Toni sat on the bed, his eyes fixed on the floor. His mind was racing with everything Jasmine told him. Not only about the Goddess's gifts, but the hybrid humans. A talking Lamia was a unique occurrence, but two more talking goblins? That was too much. It made his mouth run dry.
Then there was Claire and her party. Their gift. Their inter-party romance. The fact that they were all romantically involved was something he couldn't comprehend. He was only now figuring out his own feelings.
Then there was Casseus, Ryely. His heart ached upon thinking of the butler. He desperately wanted to be with him. Wanted his first time to be shared with him. It was weighing on him.
But he decided to join Claire. To free Ryley from that woman's estate and from his torture. He could barely stomach the thought of Lilith beating the butler, much less whatever else happened.
His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on his door. He looked up to see Hannah peaking through. Her usually stoic expression was filled with uncertainty and panic.
"Jasmine is back. And she brought Claire."
A mix of anticipation and fear filled Toni. He'd only seen the woman from a distance, too exhausted at the time to even focus on others. He began to question himself, his actions.
Jasmine entered alongside the woman he'd heard so much about. The stunning red hair he remembered from that morning after. Her green eyes were full of determination. She greeted him with a warm smile.
For a moment, there was silence. Both Hannah and Toni waited for her to react to his blessing. His hand reached up to the beauty mark as he studied Claire. She looked very similar to the butler, their facial structure and noses matching. It was the hair and eyes that were different.
"Hello, Anthony," Claire said calmly. She was able to overcome the intense feeling of lust she felt upon entering the room. Her initial reaction almost made her freeze, but her skill quietly activated. "I'm Claire."
Both Toni and Hannah relaxed. Their shoulders softening in unison as the knight closed the door. She caught a glance of the Ravian woman before closing the door. She was busy talking to some of the boys who were still wandering the halls.
"Hi," Toni said sheepishly. The more he looked at the woman, the more he thought of her brother. "You can call me Toni…"
Hannah walked over to her master, hearing an unfamiliar tone from him. He was either afraid or incredibly shy. She stood beside him, hoping to comfort him with her presence. She felt his hand grip hers.
"We have much to discuss," Jasmine said. She moved two chairs and offered one to Claire. Toni watched the two exchange a hesitant glance.
"Right," Claire said. She sat in the chair, exhaling slowly. "Tell me about Ryley."
Toni nodded. His mouth still felt dry, but holding Hannah's hand helped. "Um, we visited your Lady's estate to perform. H-he was there as her head butler… I got to know him…"
"Right," Claire said with a faint smile. "I heard about your crush."
Toni nodded. He could feel his face begin to burn up as he continued. "He and the other boys were subject to horrible treatment. Th-they had scars and trauma from…"
He couldn't force himself to say it. His throat seized up as he thought about what he witnessed.
"Allow me," Hannah said quietly. Toni looked up to his retainer and squeezed her hand. A silent thanks. "The boys of her estate suffered routine beatings, torture, and most likely forced prostitution. There were clear signs of sexual abuse on each of the boys' bodies. One of our scouts even confirmed there's a dungeon beneath Lady Lloyd's manor. In there, she confirmed multiple torture devices, some sexual, some not."
Claire held her hand up. She took a deep breath to release the anger building up within her. "We figured. I want to know about my brother. Was… was he okay?"
"For the most part," Hannah said. She glanced back at her master, who was staring at the ground. "The last day he was there, he was beaten so badly that he needed to be taken to a healer. But-"
Claire clenched her fist. It was the first actual news she had heard about her brother, so she was filled with some relief. But every other part of her was filled with rage. The knight watched her carefully, picking up on her rage.
"H-he was still surviving," Toni mumbled. He, too, could feel the emotions radiating off the redheaded adventurer. "He only broke down when I told him about you…"
Jasmine placed her hand on Claire's. She squeezed Claire's hand, hoping to ease her anger. She met Claire's eyes, which were beginning to calm down.
"Tell me more," Claire finally said. She was holding back the anger in her voice as she spoke. "How does he look? Does he even remember us?"
"H-he does," Toni said. He was slowly getting over the nervousness he had. "His professional demeanor fell apart upon hearing your name… and he grew into a very f-fine young man."
A faint smile appeared on Claire's face. A bit of happiness overcame her hearing that Ryley remembered her. She feared he'd forget her after the years of torment. Something good she could tell their mothers.
"Thank the go-" Claire shook her head. She had no one else to thank. "The Goddess."
"He went by a different name," Hannah spoke up. "The Lady's excuse was 'rehoming' the boys she took in. Her twisted way of showing off her charity to guests."
Claire let out a sigh. "Of course. Everything she does always comes back to reputation."
"Sounding more and more like Elizabeth." Jasmine teased gently. She could feel her lover's rage calming.
"If I worked with that bitch monthly, I'd be a lot more spiteful," Claire laughed back.
"Eh, you don't hear her behind closed doors," Jasmine shot back.
The knight exchanged a glance with her master. Both could tell from the way they looked at each other.
"Anyways," Claire said after a moment. "I'm just glad he's alive. And I guess this can be seen as good news…"
"Indeed," Jasmine said. "We were worried he'd been moved since he was approaching eighteen."
Hannah grimaced. "Your Lady does like them young."
Both nodded in disgusted unison.
"She does." Jasmine replied, "Which is why we're more worried about Ryely. His birthday is at the end of winter…"
"Any ideas on where he could go?" The knight asked.
Jasmine shook her head. "If your Lady doesn't know, then there's no chance I would."
"Which is why we have to act fast." Claire declared. She took a deep breath, letting the anger fully leave her. "We need to rescue him before that time comes."
Her eyes turned to study the dancer. He gulped upon meeting her eyes. "Jasmine says you wanted to join us."
Toni nodded. "Y-yes."
"Even with the gift I bestow?" Claire asked. She watched the man readjust, seeing the hesitance. He nodded.
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes to free him," Toni said more confidently.
Claire glanced at the knight. She wasn't on the mural in the church. "What about you, Miss Knight?"
"I was instructed to follow my master," She said confidently. "And I choose to follow him into this."
Claire exchanged a glance with Jasmine. The assassin shook her head. "Did Jasmine tell you how this would work?"
Both shook their head.
Claire hung her head for a moment. She laughed at the ground before standing. "I'd prefer for this to happen with a better mood and all, but whatever."
She undid her pants, causing the two's eyes to widen. Her pants dropped to the ground as she continued her explanation. "My gift is bestowed in one way. The way my Goddess chose, so blame Her."
Jasmine unconsciously licked her lips. She glanced at the two who were frozen in place. She exhaled slowly, getting a hold of herself. "You'll need to ingest her sexual fluids."
She nearly laughed upon seeing their expressions change. A mix of fear and excitement was clear in the way their eyes wandered down Claire's body. She could hear their breathing change as the bulge in Claire's panties began to expand.
She loved how quickly Claire could get excited.