Scarlett scowled as she used the Loci’s senses to observe the woman who had teleported into her office.

What was Mistress doing here, now of all times?

The Loci was noticeably opposed to her presence, emanating antipathy and revulsion through their bond. Even if Scarlett had never felt anything resembling distinct thoughts from the artifact, it was clear that it wanted the woman gone.

“Is something wrong?” Dean Godwin asked, giving Scarlett a curious look from where he still sat on his couch.

She turned her attention back to him. “…There appears to be an unexpected guest. Excuse me for a moment.”

Just as she set upon leaving the room to address the situation, she noticed Mistress tapping her staff on the floorboards of her office, creating a shimmering gate in the air. An identical gate materialized in the lounge where Scarlett and Godwin were, and the woman stepped through it the moment after.

Mistress met Scarlett’s unprepared expression with a beguiling smile. “I see you’ve made some new additions to your house. It’s been a while since I’ve felt this unwelcome.”

As in their previous encounters, the woman wore a gold-yellow robe with a crimson red inside, and a white marble mask covered the upper half of her face, embellished with golden inlays and scarlet rubies for eyes. Her pale, almost white skin contrasted with dark red lips that curled upward. “Oh? It seems like I’m interrupting something.” Her gaze shifted to Dean Godwin. “How rude of me.”

Scarlett couldn’t tear her eyes off the woman. Mistress hadn’t contacted her since their encounter with the Cabal, so why would she suddenly appear now, when Godwin was here? What were the chances that this was just a coincidence?

Scarlett glanced at Godwin, unsure how he might react.

The wizard scrutinized Mistress closely before looking to Scarlett. “An acquaintance of yours, I presume?”

She nodded slowly. “One could say that. This is…”

“‘Mistress’, if I am not mistaken,” the Dean said.

“You certainly are not,” the woman replied, striding over and making herself at home on the couch opposite him. She released her grey staff, which surprisingly remained standing on its own.

Scarlett could feel the Loci struggling to somehow expel this intruder from its domain, but its efforts seemed futile.

“I’m surprised to find an archmage like yourself here,” Mistress mused. “It seems clearing my schedule for this brief trip was more worthwhile than I thought.” She then turned her attention to Scarlett. “I’ve been awfully busy lately, particularly with trying to find that third old trinket you promised me. Your information wasn’t quite as helpful as I was led to believe.”

There was an underlying tone to her words that sent a shiver down Scarlett’s spine, but she pushed aside the unease as she settled back into her own seat. The woman clearly had no intention of leaving and had no qualms about bringing up sensitive matters right in front of Warley Godwin.

Mistress let out a light chuckle. “If I didn’t find you as intriguing as I do, I might have been tempted to mount that beautiful head of yours on a wall out of sheer principle. While I will admit that what you gave me did provide me plenty of opportunities to cause trouble for that decrepit collection of old bones who thinks himself a man, I could have done that anyway. This is the point where I believe a normal person would ask for a refund.”

Scarlett met her eyes squarely. “…I apologize if my information did not meet your expectations, but I kept to my promise. I never guaranteed you would find all the pieces. However, you did secure the second piece of the…trinket, did you not?”

The woman tilted her head to the side. “I suppose you’re right there. Technically, you did uphold your end of the bargain, though I have the sneaking suspicion you never intended for me to find more than I did.”

Mistress gave her a long, searching look, but Scarlett maintained an unaffected expression. When dealing with Mistress, it was important to project self-assurance. The woman disliked those who hesitated.

Eventually, Mistress shrugged her shoulders. “Oh, well. I did say I find you intriguing, so it doesn’t really matter in the end, does it? I am ever at the whimsy of my indulgent fancies.”

Her attention seemed to shift back to Dean Godwin, who had been silently observing their exchange with curiosity. Then Mistress glanced at the table between the three of them, where refreshments for two were laid out.

