There were certain situations in which Nicole enjoyed the idea of being chained up. Almost all of those situations involved being with the Lord in some way. The others were reserved for darker fantasies with characters she made up in her head. None of those situations involved being locked in a cold, dark cell awaiting her fate at the hands of a dangerous cult. Yet somehow, that was the situation the universe decided to put her in.

Her stomach growls, echoing off the cell walls. She scratches at the small, white gems embedded in her chains, wondering if they were edible. She suspected that they were the reason why her bracelet refused to listen to her commands. The white stones had dampened the magic inside of her, so much so that she was afraid the butterflies wouldn't come to her.

And then there was the matter of Irene. She wanted to smack herself for misjudging the opera singer. She had been so certain that when she and the Lord walked into her apartment that Irene was about to die. The chimera’s jaws had been poised above her throat, ready to rip her flesh out. Not to mention the fact that all clues had pointed towards her being the next murder victim.

A metal bowl clatters in front of her, interrupting her thoughts. Bits of its contents slosh onto the ground, filling the air with the aroma of cooked meat. Her mouth fills with saliva and her stomach whimpers at the sight of the food. Just as she was about to savagely dig into her meal, she notices her captor staring at her.

“Irene,” she said, wiping the drool from the side of her mouth. “Is this how you repay me for saving your life?”

The opera singer sneers at her from the other side of cell bars. “Think of it more as a consequence of serving the wrong goddess.”

Something about Irene’s words prodded at her memory of a conversation she had with Lillian, but she could hardly remember the details with her stomach aching so painfully. She picks at the meat in front of her, wondering if the Family had poisoned her food.

“You can eat it,” Irene said. “We haven’t done anything to it except cook it.”

She holds out a piece of meat to the opera singer. “Then you eat it.”

Irene quickly plops the piece of meat into her mouth, chewing it with relish. Satisfied, Nicole digs into the bowl, swallowing her food more than she chewed it. The meat was delicious, reminding her of pork except the flavor was more exquisite.

When she finishes, Irene cackles, her laughter filling the silence of the prison cell. She glares at her captor.

“What are you laughing at?”

Irene’s whole body was shaking now. Tears were rolling down her cheeks.

Dread seeps into her mind. What had she eaten? She voices this question to Irene, who proceeded to wheeze even harder.

“Was it rat meat? What did you put in the bowl? Answer me!”

It takes a few minutes before she settles down. During that time, Nicole stares at her bowl, imagining the horrible things she could’ve eaten.

“Did you think the meat was delicious?”

She remains silent, not wanting to give Irene the satisfaction of her yes.

“You don’t have to answer,” the opera singer said. “You were licking your fingers afterward.”

She grits her teeth, wanting to pluck out Irene’s ruby red eyes. Who knew the Family could be so infuriating?

Seeing that she wasn’t getting a rise of Nicole, she sighs, leaning against the stone wall. “You ate human flesh.” She said this in a lackadaisical manner, without a single ounce of relish.

Her stomach churned. Human? It was worse than she had feared. She was tempted to vomit, right then and there in front of Irene, to spill her bowels and wipe that satisfied look off of her face. Instead, she composed herself, ignoring the guilt that was pulsing through her.

“You were going to die that night if I hadn’t killed that monster. Why would you do this to me?”

Irene slammed her hands against the cell bars.“You didn’t kill a monster that night and you certainly didn’t save me.”

“That chimera was going to kill you,” she said, responding with equal venom. “I know what I saw.”

The opera singer scoffs. “That was the point, stupid. I was supposed to die that night by my sister’s hand. But then you had to come in and ruin everything.”

Sister? At least that explained Irene’s shapeshifting abilities. Still, the whole ordeal made no sense to her. Why would a member of the Family try to kill themself?

“Look, I don’t know what you’ve been through,” she said. “But suicide is never the answer. I don’t care if your sister said it was ok or if she was going to help you, but you should never take your own life.”

“What are you blathering about?” Irene’s voice came out as a mixture of anger and disgust.

“You wanted to die, right?”

“That’s the same as not having the will to live,” she said, finally catching Nicole’s drift. “I wanted to die for a higher purpose.”

“What could be worth losing your life over?”

