It took some time to convince Hammer about the Wyndhams. But after considering it for a few minutes he was ready to give Hopper's suggestion the benefit of the doubt. But then Hopper suggested something even more egregious--or at least that's what it seemed like when we looked at Hammer's face.

"Wyndhams aren't alone in this business. The one who helped them was none other than your own father, Mr. Hammer," Hopper said.

"What?!" Hammer snapped.

Now that I think of it, yes, it was indeed egregious.

"That is preposterous, Hopper!" the man said. "If what you are suggesting about the Wyndhams is true then that would mean..." his voice broke a little before it disappeared. The fear of saying it out loud was evident on Hammer's face.

“It would mean your father had a hand in getting you arrested.” Hopper took off his top hat and gave him a solemn look of sympathy. "I'm afraid that it might be a possibility."

Hammer ignored Hopper's apologetic tone and clenched his fists. “If they wanted me to get arrested then why did they put a reward for finding me?” he said. “Your facts aren't lining up. So tell me why are you saying this? Who told you that they were involved?”

"I'm sorry but I can't tell you that," Hopper said. His voice was still as calm as before.

"I don't care if you aren't allowed to tell me or not! I want answers, Hopper!" Hammer bared his teeth at the man.

Hopper regarded the other man with serene eyes and said, "It's not that I don't have the permission. It's just that you won't believe me even if I told you."

Surprisingly, Hammer's anger disappeared in a blink. His fists loosened. "Why wouldn't I?"

"You are just that kind of person, Mr. Hammer," Hopper said. "You were the only one raising your voice against the green blood theory when the government declared it. Other people probably found the theory and the knife test as outrageous as you did. Yet it was only you who spoke up and voiced your skepticism. That's why I brought you back home. So you can see this for yourself and believe it for yourself."

"Wait a minute," Smokewell said, pointing a paw at the man. "I thought you brought him here so we can get paid."

"Yes!" Lily said. "If what you said is true, then Hammer's family can get arrested. Who will pay us then?"

"Precisely," Asmod spoke up as well. "What's the point of making the girls risk their lives to break Hammer out of the prison in the first place?"

Hopper looked at me and said, "I told you that you'll get paid. I wasn't lying. The four of you can escort Mr. Hammer back to his residence and claim that you brought him with you for the reward. Mr. Hammer can insist on his father to pay you in cash right there and you can be on your way. We'll be done then."

"What about you?" I said, cocking my head. "Didn't you say that you were after the reward money yourself."

"Well, I lied." Hopper shrugged. "You made it obvious that money was the language you all understood so I just spoke your tongue. I made it look like we had a shared common interest in this. And it drew you all in."

“You sneaky bastard,” Smokewell said. “I can’t believe someone managed to fool me.”

“Your cat brain is making you dumber,” Lily said.

Smokewell looked ready to claw the girl in her face.

Hopper ignored them and said, “But your job here is done. You can go and ask the Hammer family for your reward.”

Smokewell sighed in relief and turned to Hammer. “Shall we get going now? I have to get a hold of some coin from your parents.”

“You should probably keep your mouth shut in front of them, Madam,” Lily said.

Hammer looked exasperated but gave a nod. He looked at Hopper with a wary look and said, “Aren't you coming along?”

Hopper shook his head. “I have to take care of something important. But I’ll meet up with you before evening.”

Listening to the exchange, I decided to interrupt. “I'm going with Hopper,” I said.

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My companions gazes turned to me. “What is this about?” Asmod said.

“Let's not waste our time here. You should go with Mr. Hammer to his family's place. I'll meet with you at the docks,” I said.

Asmod looked suspicious. Lily was puzzled. Smokewell was visibly annoyed. But we parted ways under the bridge.

“What do you want from me?” Hopper said after we turned a corner in the street.

I remained quiet for some time. I was thinking. I could tell my silence was making Hopper more tense. We walked quietly for a while before I decided to speak. “Let's ditch the charade now,” I said. “You aren't the real Lloyd Hopper, are you?”

That gave him a pause. The man came to a halt in his steps. I was standing behind him, staring holes into his back. “Why do you think that?” he said.