Extending her hand into thin air, the woman’s fingers closed around a cup that appeared from nothing. With a relaxed demeanor, she took a sip from whatever beverage was in it and motioned towards Scarlett with her other hand. “Seeing as you’re still alive, it seems you made good use of what I gave you. I’d say I’m impressed, but I won’t. It would take a fool not to utilize it properly, and I’ve yet to take you for one.”

Scarlett shot a brief look at Godwin. This whole situation felt somewhat surreal. Here she was, with two of the continent’s most powerful mages sitting in her home, both here to engage in secretive discussions, and neither appearing keen on leaving.

At least Mistress wasn’t outright talking about the Seal of Thainnith or The Angler Man’s heart…

The woman took a couple more sips from her cup, even as Godwin continued studying her closely. Then she made the cup vanish, meeting his gaze. “Is there something on my face?”

The man stroked his beard. “Other than that curious mask of yours? No. But I have to ask: have we met before?”

Mistress smirked. “Easy, tiger. I’m afraid our age gap is a bit too significant for my tastes. Or small, depending on how you see it.”

Godwin raised both eyebrows. “I do not usually make it a habit to court ladies upon first meetings.”

“I have heard more than one rumor about your thrilling escapades that suggest otherwise.”

“Is that so? I have also heard about you. However, I did not expect that my first chance to confirm some of those tales would be today.”

“It is rather surprising, isn’t it?” Mistress replied. “That it would happen so suddenly in this charming little mansion of all places. It leaves me wondering what other intriguing secrets and beguiling connections our gracious host has tucked away. I can barely contain my curiosity.”

Both of them turned their gazes towards Scarlett, who was desperately trying to come up with ways of handling this situation if things went south. Just as she opened her mouth to respond to the woman’s words, however, a meow echoed through the room.

The three of them stilled, their attention drawn to the table at the center where a black cat was lying perched on the edge, licking its paw.

Scarlett couldn’t help but feel exasperated at the sight. Didn’t she already have enough on her plate?

Both Mistress and Godwin stared at the cat, their thoughts hidden as several seconds elapsed in silence.

Finally, Mistress’ mouth morphed into a vicious grin, her tongue running over her teeth. “It’s not often I’m proven this right so quickly.”

Empress shot the woman a sharp look, then meowed again and returned to grooming herself.

“That is certainly a fascinating cat.” The interest was clear in Godwin’s eyes as he examined Empress. “I could have sworn that table was empty but a few moments ago.”

“That is about as much a cat as I am a paragon of temperance and modesty,” Mistress said, earning another brief glare and low hiss from Empress. “Oh, hush now, whiskers. You know I’m right.”

The woman moved her hand, and a bowl was conjured out of thin air, floating over to the table and being placed right in front of the cat. It was quickly filled with what appeared to be milk.

Empress gave Mistress a long look but eventually approached the bowl, as if deigning to overlook the minor offense.

Mistress turned back to Scarlett. “I’ve expressed a similar sentiment before, but you truly are more than that unassuming noble guise you present, aren’t you?”

“…I do not know about ‘unassuming’,” Scarlett said. “I am largely what I appear to be. It is simply that I know how to leverage the knowledge and information at my disposal.”

“I’m sure you do.” Mistress leaned forward, crossing one leg over the other as she rested her chin on her palm, her voice carrying an alluring undertone. “That’s why you’re currently my favorite.”

Scarlet wasn’t quite sure whether that was a good or bad thing, so after briefly glancing over at Godwin once more, she cleared her throat and decided to get to the point. “While I do not mean to be impolite, Mistress, is there a specific reason for this unannounced visit of yours? I was in the middle of discussing important matters with Dean Godwin here, and I do not recall there being any business left between us.”

Before their encounter with the Cabal where Mistress had given her The Angler Man’s heart, the woman had paid Scarlett a short visit in her office to talk over what they would do. At that time, she had actually bothered sending a magical message beforehand. This visit was far more abrupt in comparison.

“I know. It caught me by surprise as well,” Mistress replied. She gestured towards Empress. “You have that one’s companion to thank for that.”

Scarlett’s eyes widened slightly. “The Gentleman instructed you to come here?”

