister, then good. All we need is Kate, but if her older sister wants to live with us here then I'm fine with the idea," she replied.

"Hmm...I smell something fishy with Ivy's coming into our place. It's not that I don't trust her. It's that...there is a hidden agenda behind her sudden appearance here in our place..." the tree said.

Esmeralda shrugged her shoulder in a sign of indifference, not bothered at all. "Whatever it is, we will find out soon!"