Needing something to drink, I heat the water for the tea with my abilities without delay. Nobody is eager to speak. Branislava busies herself reheating leftovers. Anjali is sitting at the table, her elbows on the table and her face planted in them. Hildegard is periodically forming fists and biting her lower lip, as if wanting to speak, but lacking the courage.

Should I encourage her to speak? In terms of group cohesion and mental health I am pretty sure that I should. Unfortunately we have problems that are even more pressing. Apparently we were running around with magical back doors installed. I have to act on that.

„Now that we are here I just want to say that …“. I cannot go on. „Are you allright?“ Hildegard asks with some alarm. Anjali answers instead of me „The promise is still working. You cannot say something that you consider a lie. Were you trying to say that you regret what happened?“

I inhale deeply and nod. She continues „In your mind the negotiation is not over. That means you are considering taking up her offer. That is quite inconsiderate. And it means that the promise is kicking in for me as well.“

I try to calm myself and imagine myself saying what I intend to say. Yes, I can speak again. „What happened shows to me that we don’t know things that we need to know. Apparently Marental could have or even can still do things to us and – much worse – can give that ability to others in a way we cannot protect ourselves against. In fact, why are we still alive?“

Melo unfolds her arms and steps forward. „In hindsight I should have suspected something. I literally must admit that. You do not live for thousands of years if you operate without failsafes. Still, Peregrine, he could not have killed you. You are the one of us who does not carry the seal. Incidentally I can feel that mine has been overloaded. It will fail into unusability within a few hours and then dissolve. He did not kill us who carry his seal because he feared you. He wanted to suffocate you. Killing the people who were using up your air supply would have made no sense.“

Branislava turns around „The things she made us do …“ She cannot meet our eyes. „I am a married woman. This must not become known and must not repeat itself.“ Zewrepa steps up to her familiar and answers „We could never be sure that that seal was his last trap. It is a relief to know that Peregrinus recognizes our strategic shortfallings. I was quite certain that I would be unable to convince humans.“

Anjali’s voice trembles „You are not pregnant. At least probably. I doubt that the fertility magic will go that far.“ Stunned silence follows her announcement. Zewrepa recovers first „What do you mean? Why would a succubus use fertility magic?“ Anjali lowers her eyes „She did not directly use it. She triggered it by breaking my curse by brute force. Overwhelming a curse that way causes a backlash. In case of a combined and standardized curse the backlash applies to all effects and is broadcast.“ Hildegard’s eyes widen beyond what I would usually consider plausible given human physiology. Anjali makes an abortive step towards her, but then steps back. She almost pleads „You might see me as having caused your problem. I cannot deny that in a certain sense I am. But I did not curse myself.“

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I am a shocked. Them being pregnant is obviously monumentally important. Unfortunately it makes my concerns over our safety even more pressing. And it means that if we are to move away from here, we’ll need to do it, before they experience much impediment. I also need to get, well at least this discussion back under control. The general situation has slipped out of my grip. „I think we need clarity on this curse. What was it, who applied it and why?“

Melo puts her hand on Hildegard’s shoulder to keep her quiet.

Anjali presses her palms onto the table. „I keep forgetting how much you don’t know and I should ask some questions now. But anyway, no wizard or sorcerer can allow other mages access to his children inside a woman with even the slightest trace of the spark. There is too much of a magical connection, even leaving out the emotional aspect or blackmail. Hence we – that is those who serve wizards in that capacity - are subject to a form of contraception that is technically a curse, as it contains a physical component, namely infertility, not just a compulsion to not allow anybody to mess with the spell, mention it, if it has happened anyway, and to not want to get pregnant, so that the compulsion does not wear off due to resistance.“

Hildegard raises her voice a bit „What does that have to do with a lust effect?“ Anjali looks her directly in the eyes and answers in a controlled voice „Many men enjoy power, although quite a number also likes to pretend to be helpless. That includes the power to determine when the women they are with will feel lust or desire, to either deny it or impose it. Succubi are a popular extra to be booked. The effect they have on us, well, entertainers is specifically bound to permission. She had to overcome that for her aura to work. We, the women here, shared the same seal. You affect all or none of us by the rules of sympathetic magic. And again, I was compelled to accept that state of affairs, so I could not mention it. And, for reasons of cost, the spell is applied in a combined manner and also in a standardized manner so that customers can trivially verify it. Almost all wizards are quite suspicious.“

Hildegard shrinks away and in a broken voice she says „This is so fucked up. I know this is insane. Yet I want to protect my baby by all means. This is wrong.“ She wraps her arms around herself and cries soundlessly. Branislava pushes a cup of tea into her hands. Having done so, her head peaks up and she asks „Why can I understand her?“

Anjali again answers „A side effect of the bond. We have all learned each other’s languages, at least the mother tongues. Usually it is temporary, but if the bond has been applied for hours it becomes permanent.“

Zewrepa sounds a harmonic polyphone hoot followed by a sound like a bell ringing. „I am not a placental. I cannot claim to understand what pregnancy means to you. But we have a demon whose expertise we need waiting in the basement for our decision. I must tell you that we just cannot afford to let her go. As all the loot we have gotten is useless if we die, I propose that I go down to her and make a temporary agreement with her. Does anybody object?“

I do not like that she is railroading us, but I must admit it. She is right. She leaves for the basement.

Hildegard’s head pops up. „So you have decided. Having councils is well and good, but in the end somebody has to decide. But I need to know. And screw the consequences. So while you must tell the truth: What will you do with us and the children?“

She got me by surprise and I ignore everybody else in the room drawing in a sharp breath. She is also right. It feels almost as if somebody else is saying the words with me „I will do whatever it takes to protect both of you and the children. If I have to depopulate a town, I will do so.“