I blinked and my mouth went dry. I was still trying to figure out what exactly ‘love’ looked like, and Cannoli just laid her whole hand on the table. “Cannoli…”

She smiled, her eyes downcast, and she loosed herself from me. “I know that I shouldn’t really feel this way. I-it’s not allowed.” Her shoulders slumped as she slid from the bed and made for the bathroom, murmuring as she went, “You don’t have to say it back.”

“I-it’s not that I don’t want to! Really!” I called after her.

The reply was the squeaking sound of a faucet turning and then running water.

You’re choking, Kelmer. Follow her. I grabbed my boxers and hopped to the bathroom while simultaneously throwing them on. “There’s just a lot that goes with it, you know?”

Cannoli perched on the side of the tub, running a cloth beneath the water. She nodded without meeting my gaze. The low lighting danced along her ivory form, accentuating her curves and tender skin. Her hair trailed to her waist, glimmering brilliantly in the soft glow. She looked stunning.

“Here, let me.” I took the washcloth from her and wrung it out.

She nodded and turned, pulling her hair entirely over one shoulder. I gingerly cleaned her lower back while I searched for the right words to say.

“I care about you, Cannoli. More than I can say. Hell, maybe it is love,” I mused with a shrug. “But it’s not fair to either of us to say it just to say it, right?”

“I know. And I know I shouldn’t say it. But that’s the only word I can come up with when I think of you.” Cannoli idly braided a thick section of her hair. “I’m sorry, Matt. I feel like I messed this all up.”

I kissed her shoulder before moving to clean her tail. “You didn’t mess anything up.”

A small smile played at the corner of her lips. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

I slept restlessly that night, both Cannoli’s confession and thoughts of everything that could go wrong with our quest plaguing me. Hearing the knock on the door for breakfast was both comforting and infuriating—I couldn’t have slept more than a couple of hours, but at least the night was over.

Cannoli dressed without a word and left first, apparently just as preoccupied with her own thoughts as I was. Maybe it was for the better; we couldn’t fuck this mission up.

Breakfast was filled with empty conversation under the watchful eyes of Ara and Amira. Ball shivered in Ravyn’s lap while Buttons made a game of tossing berries with his tail and catching them in his mouth. He seemed like the only one able to escape the heavy tension in the room.

Once we’d finished, Keke, Cannoli, and Ball stayed back in the house as we’d planned, and Ravyn and I made for the docks.

“You and Cannoli okay?” Ravyn asked in a rare moment of her caring about forces outside of her control.

“That obvious?”

“Mm.”

Ball soared overhead; I could just barely make out his wings against the sky. “I think so.” I wasn’t sure how much I could tell her. I didn’t want her blowing up in either of our faces. “She’ll talk to me if not.”

Ravyn studied my face and shook her head. “Baka,” she murmured.

“What?”

“Nothing. You need to focus on this right now. Here.” She handed me one of the scrolls and two of the white mixtures. “Remember, these [Trance] potions don’t take a lot. One bottle can knock out a handful of catgirls.”

“Got it.” I shoved all three items into my [Cat Pack]. My heart pounded against my chest and goosebumps prickled on my arms. This was finally happening.

Portia’s sloop was still situated on the dock. Her outline was dark against the sunlight, and she held a fishing pole over the bow, sitting cross-legged with a beer at her side. Can I be doing that instead?

Two heads caught sight of Ravyn and me, and the twins raced toward us and bowed deeply.

“Master Matt! We apologize for our behavior,” Destiny—she was the teal-haired one, right?—said.

“We understand our service was not up to standard and wish only for your forgiveness,” Lara added.

“Mou ii.” Ravyn crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “Kind of ironic, eh Matt?”

We’d expected that they’d apologize. I was glad that our plan was starting off smoothly.

Lara’s gaze flickered back and forth between us, her hands clasped and writhing. “Ironic?” she asked meekly.

I shrugged. “Yeah. What was it? Grace, service, urgency? Ever since we’ve come to Venicia, not one maid has invited us in for coffee or tea. It’s all closed doors around here.”