At the mention of that name, Godwin’s gaze sharpened and turned to her.

“Oh, by the unwashed behinds of the Viles, no.” Mistress’ mouth contorted into a grimace. “I’d rather drink a barrel of bilewine than bother with anything that man has to say. There’s nothing quite as infuriating as those who think they can manipulate others to act according to their whims without ever bothering to lift a finger themselves. Doubly so when they’re right.”

She feigned a shudder, and Scarlett felt she could somewhat understand where she was coming from.

“Lately, there’s been a commotion across the realms, and even I can’t escape hearing a thing or two,” the woman continued. “That pompous man’s movements have all the wrong players acting in the wrong ways, and I’ve had to bend twice-over to prevent my plans from getting entangled in that nonsense. It just so happened that I returned from a trip to Malevolence doing precisely that, but not a moment ago, and guess what I learned?”

Scarlett eyed her suspiciously. Malevolence was one of the six Blazes, and not a place you casually strolled into. Any news from there were bound to be concerning, no matter how you looked at it.

“I seem to be overhearing some rather significant affairs here, and while I am loath to interrupt, this is something I am afraid I must inquire further about,” Godwin said. He focused on Mistress. “I take it from your words just now that you know a way to enter the Blazes?”

The woman met his gaze with a wry smirk. “Indeed I do. Unfortunately for you, I’m not sharing. The last thing this realm needs is another overeager archmage stumbling down there and forcing the rest of us to clean up the archdemon their soulless husk leaves behind.”

He chuckled. “That was not quite my intention. However, I was under the impression that any interstitial spaces connecting directly to the Blazes, other than the Ever-reaching Grotto, were sealed off after the Veil of Convergence was erected.”

“Oh, darling. The Veil is more of a suggestion than a strict rule to most non-mortals. There are no bolts of lightning from the skies to punish those who take a quick jaunt across and back.”

“Are you suggesting you are not mortal yourself?”

The woman’s smirk grew wider. “You tell me.”

Godwin studied her intently for a few moments as if trying to determine the truthfulness of her words. Mistress tilted her head to the side, seemingly amused. Her gaze seemed to flicker down to one of the man’s gloved hands.

“I thought I sensed traces of more than one baby wolf nearby,” she said. “Are you perhaps expecting that trifling trinket to work on me?”

The Dean did appear slightly taken aback by the question, but his calm demeanor quickly returned as he glanced down at his hand. “Hmm. I am not entirely certain. It would have been rather convenient if it did, though, wouldn’t it?”

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at him. While she would have understood the rationale behind it, she would have been annoyed if he had tried to make excuses for using an artifact to determine whether Mistress was lying, especially when he hadn’t shown any remorse at using it against her.

“Then what do you think?” Mistress asked. “Does it work?”

The man studied her for another moment, then slowly shook his head. “I must admit that I cannot tell. I suppose the answer will depend on whether you have been lying since the moment you arrived.”

Beneath her mask, Mistress seemed quite satisfied by that answer as a smile played on her lips. “I always try to mix in a lie or two in everything I say. Spice things up a bit.”

Scarlett furrowed her brow, considering those words. Was that actually true? While it felt like something Mistress would do, it also seemed extremely impractical to consistently do that in practice. But the woman loved being enigmatic and misleading, so there might be a grain of truth to it.

“Where was I?” Mistress turned her focus back to Scarlett. “Ah, yes. While I was busy not being horrifyingly mutilated and devoured by the odd demon or two that call that godforsaken place home, I stumbled upon some terribly interesting news.”

Scarlett locked eyes with her, gazing into the clear rubies of her mask. “And what might that be?”

The vicious grin from earlier returned to Mistress’ face. “Rumor has it that Anguish has found a potential incarnate here in the Material Realm, right under the noses of the others. And they’re not too happy.”

Scarlett’s blood ran cold. “…What?”

Several seconds passed in silence as she stared at the woman in disbelief.

“…Are you telling the truth?” she eventually asked.

“As close to it as I can.”

Scarlett took another moment to process this information.

