Prior to rescuing Maria, Bast had the foresight to leave a quick letter for his mother to find in her office. There he explained that Maria had almost been kidnapped and that he, along with Will—ever the proper gentlemen raised by good and righteous mothers—had offered to escort her and her friends back to Moonacre. With a promise to write to her as soon as they'd arrived, he kindly asked her to pass the message along to Will's parents and ended the letter with a quick 'Love you, mum! – Sebastian'. He conveniently failed to mention when they'd be back.

Now in Moonacre, the location where Will would reside while awaiting their next confrontation with his uncle, caused a tense discussion among the two factions. Robin believed taking him to the castle would be the safest for Maria, and everyone else of course. In the castle, they had the manpower to watch Will and stop him immediately. They could even lock him away in the dungeons if necessary.
Maria protested this option, worried they would ostracize him and believing she could be a bigger help to him should he be overcome by Harrison. Ultimately, Sir Benjamin sided with Robin, and being that he was the owner of Moonacre Manor, his decision was final.

That is how Bast and Will found themselves eating breakfast amongst the De Noirs the very next morning. It was a hearty meal as expected, filled with plenty of venison, eggs, porridge, biscuits, coffee, and tea. Though his current stay wasn't as friendly as his previous one, it wasn't as bad as Maria worried it would be. He simply had to put up with a few mistrusting glares from the rest of the inhabitants and an occasional jest here and there.
James was somewhere in the castle too. He always preferred to stay with the De Noirs, finding their company welcoming and entertaining—of course, Cecille's presence had nothing to do with it. It's not as though he kept an eye out for her—conveniently matching their run-ins during her breaks or distracting her from her duties. This of course left her feeling flustered, not knowing what to do with the sudden attention and worried about being reprimanded for falling behind on her work. Unfortunately for her, this wasn't missed by many, and soon she was teased about it as well. David offered to help and tell James to back off, but despite the bright blush, Cecille asked him not to, though she did avoid the great hall that morning.

Maybelle had yet to join them, she was still mourning with her family. The matter of Charles's death also caused some contention within the family. His immediate family and those who supported him wanted to have a proper burial, while Robin and the rest felt Charles was undeserving of it. Ultimately Coeur decided on a compromise. All the mirrors were covered (after all, Robin did not want his cousin's spirit trapped with them for all eternity) and a black wreath was hung up on the main doors. However, Coeur drew the line at displaying his body in any of the public rooms and only gave them one day to mourn with his body. Charles was to be buried the very next day.

Will paused his eating to study his friends. Though weary and bruised, all looked to be in much better spirits and had changed back into the traditional De Noir style of clothing—charcoal liner and all. He and Bast had also changed, though they both opted to borrow their more 'sensible' clothes, neither of them finding the leather trousers appealing. His sight then fell on Robin.

Will's heart still stung from Maria's rejection, but if he was honest with himself, Robin was a better fit for her otherworldly life. Had Maria accepted his proposal, he would have asked her to stay in London, permanently. He never admitted it until now, but deep inside he knew that would have created a rift between them.
Robin and Will were simply from two different worlds and Maria was the bridge between them—or at least that's what he used to think, until learning that his uncle had also been involved since the beginning of Maria's misfortune. Perhaps he wasn't as normal as he thought he was.

Figuring there was nothing to be done about it, he shook his head and focused back on his meal. Before he could take his next bite, a dull ache developed from the back of his eyes. His body grew stiff and his muscles began to cramp.
Will grit his teeth as he fought to move his arm, "He's trying to take control!"

Then he began to convulse. His broken hand shot out from its sleeve. His palms slammed on the table. He grabbed the tablecloth and pulled it with him as his body shot back and hit the floor, spilling everything to the ground.

His friends ran to him, Bast held down his torso, while the rest held on to a limb to stop Will from hurting himself.

Will's arms shook violently, grasping for anything, as he tried to break free of their hold. His hand fell upon a tankard. Smoke erupted from his grip and he screamed before falling limp, then he groaned painfully.

Robin lifted the tankard, studying it with a quizzical expression.

