A Wolf's Howl, A Fairy's Wing

"Elora!" Erik smiled warmly and exclaimed, mentally. "It's good to hear your voice again. How are you feeling?"

"Still a little weak, but mostly alright," she mentally smiled back. "But uh, why don't you fill me in on what's been happening during my nap?"

Erik opened up his memories, and the fairy quickly skimmed through them.

When she was done, she frowned thoughtfully and scanned Emily's body and soul to see what was going on.

A few minutes later, she finally spoke up again. "Well, your initial instincts were right. Not only has the corruption taken a deeper hold due to her emotional outburst back in Frostvik, but because the damage to my soul left the covenant temporarily weakened, it's also been rendered useless."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, she suddenly giggled, "Luckily, you already seem to have a handle on the situation. And a lovely solution it is, too!"

Hearing her enthusiasm caused Erik to roll his eyes, "Alright, alright, hold your horses, Elora. You read my memories, so you saw the promise I made her. Are you going to make me a liar?"

He promised Emily that Elora would reign herself in, and he needed to ensure the fairy would play ball.

Quickly, Elora's enthusiasm turned into a sad pout. "No, but I want it on record that I don't approve!"

"So noted," Erik chuckled. "So, do you have enough strength to do this now?"

"Sure," Elora nodded. "We should probably get moving; every hour we waste is another chance for Alice to be moved."

Erik refocused on Emily, who had started squirming and struggling in the last hour. After Erik had calmed her down earlier, she appeared to be losing the battle against corruption again.

"Elora's woken up, Emily," he said softly while caressing her hair. "Are you ready?"

"Y— Yeah," Emily nodded with a complicated expression. "Please, get it over with. I can't stand this anymore."

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Erik nodded and gently placed his hand over Emily's throat. Since Elora could still not use her body, Erik would be the catalyst for her magic.

"Don't resist," Erik said soothingly, just before his hand began glowing with dark green magic. A complicated pattern of runes and symbols was drawn, encircling Emily's neck and throat.

The black-haired girl gasped and opened her eyes wide. She felt something inside her being bound by chains as her personal liberty was slowly stripped away.

She felt her inner desire for freedom balk at what was happening. She could have resisted, but she forced herself not to, grasping any last shred of remaining sanity to remind herself she could trust Erik.

So often had she voiced her disgust for being enslaved, yet now, she could only jump in with both feet because the alternative was worse.

Luckily, it soon became easier. She felt the constant intrusive thoughts and desires that had haunted her for so long being suppressed and silenced. She felt the corruption taking a backseat to Erik's control.

Despite becoming bound to Erik, she felt freer now than she had been in a long time.

She didn't like her current circumstances, yet her lips couldn't help but form a smile as her mind finally quieted down. She now felt only love and a normal, uncorrupted desire to protect when she thought of Emma.

She turned to Erik, small tears in her eyes. "Thank you," she said in a voice laden with emotion. "It's been years since my mind was this quiet."

Erik noticed that her eyes still looked like cracked pieces of onyx with ruby-colored insides and wondered if that was permanent.

"Well, I'm glad you're still on board with the idea," Erik chuckled. "Don't worry, Elora will keep herself in check, and you can still call me whatever you like."

Emily immediately narrowed her eyes as some of her spunk was already returning. "She better. You promised!"

"Yes, yes. Don't worry," Erik chuckled and patted Emily's head under her frustrated pout.

With the Bond in place, she couldn't help but feel a kind of instinctual reverence for Erik, making it harder for her to oppose him. And she didn't like it one bit.

Still, the patting felt nice.

"So, ready to go back to the others?" Erik asked as he turned towards the entrance of the room.

"Yeah, but…" Emily began with a thoughtful frown. "Why do I still feel that blood-thirst, and even some…" she glanced at him with complicated feelings, "possessiveness towards you?"

Erik stopped and sighed before turning around and looking at her with a serious gaze. "If you're still feeling those things, then… that means they've become a permanent part of your personality. I'm afraid you'll have to learn to live with them."

"I see…" Emily mumbled and frowned.

'I'm glad she seems to accept this relatively easily,' Erik thought upon seeing her relative calm.

Suddenly, he thought of something, and a teasing grin appeared on his face. "Although… possessiveness is a character trait, but not when it pertains to a specific person. It would only be directed at me if some romantic feelings existed already."

Surprisingly, a slight blush appeared on Emily's face. "Shut up!" she exclaimed with frustration and stormed past Erik into the hallway.

Erik watched her go and chuckled. He and Elora had reduced the forced reverence in Emily's Bond as much as possible. He didn't want Emily to lose her feistiness, after all.

She may technically be enslaved now, but he had to admit to hoping it wouldn't change much about her or their relationship.

With a contented smile, he followed after Emily while shaking his head.

****

They returned to the suite to find Emma was just in the process of waking up.

The moment she noticed her big sister was up and about again, she smiled widely before encasing the woman in a big hug, a gesture that Emily returned with relief and happiness dripping from her face.

The last few hours had been nerve-wracking and heartbreaking. She couldn't stop thinking about locking Emma in chains to both protect her and get her out of the way so that Emily could have Erik all to herself.

After assuring Emma that she was fine, deciding not to mention the enslavement, they had a quick breakfast. Then Erik dragged the chained-up Victor in from the cold hallway.

It was time to find out Alice's location and get a move on.

So, about an hour later, after finding out all they could from Victor, they once again stood outside the hotel and turned toward Sweden.

Or, more specifically, in the direction of Stockholm.