There were six Blazes, each a hell on its own, where demons were born and lived. The six Viles who reigned over these Blazes were technically demons themselves, which meant they had the same weaknesses as other demons. Their names were tied to their very essence, and possessing it was one of the most efficient ways of dealing with them.

As such, the Viles went to great lengths to keep their true names hidden. Instead, they were referred to solely by the title of the Blaze they ruled. Anguish was one of those Viles, and she was the one Scarlett was most familiar with. After all, Rosa was currently being possessed by Anguish.

While Mistress had implied that demons could easily move between the Blazes and the Material Realm, the truth was that they were still pretty restricted in how they could interact with things outside of their own realm. These restrictions were even more pronounced for the Viles, who could only manifest themselves here during the most extreme of circumstances.

That is, if they didn’t have an incarnate to serve as an anchor for them in the Material Realm. Someone like Rosa.

People who were suitable for becoming incarnates were exceedingly rare, though, and when they did appear, all the Viles would fight over them like rabid dogs.

Anguish had discovered Rosa relatively early, and had since taken great care to keep her existence hidden from the other Viles while steadily whittling down the bard’s defenses and preparing her to become a suitable vessel. For Rosa, that was guaranteed to be a traumatic experience, but it was something Scarlett could anticipate and work with. It had been mutually beneficial for both her and Anguish to keep Rosa’s role as an incarnate a secret.

But somehow that information had leaked, and now all the Blazes were aware. This meant Scarlett might not only have to face Anguish in the future, but all the Viles. If that were the case, she couldn’t rely solely on her game knowledge to get her out of the situation easily either. While she possessed some information about the other Viles, it was far from as useful as what she knew about Anguish.

A deep scowl formed on her face. How had this information spread? She was fairly certain she hadn’t done anything to reveal Rosa’s existence to any demon, and Anguish would have taken precautions as well.

Was this really something caused by Scarlett’s actions, or was it an inevitable development regardless of her interference? How much did the other Viles know? Were they aware of Rosa’s identity, or just her existence? There were so many questions that she needed answered.

“My, you certainly appear quite concerned now,” Mistress said, eyeing Scarlett from head to toe. “I wonder why that is?”

Scarlett gave her a serious look. “Speak. What is it that you want to say?”

The woman didn’t seem to care about the sharp tone. “I had thought I noticed something peculiar about that delightful companion of yours when I first met you, but I didn’t imagine it was something this exciting. Can’t say I envy that girl. She is certainly in a bind now, and so are you, it would seem.”

“…What more do you know?”

Mistress’ smile turned warmer, which seemed to elicit a sense of disgust from the Loci. The emotion funneled into Scarlett through her bond to the artifact, but she fought not to let it affect her face.

“Don’t you worry,” the woman said. “Fortunately for you, mama Mistress is here to lend a hand.”

Scarlett's look turned skeptical. “Why?”

“Can’t a woman offer her help out of the goodness of her heart?”

Her frown only worsened.

Before she could respond, Mistress raised her hand. “Ah, no, now that I hear it, I realize how absurd that sounds. ‘Goodness of her heart’? Dear me, sometimes I scare even myself with the nonsensical things I say.” The woman shook her head. “No, of course I’m not offering my assistance because I genuinely want to help you. That might lead people to think I’m a moral person or some such drivel, going around being nice because I like people. Which I don’t. Keep in mind that I’ve never claimed I liked you. I said you’re my favorite. A tepid dandelion atop a mountain of nebulous refuse, if you will.”

“…Then why are you offering to help?”

“Because I recognize an opportunity when I see one, darling. It has practically been written all over you since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

“What does that mean?” Scarlett paused, glancing at Godwin. Could it be possible that the woman could perceive the same thing he did? That Scarlett was ‘defying fate’?

“It means you carry yourself like a child with an inflated sense of superiority because she knows where mommy dear keeps the cookie jar, and I am oh-so famished for an easy treat,” Mistress said.

Scarlett couldn’t help the glare that she gave the woman.