"It's the iron," Henry noted as he inspected the ring of metal holding the cup together. "Lizzy and I read about this. The occult, fae, magic, demons—iron is a weakness to many."

"But downright stopping a possession?"

"Seems like a short-term solution. Doubt it'll hold up."

"What about holy or blessed items?" Bast suggested as he helped Will sit up. He grimaced as he spotted Will's broken arm, now bent at an ungodly angle behind his elbow. Will bit the collar of his shirt, clamping his mouth shut to avoid yelling from the pain as Bast snapped his arm back into position.
"Crosses, rosaries, and the like?" Bast continued looking pale and carefully released Will's arm. "Isn't that what Catholics use to exorcise their lot?"

Unfortunately, the De Noirs weren't the most religious people. After re-splinting Will's arm, they searched throughout the castle and came upon the first cross in the library. Richard snatched it from the wall and stuck it to Will's forehead, shouting, "Demon begone!"

Nothing happened and Will was not amused, but that was only the start of their teasing. Every time some new cross or piece of iron was found, it was immediately tested against Will. They did not care that he was currently not possessed and therefore unaffected by those items. Eventually, Bast convinced him to carry a cross in his breast pocket, just in case it could prevent another possession.

By splitting up, they managed to quickly scour the castle and found a few wooden crosses. In their treasury they found several religious relics: crosses, alter bells, and rosaries made from either gold or silver, but Robin doubted it would be enough.

The Merryweather estate, however, should be a completely different matter.

Joined by Coeur and Dulac, the young men saddle their horses and took all that they could find, hoping for a bigger loot at the manor.

"My word, what's all this?" Digweed asked by the gates.

Robin greeted him with a nod and simply replied, "We have an idea."

Everyone but Minerva, who was still resting, was rounded up and squeezed into Sir Benjamin's office where Robin told them what happened to Will. As he spoke, Maria pulled Will to the side. She hovered her hands over his broken arm and ribs and began to heal him. Will tried to protest, but Maria was having none of it and reminded him that the only way he could help them was if he was in fighting form. Not finding a good argument, he relented and purposely avoided the occasional glares from Robin and Sir Benjamin.

"If I understood correctly," Sir Benjamin said once Robin finished, "There are two key dangers to our defense: The first, Robin and William may still be compromised. The second, we could all become compromised should they curse us?"

"In general, yes," Regina agreed. "Though I don't believe we should isolate them from the group. We need all those who can fight. Moreover, Minerva believes Robin is free now and Harrison can only possess someone dead. Therefore, the rest of us are safe, though unsure of the exact method for which he possessed Will."

"Yes, well since Althea can still control many minds at once, and she's under Harrison's control, I'd consider them one and the same," Sir Benjamin replied.

"Is it true? Do you remember now?" Loveday cut in. Her voice was brimming with hope and she was looking intently at her brother.

Robin cleared his throat and looked away, "Erm, I believe so. Bits have been coming back." Loveday squeezed through and gave Robin a large hug. He avoided everyone's gaze, feeling thoroughly embarrassed by the sudden attention.
"Back to the matter at hand," Robin continued once he was released from her hold, "We believe we can use iron or whatever holy items you may have to keep us safe."

"Very well then," Sir Benjamin said. Turning to his wife he then added, "We will send you, our son, Mrs. Heliotrope, and all those who may be vulnerable to hide in the church."

"I think not!" Mrs. Heliotrope shouted. "I-I-I want to stay here and help Maria!"

"I admire your bravery but I doubt a parasol will do much against a demon and a monster." Sir Benjamin's retort garnered a chuckle from around the room.

Mrs. Heliotrope's cheeks grew red, but she persisted, "I can pray!"

"Which you can also do from the church; it may even strengthen your prayers."

Mrs. Heliotrope was about to protest once more when Maria took her hand, "I appreciate it, I truly do, but I also think it's for the best. You should remain with Loveday and Albert to ensure they are safe."

"Father," Robin asked, "Do you want to go to the church too?"

"I'm recovering not retired!" Coeur guffawed as though he'd just heard the most ridiculous thing in the world. "Boy, if I'm to die tonight, it'll be through a glorious battle! Any concerns I may have had about my legacy have eased knowing you've improved. All that's left is finalizing a lady for the castle—we could do that now if you'd like..." He finished with pointed looks between Robin and Maria.