“Purity,” she said, her eyes glazed with madness. “True devotion to the Mother.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Of course you don’t. You worship the Fallen One. You wouldn’t understand how filthy I feel knowing that I wasn’t created by the true Mother’s hands. All of us were born into the palms of the Fallen One. But there’s hope for each of us to redeem our sorry lives. If we die by our brethren, Ileana promises us that we can be remade. She promises us power beyond our wildest dreams.”

“You’re a fool if you believe her,” Nicole said. “Ileana would abandon you in a heartbeat if she had to.” She remembers the way Lillian stabbed Alice in her dream, how Ileana chose to lie still in the girl’s arms instead of helping her.

“She gave Alice power,” Irene said.

“Alice was born with her mind-reading abilities,” she retorts, remembering Cedric’s story of his childhood. “Ileana didn’t give her that.”

“I wasn’t talking about those powers. That’s nothing compared to the gifts Ileana has given her.”

“What gifts?” Nicole scoffs.

Irene smirks, gesturing to the cells surrounding her. “See for yourself.”

A low growl comes from the shadows, making the hairs on her arms stand up. She glances at the creature in the cell next to her and lets out a horrible shriek.

Back at the manor, the Lord paces around, trying to figure out some way to track down Nicole. He had woken up from his slumber when he heard her scream. He left his room too late to find her being carried off by two chimeras into the night sky. The two beasts had left a very large hole on his roof and an even bigger problem in his hands.

“They’re going to kill her,” he said. “I can’t believe I let them take her from me in my sleep.”

“You should’ve never brought a stranger to the manor,” the butler said.

Cedric wasn’t sure if Aaron was talking about Nicole or Irene. In a way, if Nicole never came to the manor, the problem of her disappearance would’ve never existed. But if she never came, he would’ve never gotten to know her. He would’ve never fallen in love. He had no regrets doing that, although he knew love wasn’t always a matter of choice. He couldn’t imagine life without her now, didn’t want there to be a life without her. As for the issue with Irene, he felt that was entirely his fault. He wanted to kick himself for not recognizing her as a member of the Family. The telltale gleam of a glamour over her eyes should’ve set off alarm bells in his head. But Nicole had insisted he take care of her.

“How will I find her now? The Family could’ve taken her anywhere.”

The butler sniffs the air. “You’ve slept with her recently, yes?”

The Lord blushes; his cheeks were red as tomatoes. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“You lust for each other,” the butler continues. “I can use your desires to track her if you wish.”

“You can do that?”

“I’m the Demon of Lust. As long as you feel a fire in your loins for her, anything is possible.” Aaron said all this with a serious face.

The Lord shakes his head at the strangeness of it. As long as this worked, he had no reason to question it.

“Well,” he said. “Go on. Track her.”

Aaron looked slightly uncomfortable. “I’m going to need greater access into your mind for this.”

Cedric stiffened. “What kind of access?”

The butler coughed. “I need the memory of you two fornicating.”

The Lord laughs, but the butler doesn’t join in. Cedric straightens his face. “You’re being serious.”

“Yes.”

Cedric lets out a big sigh. “You really need that specific memory.” He thinks about it for a moment, letting the embarrassment flood his mind. Anything to save her life, right?

“Fine,” he said, resigned. “Take the memory.”

Aaron places a hand on Cedric’s head, eyes flashing gold. “You won’t regret this.”

“I definitely will.”

The Lord feels the memory being pulled out of him as Aaron tugged on the strands of his mind. After what seemed like an eternity, the butler exits his head, holding his memory, which looked like a ball of yarn, in his gloved hands. He tosses the memory into the air, the strings transforming into a cloud of golden butterflies. Slowly, the butterflies form a line, showing the men a glittering path to the girl they were looking for.

Aaron grabs the lantern on his desk, the one that contained a single white butterfly that carried the essence of Lillian’s soul. Cedric looks at him quizzically.

“In case the Family would like to make a trade,” the butler clarified. “Come on, now. We probably don’t have that much time.”

As it turned out, Nicole hadn’t been very far from them. It took a short carriage ride for them to find themselves in front of the Royal Opera House. And they weren’t the only ones there. Masked figures decked out in gems and silks entered the building, whispering to each other. The Lord froze.

“It can’t be,” he whispered.

“My Lord? Is something the matter?”

