071 Fishing For A Kitten

Erebus stayed there for a little longer, mostly just listening to Kitty talking about all the fun she had been having this past week.

It was only after he left with a good night kiss on her forehead that Kitty was able to get around and get properly excited at his "I'll be waiting".

Kitty had been feeling that Erebus cared about her more than usual from day one. She took that as pity and was grateful for it.

But not anymore.

Erebus was definitely not seeing her as just another damsel in distress, in need of saving. He provided food, but he didn't have to try figuring out her preference; he provided a roof over her head, but he didn't have to buy a hotel just so that she could have a little more of freedom.

She was once again sure, that he definitely liked her, too.

It was hurtful to express her feelings towards him without getting the same offer, but she was calmer now.

Maybe he really was just trying to stay but the book. A very old one, but it was kind of sweet of him to stay firm on not crossing the line.

He respected her.

And now he said he would wait for her. She couldn't ask for any more obvious of a sign, and she didn't need to.

She had all the time in the world to make sure of her own feelings, and even without any form of a confirmation of his feelings, he was still treating her as good as ever.

That was the closest of him revealing his feelings.

"It will do, big bad wolf," Kitty mumbled to herself in bed, gazing at the ceiling, "For now."

Time flies after Kitty started leaning magic. She had been locking herself in the room with her beloved notebook all day and all week, devouring the memory her mom left her.

The fact that her mom kept all these secrets, AND her magic from her only to keep her safe had finally sunk in. Kitty hadn't been so happy and drunk in a mother’s love for years like this.

She only went out for meals, mostly at the restaurant in the hotel. The Fort had really been her "fort" -- a safe place that she could enjoy all that she needed and more without much of a bother.

She wasn't a princess, but he gave her her own castle.

"My Lord, you want to take her?!" Metis exclaimed with obvious surprise, "I'm not sure if it would safe..."

"I'll be there. It's fine." Erebus waved his hand, "There might be danger, but I have the feeling that this might be important for her."

"Wolf's instinct never lies." Metis nodded with no more argument.

"Not just instinct." Erebus shook his head, "Remember the parchment roll our King gave us? Winnie knew something about it, but she won't tell before we retrieve Emma, for she thought Emma was the daughter of Lilith."

"She told you?!" Metis rose her eyebrow in surprise.

"Yes. On that same day." Erebus nodded, "Though she didn't know much either, but it was great help already. At least now we have a direction."

"But Mount Alaric? Isn't it where only the exiled witch would be sent to?" Metis presented her concern, "Won't it attract too much attention if you go there, asking questions?"

"I know. Which is why we are going to find a proper excuse." Erebus waved his hand, "I already found the perfect mission in that area. We won't be doing anything abnormal."

"With all due respect, my Lord," Metis bowed her head, "You leaving the city IS abnormal, at least to all the eyes fixed on us."

"I'm aware. Spread the word of the mission, and make no one willing for it." Erebus handed over a piece of paper.

"Yes, my Lord." Metis took the paper and turned to leave.

"There is one more thing." Erebus called out to her, "Get the words to Kitty too. Let her know that the parchment roll was about a secret concerning her mom, and the answer, lies within Mount Alaric. This information is only to be heard by her and no other."

"Yes, my Lord." Metis left the room, leaving Erebus all alone in front of the window.

"So, how do you want to do it?" Themis asked after Metis took her out for her mission.

"I'm gonna give her the truth." Metis said, handing the piece of paper she got from Erebus to Themis, "It would be your responsibility to spread the word about the mission. You know how to repel people."

"Roger that." Themis took her mission without any hesitation, "And Kitty?"

"I'll handle that myself." Metis gazed at the windows high up on the hotel, knowing that one of them belonged to the blue-haired little witch who was at that moment, devouring knowledge that she should be getting in the past decade.

"Metis! What a lovely surprise!" Kitty exclaimed with a huge smile when she opened the door for Metis. She IS Kitty's favorite among his Dim Patronus.

"Thanks, that's so sweet of you!" Metis said and hugged her back.

"What brought you here?" Kitty wondered after she led Metis to a seat in the room.

"Just want to check up on you. It had been a while since I've seen you." Metis said, taking Kitty's hand into hers like an order sister, "How have you been?"

"Ohh, I'm alright!" Kitty said. She didn't pull her hand out, but just letting Metis to hold her, "I'm only having fun with all the magic learning."

"That's good to know." Metis said, "Winnie seemed to be a good teacher. Have you been in contact with her?"

"Not really, no." Kitty shook her head, "I visited her just once since we got Emma out. She seemed to like Winnie a lot, so I left her with Winnie."

"Imagine a grandma who can order the tea cup to jump onto a fire on its own. Who wouldn't want such a wonder in life." Metis smiled.

"Yeah! Oh, and she told me the secret she was holding out on me last time I went to her! I totally forgot about it!" Kitty yelled, "Well, it wasn't much of a help actually, she just told me that all she knew was, it was a secret to do with my mom was doing. And I could find the answer at a place called..."

Kitty went into her coat and got back with a piece of paper real quick: "Mount Alaric! Sorry, I have been meaning to bring it to you..."

"Ohh, it's okay! Don't worry about it. It's not too late now." Metis patted her on the head, "Actually, I'm aware of this place. The Lord is actually heading over there."

"Really?!" Kitty yelled, "For what?!"

"Apparently, kids had been going missing, and the bounty hunters that had been looking into it also were at lost." Metis shook her head, "It's not the Lord's apanage but no one else wanted to get involved."

"That's so unfair! So now that he has to go?!" Kitty was NOT focusing on what Metis wanted her to.

"Yeah, they haven't been treating him fairly for a while now." Metis sighed.

It was true, actually. For some mysterious reason, the King had not been treating him with fair, not before his rainy night visit, and certainly not after.

"I..." Kitty hesitated, not knowing whether it would be better if she tags along. If anything happens, she would need his help instead of the other way around, and she knew that.

"And we couldn't go with him either..." Metis sighed, not looking at Kitty. "They all have apanages and assignments to attend to. Besides, The City needs protection, especially when the Lord is not here."

"I'll go with him!" The words burst out of Kitty before she could stop herself, "Maybe I can be of a help--" Though she wasn't really sure.

"Really?!" Metis gave her a relieved smile, "That would be so great! But I cannot ask that of you! It would be dangerous--"

"Of course you can!" Kitty said, "It's high time that I do something for him for a change."