Sir Benjamin choked on his tea and fell into a coughing fit. Robin narrowed his eyes at his father as the tips of his ears burned red. Maria had turned scarlet and shrunk back to hide behind her friends who were in fits of giggles. Will looked annoyed.

"When do we leave? And for how long?" Loveday asked, coming to the rescue as she rubbed her husband's back while biting her grin.

The tapping of a hurried cane sounded from the hallway and Minerva entered the room. "They're coming—two ships and a company of soldiers on horseback. They'll be here by sundown!"

A chill froze them all in place.

The seconds ticked on, thundering in their ears.

All looked on in a catatonic stupor as their skin lost all color, becoming chalk white.

The cold that gripped Maria's body as her blood drained from her skin was countered by the rush of adrenaline that burst through her veins.

"That leaves us several hours," Maria said, cutting through the silence. "Let's decide on a plan."

Will began by quickly telling them all that he knew of his uncle. He was a general in the British army, and Will was certain the ships were his father's merchant vessels. He was confident someone like Captain Riz, a true naval captain, could easily take them on. Harold and Luke were to join him with their own ships.

As for the soldiers, Coeur assured them he had enough men to stop them at the borders of Moonacre, leaving Captain Harrison and Althea to the rest.

It was decided that Minerva and Regina were to escort Loveday, Albert, Serena, Mrs. Heliotrope, Digweed, Marmaduke, and Wrolf to the church. They were to seek sanctuary and warn the villagers of an incoming raid. Once they were settled, Minerva was to join the frontlines to keep the region clear of Althea's fog.
If Coeur and his men managed to gain the upper hand, Minerva was to return immediately to help Maria.

With the workings of a plan in place, all that was left was to set it in motion. Jane, Loveday, Mrs. Heliotrope, and Digweed scrambled about the manor gathering all the holy items and iron they could find. Coeur and Dulac immediately headed back to the castle to ready their men.

Lizzy and Regina headed towards Marmaduke's kitchen, gathering any and all tools they would need—pots, vials, ladles, cauldrons, and the likes required to mix and boil all sorts of concoctions. Behind them, Henry carried in Regina's large and sturdy trunk consisting of her fancy brass chemistry tools, vials, and ingredients from back home.
They began to work on several new alchemical reactions Regina had developed, ranging from explosives to flares, while Marmaduke made more healing potions and Henry ran back and forth, bringing them supplies and helping in any way he could.

Sir Benjamin led them to their armory layered with dust after having sat unused for the last year, he began to pass along the swords and pistols he had. Then they hurried about, distributing weapons, and fortifying the manor.

Around midday, Marmaduke called everyone for lunch. As they all gathered around, David noticed Cat was missing. He navigated the crowded kitchen until he arrived in Marmaduke's garden where Lizzy and Regina were still busy mixing all sorts of ingredients together. There was a growing stack of vials besides them.
"Lizzy, have you seen Cat?"

She looked up, her glasses gradually sliding down her nose due to the sweat on her face. "No, is there something wrong?" She made a rush to get up, but David urged her to stay.

"No, nothing's wrong. I'll keep looking. Marmaduke has set out some food. You both should eat."

"Alright then, please let me know if you need help!"

He continued his search, now expanding outside the manor and through its grounds, before finally finding her by the trees on the outskirts of the forest.

She was swinging her sword, pausing occasionally to look at something on the ground.

David quietly approached so as to not disturb her. He noticed Cat was dressed in their old leather trousers and a black tunic with a white patch across the chest—he was sure that was his old shirt. The top half of her curls were tied in a cascading half-up-do, and for the first time, he noticed auburn tones that were brought out by the sunlight streaming through the canopy.

As he got closer, he couldn't help but lose focus, distracted by her stiff movements. He miscalculated his next step, his foot fell on a branch and snapped it in half, sending Cat shrieking into the air. She turned around, her eyes wide with fear, and aimed her sword at him. When she realized who he was, she rolled her eyes and dropped her weapon.

"Sorry," he said with a small laugh.