“Good news. They won’t kill her.”

“Good news? That’s great news,” the butler said.

“Bad news. They’re planning to sell her off,” the Lord said, sinking against the soft, cushioned seat of the carriage. Before him, in the opera house, was the Family’s annual auction. Upper-class men and women, whether their allegiance is to the Queen or the Family, all took part in buying the strange goods offered every year. Elixirs of youth, unicorn horns, fairy wings - the auction had it all. But what the people really showed up for were the bodies. In addition to the magical goods, the Family ran the largest human trafficking ring in all of England. He should’ve trusted the Queen when she said that the Family was behind all the murders. Still, it made little sense to him. The Family never wasted a single corpse. Even if they did kill people, they never left behind any human remains. What they couldn’t use for spells and rituals, they fed to the Nefastus. Speaking of which, the monsters were prowling outside the opera house, sniffing each guest that passed them.

“They’re going to recognize my scent,” he said. “How will we get inside?”

“Leave it to me,” Aaron said.

The gold butterflies flew into the carriage, landing on their laps. They clustered on top of each other, melting into one another until they formed two gold masks. The men slipped them on and exited the carriage, letting the crowd surround them. They went inside the building, undetected by the Nefastus.

Underneath the opera house, Nicole found herself face to face with a creature she couldn’t identify. At first, she had assumed it was human, judging by its silhouette. But when it had pressed its face against the bars, she couldn’t imagine how she mistook it for something normal. It was an unnatural thing, its face some mashup between human and bat. Its hands left an unpleasant squelching noise as it wrapped around the bars, trying to touch her.

“What is that?” She mostly asked the question aloud to herself, not expecting Irene to give her an answer. But the opera singer had enjoyed her disgusted reaction too much to let the question hang in the air.

“Alice’s new gift,” she said. “She’s a bit new at this, but I think she’s doing great for someone who was just given the ability to make life.”

“That’s absurd. Only goddesses can create life.”

“Then you can say that the Mother has made Alice a goddess,” Irene replied. “Ileana rewards those that serve her well.”

“I don’t think killing yourself is the same as serving the Mother.”

Irene scowls, but she makes no comment. She simply leans against the wall, watching her the way a lion would watch its prey. It unsettled Nicole, enough to make her turn her back on Irene and stare at the walls instead.

A loud whistle cuts through the jail cell. Irene unlocks her cell door, grabbing the end of Nicole's chain. She yanks the girl out of her cell roughly, dragging her body on the ground.

"Get up," Irene barked.

"Where are we going?" Nicole dug her heels into the ground.

"We're having a show tonight," she replied, continuing to pull her through the ground.

"What's that got to do with me?"

With a final heave, Irene lifted Nicole into her arms and opened the door above them. She plops Nicole onto a stage before closing the door under her

"Why," Irene said, "you're the star of the show."

Before them were a sea of masked faces, all of them facing the stage. Irene stands up proudly, dusting the dirt off her dress.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, beaming at the crowd. "We have a special item for you today. Normally, we sell pretty girls for you to play with. But tonight, for the first time ever, we're selling one of our own. A real magical girl!"

She pushed Nicole forward as the crowd murmured.

"I'm not for sale!" She tries to jump off the stage, but Irene pulls her back, using the chain as a leash.

"Bidding starts at 200 pounds," Irene said. "I know she looks a bit feisty, but we're throwing in a calming elixir for free if you're up to tame her!"

"300 pounds," a man from the crowd said.

"400," another man chimed in.

"450," a lady said.

"Is anyone willing to bid higher? She's been blessed by the Great Mother," Irene said, taunting the crowd.

"500," said a man in a gold mask. Nicole spots a pair of mismatched eyes behind the mask, instantly recognizing the Lord. Next to him was a man with long hair wearing the same mask. She stops struggling in her chains, relieved that the men of the manor came to rescue her. Irene smirks next to her, assuming she admitted defeat.

"550," the masked lady shot back.

“700,” the Lord said.

“800,” the lady said, her tone taking on an aggressive edge.

“1,000,” the Lord said. “I bid 1,000 pounds.”

The crowd falls silent. Even Irene looked impressed.

“Anyone want to bid over 1,000 pounds?”