“Because you don't seem anything like you were back at your apartment.” I shook my head. “When we invaded your house, you were pathetic and afraid. But now you seem quite cunning and intelligent. People had an impression that you were terrified of witchcraft. Yet you didn't have any problem shaking hands with us for this job. And not to mention you didn't hesitate even once to use the magical items Asmod had to offer. His magic is also dark magic.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Either your scaredy-cat persona is just a facade or you've done something to the real Hopper and replaced him.”

Several beats of silence passed. “Now I understand why it had to be you,” he said. “There’s no doubt that you are smart.”

“What are you talking about?” I cocked my head.

“There's something that I was supposed to give you,” he said, looking at me over his shoulder.

“Will you stop talking in riddles and say something like a normal person?” I said.

He turned to me fully and said, “It was the Voice who told me to approach you. It gave me something and said that I had to hand it over to you. The Voice also said that in order to accomplish my goal, I had to get you involved in this mission.”

I won't lie, his ramblings did give me a slight chill. He really sounded like someone who was off his rocker. But I wasn't just an ordinary girl from a boring world anymore. I was Elsa Grimly. Mad ravings weren't going to scare me.

I gave an inquisitive look before a thought came to my mind. “This voice…did you have to perform a ritual to hear it?” I asked.

His expression turned cautious, his body language became a lot more guarded. “What if I say yes?” he said.

“Was it the voice that told you about the big change that was coming?” I asked.

“Why yes,” he said.

I leaned closer towards him and the volume of my voice dropped almost involuntarily. “Did you use some kind of spiritual primer to look at the world beyond the veil?” I asked.

Now Hopper's eyes went wide with surprise. “How do you know that?” he said.

I leaned back and focused on Old Elsa's memories to dig up something that might tell me something more about the situation. I learned that rituals are a powerful method of performing magic. And witchcraft, alongside some other branches of dark magic made it easier for their users to perform rituals. Users of other types of magic needed a ritual primer to be able to have the desired result from a ritual, unlike witches.

That's why Smokewell needed the sìth bread to carry out the ritual of reading omens now that she wasn't a witch anymore. I guessed Hopper (or whoever this man pretending to be him was) was using something similar to look into the future using the world beyond the veil.

I looked at Hopper. “Forget how I know it, tell me what it is that the…the Voice told you to give me.”

“Now that I think of it, I’m not going to give it to you right now.” He shook his head.

I looked at him, deadpan. “Seriously? What’s wrong with you?”

He gave a wry smile. “Since you decided to come with me, you should accompany me on my task. And then I can give you the thing the Voice told me to.”

“Why should I come with you at all?” I said.

“Because I don't want to be alone in case there's a fight,” he said. “My method of solving problems usually involves blowing things up. And now that I think of it, I leave behind a big pile of destruction after these incidents. Having a partner coming along with me will make me feel more responsible for my actions and think more rationally.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “I don't have to come with you.”

“Then you don't get that mystery gift.”

I huffed in frustration, a few loose strands of hair fluttered on my forehead. The new information really had me eager to see what it was that he was supposed to give me personally. And it was some kind of ‘voice from beyond’ that was directing him to do that.

I paused for a second. A question I'd had earlier presented itself again. If I inherited Elsa's body, where did Old Elsa's soul go? Could this voice from beyond be hers?

I looked at Hopper. “Do you hear this Voice often?” I asked.

“Not this one specifically. I hear different voices on different occasions. They tell me things about future or something that needs to be done to maintain a balance in the universe,” he said.

Okay, he was sounding crazier the more he talked about it. But it also seemed to make sense in a way. It freaked me out a bit. But I was also getting eager to dig more answers from him.

“What else can you tell me about this ritual? Or the Voices?” I asked.

“Honestly? Nothing,” he said. “The reason I haven't told you anything clearly and have only spoken in riddles is because I don't want to accidentally break the terms of my binding vows that allow me to use my powers.”

I held back a groan. “Well, there's still time before my friends return!” I said, feeling more irritable. “Instead of standing around waiting, let's just go to Wyndham's Apothecary and do what you were going to do.”

“Perfect,” he said with a smile. “We’ll be in and out in a minute.”