The twins exchanged looks. Destiny chewed her lip, bowing deeper, “W-would you like to join us for tea, Master?”

“Kehehehe. Now that’s more like it,” Ravyn snickered. “See? I told you they’d want another chance.”

Lara flinched. “That’s very kind of you, Miss.”

“Lead on, then?” I said, gesturing behind the twins.

“Of course!” they replied in unison, turning heel and guiding us away from the dock.

“You won’t get in trouble just abandoning your post?” Ravyn asked with a raised brow.

Destiny shook her head. “M-Madame Celestia would much rather us be training at school.”

“Why aren’t you there, then?” I wondered aloud.

“We have not attended in quite some time.” Lara glanced back at me. “Truly, we thought the Madame had given up on us and our futures in Venicia entirely. The day you arrived was the first time we spoke with her in months.”

“I see,” I replied.

“She’s a bitch. I don’t blame you,” Ravyn said bluntly.

Destiny and Lara both winced.

Trouble in paradise?

The ocean remained to our left as we walked, and the lines of ornate houses diminished in size the further we traveled. They never quite reached what I was accustomed to seeing on Ni—like Keke and Cannoli’s homes. However, the dwellings set off from the mansions of Venicia were ivory hovels in comparison.

“I assure you, Madame Celestia has been n-nothing but kind to us,” Destiny squeaked. “I-It is just…”

“We are from Leche. Lest we ever forget,” Lara sighed.

Ravyn and I exchanged looks but said nothing.

“Here we are!” Destiny said brightly, turning up the pathway of one of the meager homes.

A freshly manicured lawn and a line of miniature hedges flanked either side of us. Lara opened the door and welcomed us inside with a bow. The place was still far nicer than anywhere I’d ever lived before. Plush rugs and furniture decorated the main room, and paintings of landscapes lined the walls and hallway. I felt a nostalgic pang in my chest and hoped Saphira was doing alright.

“Please, sit anywhere you like,” Lara said.

“You’re making tea, right?” Ravyn asked.

“Of course,” Destiny said.

Ravyn stepped around the furniture to where the twins stood. “Then we’ll come to the kitchen with you.”

“B-but, you must make yourselves comfortable—” Lara stammered.

“Ara ara. I’m comfortable knowing my tea’s being made just how I like it. Let’s go, ladies,” Ravyn snapped.

I closed the door behind me and followed Ravyn’s lead. Guilt trickled down my spine for these girls, but this had to be done.

The kitchen was immaculately clean, albeit cramped. But there was still a round wooden table with four chairs assumedly for Destiny, Lara, and any guests. I took a seat while Ravyn hovered around the twins, heckling them at every turn as they lit the stove and prepared the leaves.

“That’s all you use for tea? Baka, double that amount, at least,” Ravyn barked. “Otherwise, you may as well serve plain hot water.”

“O-of course, Miss!” Destiny whimpered.

Lara grabbed a silver tray and placed it on the table alongside a sugar bowl, a saucer of milk, and four cups.

“Do you two drink milk with your tea?” I asked.

Just as Lara nodded and opened her mouth to reply, Ravyn snapped over her shoulder, “Every respectable catgirl drinks milk with their tea.”

Lara blushed. “A-as the mistress says.”

“Now get back here and tell your sister that five minutes is too damn long to steep tea!” Ravyn demanded.

The flustered girl turned back to the stove, adding her voice to the choir of Ravyn’s shrill commands and Destiny’s weak grumbling.

I realized I wasn’t going to get another shot at this. I slowly reached for the saucer of milk and pulled it beneath the table while all three girls had their backs turned. There wasn’t enough room to pour the [Trance] potion in with it, and I was sure someone would notice if I dumped it on the ground. So, I turned to the side and stole as deep a swig of the stuff as I could, draining the saucer with two swallows.

“Oh, Master Matt—” Lara began to turn.

I nearly choked on the cool liquid. Ravyn realized what was happening and growled. “Hey! Don’t worry about him right now. We have tea to make.”

“R-right! My apologies!” Lara abandoned her plan and returned her eyes to the kettle.