No one makes a noise. “Sold to the gentleman in the gold mask,” Irene said, shoving Nicole into the Lord’s arms.

She tries not to look happy for a girl who had just been bought by a stranger, stumbling into Cedric’s arms.

“I got you,” the Lord whispered, carefully picking her off the ground. “I’m sorry I ever let you go.”

“It’s not your fault,” she whispered back. “I’m just glad to be home.”

They make their way out of the auditorium, slipping by the well-dressed guests. But, before they could even make it a few feet past their seats, something stops them.

“Halt!” Alice appears on the stage, cradling a baby in her arms. Immediately, half the crowd stands, getting on their knees before her. Cedric and Aaron try to mimic them, bowing to her, but she wasn’t fooled by their ruse.

“My dear brother,” she said, her red eyes looking directly at them. “I don’t recall extending you an invitation to tonight’s auction.”

He tears off his mask, seeing no more use for his disguise. "Alice, we both know I don't need an invitation here."

"Just because I offered you a place within the Family doesn't mean you can just waltz in," she said.

"And just because I didn't respond to that offer doesn't mean you can kidnap people from my manor and try to sell them off," he replied.

"That girl is dangerous. I took her away for your own good."

“Dangerous? You’ve been a bigger threat to my life than she has,” he retorts.

Aaron removes Nicole from her chains, freeing her. She feels magic hum within her once again, eager to be unleashed after being suppressed even though her abilities have only been dulled for a short period of time. She shifts her bracelet into a sword, ready to defend herself.

“Let us leave peacefully,” he continues. “We don’t have to make this a bloodbath.”

“I'm afraid I can’t,” she replied. “You drew your weapons first.” She points to Nicole’s sword.

“Three against a hundred? That’s hardly a fair fight,” he said, looking around the auditorium. “Besides, you have abilities beyond the capabilities of most people. How can one sword pose a threat?”

“What if I made it three against three?” she suggested.

“I don’t want to fight,” he said adamantly. “Please let us go. Doesn’t the Mother tell you to show mercy?”

“Not when the enemies have placed themselves at your door,” she said.

“What if we made a trade?” the butler asked.

“Your money means nothing to me.”

“That’s not what I meant. You’ve been looking for the Fallen One, haven’t you?” He pulls the lantern from behind his back, revealing the white butterfly trapped inside.

“Is this some kind of joke?”

“I have her soul in this lantern. This is hardly a laughing matter,” Aaron replied dryly.

“That’s an insect.” But Alice didn’t seem so sure of her own words. The baby in her arms wails, causing her to rock it back and forth. Somehow, Nicole knew that child was Ileana. Their peculiar black eyes stared at her, all-knowing, even as tears fell down their chubby cheeks.

“Your Mother knows that is Lillian’s soul we have inside the lantern,” he said. “Look at how she cries at the sight of this little butterfly.”

So she wasn’t the only one that picked up on the baby’s true identity.

“What will it be? Are you willing to let us take the girl in exchange for the goddess?” Aaron asked.

Alice looks down at the crying baby. “Fine. I consent to this trade.”

The butler gives her the lantern as the butterfly violently flaps against the interior in protest. Alice grabs the lantern’s handle, holding the butterfly up to the baby’s face.

“Are you satisfied, Mother?”

The baby coos happily in her arms, clapping their chubby hands. Nicole watches the child open the lantern, a small sense of dread bubbling within her. The next events happen in slow motion. The butterfly exits the lantern, beating its fragile white wings. The baby’s hands reach towards it with frightening accuracy, their fingers closing around the insect with terrible ferocity. She heard the crunch of the butterfly dying in the baby’s hands and felt her heart speed up as the baby shoved the butterfly into its mouth.

“No,” she said. “You shouldn’t have done that.” The conversation she had with Lillian plays clearly in her head now. The Higher Order was going to punish them for violating their blueprint.

“The Fallen One is dead,” Alice declared triumphantly. “The Charis Realm is ours to remake.”

“Let’s go,” Cedric said, tugging at Nicole’s sleeve. “We can leave now.”

“Not so fast,” Alice said.

“We gave you what you wanted,” Aaron said. “We’ve earned our right to leave.”

The Family presses in on the three intruders, surrounding them. None of them looked like they wanted to budge any time soon.

“Kill them,” Alice said.