Their camp that night was very active. Crow promised them something special, so everyone came out of his SoulScape to join in. While he didn’t partake, he provided plenty of wine, and more than a few were tipsy before dinner.

He didn’t drink any because their situation wasn’t as safe as he’d like, but after his night of drinking with Otto, they begged for it. After everyone was done eating, he stood up.

Everyone was on the beach, the safest place to create a large fire. Crow unloaded even more wood onto it so the flames reached higher. Then he stepped onto a flat rock that might have been used as a stage. Pulling out a stool, he sat down and smiled at everyone.

“You all ready for my special treat?” Crow asked.

“Yes!” many voices called out, so he did something he hadn’t done in a long while. To become a Bard, he had to create an instrument, and he pulled it out to tune it. Mara’s eyes lit up, and even Minnie was clapping her hands.

Although he was a little rusty, his skill and Sage’s Mind made it so after a short song, it was as if he had been playing all these years. After he got his confidence back, he began strumming upbeat tunes he knew.

The women danced around the large fire, and more wine flowed. Crow smiled at their antics while he sang popular songs heard in most taverns.

It was the songs whose lyrics were in another language that elevated the dancing to something more primal. Not even Crow knew what the words meant because they were songs passed to him through the Bardic method. The memories shared didn’t have a translation for them, nor did they have a history. It was almost as if they were embedded in their bloodline, something Druids had always known.

Overall, it didn’t matter because he chose the songs whose melody was upbeat and playful. It reminded him of the forest and small animals rushing about playfully.

At some point, Mara came onto the rock with him and had him move over. She took a stool and sat beside him but didn’t join in immediately. After watching his fingers dance across the strings, she pulled out an instrument of her own. Since she’d just awakened her bloodline, she didn’t create her own, but used something similar to a flute. When she started playing, the music elevated to another level. It wasn’t a stretch to say she was even more talented than he was. Her ability to match his tempo and create harmony was a talent that was rare among bards and musicians.

Their music pushed back the oppressiveness of the cavern. They dragged Acco and Otto onto the dance floor. Seeing the clumsy giant trying to dance caused Crow to laugh more than a few times.

Crow never realized their music was creating a far more significant impact than elevating their moods. Scath fled from the area in uncontrollable mobs, chased away by the music that echoed down the tunnels. The untranslated lyrics tore them apart, killing those closest to the music before they even had a chance to run. All this happened unbeknownst to them, inadvertently preventing a disaster for another group of people nearby and in the caverns below them.

Eventually, as his wives became too drunk, he had Acco escort them back inside his SoulScape. One by one, they were sent away until only a handful of people remained. Only Crow, Otto, and three witches were left in the end, but he knew Zoe, Minnie, and Leila weren’t drinking as much as the others.

As Crow headed toward one of the abandoned cabins, Otto nodded.

“Otto watch. All night. Sleep well.”

Crow smiled and lightly clapped the big guy on the shoulder. The three women had gone inside the cabin already, so he followed them in. There was already a bed setup, and the three women were half-naked.

“What is it?” Crow asked. The three were scheming all night, and he could tell they wanted something by the way they kept staring at him.

“Do…” Minnie actually flushed and couldn’t keep speaking. Crow had never seen her this tongue-tied as she was usually the most vocal of the witches.

“She wants to know if you have another Fruit of Avalon,” Leila stated. “It’ll be several years before you catch up to us.” She pointed at her chest, indicating they all had Ruby Shields.

“And you want to… tonight?”

All three women nodded.

“Normally, we wouldn’t have even dreamed of taking this risk, but with your SoulScape, we feel we can raise our children safely,” Zoe said. “When the time is right, we can send them to your clan to prepare them to enter the False Dawn Academy you’ve discussed.”

“What about the others?”

“We won’t ask for more fruits, but as our husband,” Leila giggled and raised her fist in the air. “Try your hardest.”

“You’ve turned naughty,” Minnie laughed, tickling the previously timid woman.

Crow and Zoe locked eyes and shared many thoughts and emotions in that one glance. A Fruit of Avalon appeared in his hand, and he handed it to Minnie.

“One question before you eat those. How are covens formed?”

The three women looked at each other, and Zoe sighed. “It’s a little tricky but not dissimilar to Acco’s Constellation. A priestess like me is determined during awakening, and her sisters will feel drawn to her.”

Zoe removed her robe, and her perfect body mesmerized him. While her hand moved toward her chest, his eyes were locked on her pale breasts. They weren’t large, but they were perfectly round with no sag. The tiny nipples made her body appear perpetually young and alluring.

“Eyes here, you lech,” Zoe laughed and pointed at her Shield. “See this symbol—it appears when we open our Source. Later, it becomes the symbol of our Shields.”

He’d already seen the symbol before but hadn’t thought much about what it represented. It was a twelve-point star, but the central part of it was bright and then faded as it flowed toward the tips of the star.

“And mine,” Minnie giggled as she stripped and watched Crow’s hungry eyes devouring her. Still, he paid attention to the Shield. Her star had the northernmost point highlighted, while the rest of the star was present but faded.

After her, Leila stripped down, but for her, it was the star’s southernmost point. Thinking about the ritual circles he saw them perform, he knew Leila and Minnie were always on the opposite side of each other.

“It’s probably what you are thinking,” Zoe said. “They are paired, and a pair is a minimum requirement for minor rituals. So they can perform rituals together. Technically, they can do it with the others, but it’ll be weaker unless they do it with me.”

“So when your Source awakens, a priestess, like you, will be born. Are your sisters awakened at that time, or does it happen over time?”

“Both. Sometimes they’ll know immediately, but other times it requires a meeting or interaction before syncing. If one of my sisters dies, another witch will join, but it might be years or decades before it happens. Orphaned witches usually hang around covens with one or two missing members.”

“Why?”

“Ideology,” Minnie told him. “Our Priestess is like our goddess, representing our values and beliefs. It is hard after we establish a coven to find a compatible replacement. It isn’t just Zoe they need to sync with at that point, but all of us. We have to accept them, so it’s more involved than just an awakening. Orphaned witches are welcome to travel with a broken coven because time can align us.”

“Enough talk,” Leila said. Her nipples had already hardened, and she stared at Crow as if seeing prey. Seeing her crazy look, he took a step back.

“Calm down, little sister,” Zoe laughed. “Eat your fruit first.”

Leila’s eyes widened because she’d already forgotten about that in the heat of the moment. Zoe and Minnie looked at each other before giggling. For them, seeing Leila acting like she did in the past made them feel eternally grateful they met Crow. It was doubtful anyone else could have helped that woman escape her destructive behavior as fast as he had. Both of them mentally promised to ensure their husband was treated well tonight.

Before they could start, Leila had already stripped Crow and jumped on him. Her legs wrapped around his waist, and her arms were around his neck. Considering how wet she was, Crow didn’t bother teasing her. His tongue entered her mouth while his cock entered her warm depths. Hands grabbed her firm ass as he pushed their bodies together, penetrating her so deeply her eyes involuntarily closed.

Leila’s mouth opened, and loud moans echoed through the room. It was nearly morning when the place finally went silent. All three women received his seed at least twice, just to be sure.

As Crow closed his eyes, he realized the implications of what he’d done. He was going to be a father, but he didn’t feel panic. Instead, there was a longing to hold his children in his arms.