Dropping my hands back beneath the table with the empty saucer, I waited a few heart-pounding moments to make sure their attentions were still on the tea. That was too damn close. Satisfied that I had at least another minute, I withdrew the potion from my [Cat Pack] and popped the cork with my thumb. I dumped its contents into the saucer and shoved the emptied bottle back into my pack before replacing the saucer.

“How’s it going over there?” I asked, hoping to sound impatient but coming off breathless instead. Didn’t spec high into sleight of hand, did I?

“Maybe it would be better if they went to the etiquette school,” Ravyn cackled. “Can’t make a decent cup of tea to save their lives, it seems.”

Lara squeaked. “I-I’m so sorry! Please, we are doing our best, Master!”

I sighed. “Aren’t you being a little hard on them, Ravyn? Not playing a very good guest right now.”

“Mattaku. You may enjoy tasteless hot water, but I don’t. Besides, future guests can only benefit from my personal guidance.”

Ravyn’s war on tea continued, and by the time they joined me at the table, Destiny and Lara looked utterly defeated. Their eyes remained in their laps with their heads bowed, ears flat against their hair.

“Here, let me. Please.” I took the teapot and served them as gracefully as I could, though the delicate handle felt awkward in my bulky fingers.

“Master Matt! You musn’t!” Destiny insisted. “You are our guest!”

I chuckled and continued pouring. “We’re not doing a very good job of that. It’s fine.” After filling all four cups, I swiftly took the milk and generously filled Destiny, then Lara’s cup, followed by Ravyn and mine. Ravyn looked at me expectantly, and I gave her a nearly imperceptible shake of my head. Thankfully, Destiny and Lara were scooping sugar into their teacups and didn’t seem to notice.

“Perhaps Madame Celestia is right. We shall never be proper maids,” Lara lamented into her tea.

Destiny sighed and lifted her cup. “I wish to disagree with you but find it difficult.” She blew a measure of steam away from the surface and took a sip. Her eyes widened, and she glanced at Ravyn. “Goodness! This is perfect!”

Ravyn grinned. “See? Practice makes perfect.”

Destiny and Lara both drank deeply from their cups while Ravyn and I stole pretend sips from ours.

“What’s Leche like?” I asked, hoping to spark more conversation while we waited.

To my relief, Lara refilled her cup with more tea and more of the potion. “We were very young when we were brought to Venicia. Neither of us has many memories. But, I do remember the cool spring days when the butterflies arrived.”

“Butterflies?” Ravyn asked.

Once Lara was finished with the sugar, Destiny did the same, accepting more of the tea and potion. “Yes. During the same time each year, hundreds of purple butterflies would migrate to Leche for its flowers. There’s a festival and a feast to celebrate.”

“That sounds like quite a sight,” I replied. I bet Cannoli would melt for something like that. “Why did you leave?”

“Our mother perished in battle against a Defiled,” Lara murmured. “Bringing us to Venicia was her final wish.”

Destiny yawned. “Ah, excuse me. As she says, we were brought here. To be kept safe from Defiled attacks.”

“Hm? Have the Defiled never attacked Venicia?” Ravyn traced the mouth of her teacup with one finger.

“Not for many years. It is the best-guarded city on Shi Island.” Lara rested one elbow on the table and leaned her chin on her hand. Her lids were heavy, and she stifled a yawn. “My sincerest apologies. I find myself quite tired.”

“You, too?” Destiny’s shoulders slumped, and she rubbed her hands on her face. “Something feels…amiss…”

Lara slowly looked between us, fighting to keep her eyes open. “What… what have you done?”

I’m so sorry, girls.

Before they could say another word, both girls were asleep. We stood and pulled the twins from their seats, laying them carefully on the floor.

“That’ll keep them under for a couple of hours. We’ll need to work fast.” Ravyn found the clasps of Destiny’s dress and unfastened them, divesting it with impressive speed. She turned to me and snapped, “Hey! Don’t just sit there! We have shit to do!”

“Right. Sorry.” I nodded, finding similar clasps on Lara’s dress and unhooking them with trembling hands.

Saoirse forgive me.