Shaking her head, she dismissed him with a wave and turned around to continue her practice. She needed to focus. Sunset would come soon, and she was not about to let anyone distract her.

"How are you?"

"Fine," she said with a grunt as she thrust her sword forwards.

"Do you want to talk about the ball?"

"No." She slid her foot back, ready to proceed with the next movement, but she paused. She twisted her neck to look down behind at the ground. That's when David realized there was a book at her feet, it was a fencing manual. She teetered, almost losing her balance, but managed to catch herself. Her brow furrowed and she prepared to lunge, but she stepped on a leaf and slid down to her knee.
Muttering some curses, she wiped her brow, brushed her knees, and took her stance once more. Her shoulders were tense. Her back was rigid. Her feet were a tad bit too far apart, her hips too angled, and her grip on her hilt was weak.

Frustration was written clearly on her face and David couldn't help but feel bad for her. "You really don't have to do this."

Cat's temper snapped. She marched towards him, her face full of anger, and pointed her sword at his neck, "I'm doing this. I know it's hard. I don't need you or anyone else to remind me. If you're not going to help, then leave."

David's brows were raised. All he could do was blink. He had never seen this side of her, and his heart skipped a beat. He wasn't sure if he was scared or excited. He was beginning to understand why Robin fell for Maria.

After a few moments of stunned silence, he managed to reply with a tease, "So the cat can bite?"

That seemed to break her out of the spell. She looked away, feeling embarrassed. She should not have taken out her frustration on him. He didn't deserve that. She cleared her throat.
"I'm sorry," she said quietly as she lowered her sword. "Lizzy hasn't missed a single opportunity to tell me how dangerous this all is; or how little practice I've had. She's certain I will get hurt—or killed..."
She turned around and placed her feet back into position. "I... I know it is dangerous and every time I close my eyes, I see the guards bleeding on the floor. I feel their arms around me, taking me hostage. I feel so powerless. I don't want to feel that ever again! I want to help and if I'm to be trapped once more, well I want to try fighting back, even if I still lose." She took her lunge, this time executing it flawlessly and she let out a sigh of relief.

David remained silent, watching her. After a few more lunges, he replied, "Reckon you've made a good point."

Cat turned around to find him rolling up his sleeves with a lopsided smile. He took the wooden sword propped against the tree. He always preferred guns to blades, but he could make an exception. "Want a fencing partner?"

Her brows relaxed and she beamed. "I'd like that very much."

She stood at the ready, her face schooled into a serious expression, and executed his commands as well as she could. She had no mind to feel bashful as he walked circles around her, watching her with a focused gaze. She had no time to prepare herself for the quickness of which he adjusted her stance, carefully placing his hands on her hips to correct her angle and leaving a permanent impression on her skin. She lost her breath when he moved to stand behind her, his arm sliding over hers to fix her grip.
Her mind reeled as he remained there, his chest against her back, his hot breath tickling her neck, as he guided her arm and practiced her strikes. She didn't know if it was from the exercise or the touch of his body, but her body was running a fever and her heart was threatening to burst.

They practiced until their hunger forced them to stop leaving Cat was in much better spirits. Her grip felt stronger, her stance was balanced, and her arm no longer shook upon striking.

She was still tingling with a buzz of excitement as they walked back to the manor in silence. She couldn't help but steal glances at him from the corner of her eyes. He had the wooden sword propped on his broad shoulders and walked with an easy gait. His hat sat back on his head and a few short curls poked out, his temple still glistened from sweat. His jacket was tucked under his arms and his sleeves were rolled back, revealing his toned arms. His shirt, still damp from their sparring, stuck to his toned frame. Cat nibbled on her bottom lip as her gaze flicked to his lips which rested in a carefree smile.

The fluttering in her heart, spurred by the adrenaline still coursing through her body, gave her an idea. Cat slowed down to a stop.

"David, may I ask for another favor?"

"Don't see why not, what is it?"

"Can you close your eyes for a moment?"

"Erm...alright." With a casual shrug, he closed his eyes and waited. His brow furrowed as he heard the soft crunches of her steps coming closer. He was caught off guard when his next breath was laced