“Don’t give me that look. I’m not judging. If I had my way, half the world would be best left to the endless pits of Desolace while the other half wallowed in the depths of self-delusion. Not a minute passes where I don’t lament over the woeful fate of being surrounded by a sea of banality and mediocrity.”

“…Very well.” Scarlett had no choice but to accept the woman’s words for now. “How can you help, and what it is that you want in return?”

“First and foremost, you may find solace in knowing that none of the other Viles seem to know the identity of Anguish’s little incarnate-to-be yet. Otherwise, I doubt we’d be sitting here having this conversation.”

That brought some relief to Scarlett, at least. It also meant that she was unlikely to be the one who leaked Rosa’s existence.

“Another curious tidbit is that Malevolence herself is seizing this opportunity while Anguish is distracted to make moves against some of her territories.”

That might even be considered good news. It wasn’t quite a silver lining, since the other Viles were still around, but it meant that Anguish wouldn’t be able to focus all her attention on Rosa in the near future. That suited Scarlett’s plans well.

“As for where you need my help,” Mistress continued, “well, you can say that demons happen to be an area of expertise for me. I’ve already taken the liberty to sow some confusion regarding the potential identity of this incarnate. No need to thank me.”

Scarlett looked at her. “You have?”

The woman shrugged. “It is an easy enough task for me. Leave some spectral residue here, exenterate a demon or three there. Demons are crafty and unpredictable, but that only makes them all the more effortless to confuse. Not to mention amusing, if you discount the uproar that follows when they inevitably discover my involvement. Now, as for what I want in return…” Her mouth curved up in a way Scarlett didn’t like. “I’ll ponder that one for later. I’m sure when the time comes, you’ll eagerly fulfill whatever request I might have.”

That only made Scarlett more wary. “There are limits to what I can do.”

She could have sworn that the woman gave her a mischievous look, even from under the mask. “All the more reason for me to wait with my request and see what those limits are, isn’t it? Until then, I’ll do what I can to help that pet project of yours, and if you desire, I can even recommend a mystic or two for you to consider in the meantime. On the house.”

Scarlett couldn’t shake the feeling that Mistress was playing some sort of game here. It was entirely possible that she was lying about the ‘help’ she was offering, and Scarlett had no way to confirm it right now. She wouldn’t put it past the woman.

However, if Mistress’ words about Rosa’s existence having been leaked were true, accepting this deal would give them more time. They might not even be able to afford to decline that much.

That said, Scarlett disliked agreeing to something without knowing for sure she wasn’t being played. She already had enough favors that she owed…

Empress suddenly meowed and stood up, fixing a long, meaningful look at Scarlett. Unsure of the cat’s intentions, she remained silent as they locked eyes.

“I think she’s telling you not to look a gift horse in the mouth,” Mistress said.

The cat shot another brief glare the woman’s way, but then returned her gaze to Scarlett, showing no clear signs of refuting Mistress’ words.

“…Very well,” Scarlett finally replied, turning back to Mistress. “I will not be requiring your recommendations for a mystic to aid with the situation, however. I am already working on that myself.”

“Of course you are.” The woman seemed very satisfied with that response. She then turned to Dean Godwin. “Any thoughts after eavesdropping on our ladies’ talk, Warley?”

The man considered her for a few seconds before responding. “I do not think it is entirely fair to label it as ‘eavesdropping’ when Baroness Hartford and I were the ones who had our conversation intruded upon and interrupted. However, I will admit that I found what I heard rather captivating.” He looked at Scarlett. “Though I suspect our host may not be as pleased about this as I am.”

Scarlett maintained her composure even as she eyed him. It was true that she would have preferred him to not be present for this, but she also knew that Mistress talked about these things in front of him on purpose.

“I have faith that you know when it’s appropriate to keep mum,” Mistress said. “I would ask you to make a pact with Lady Hartford to ensure as much, but I can’t really be bothered. We’ll simply have to rely on your sense of gentlemanly integrity, which I’m sure you possess in abundance. If that isn’t enough, we always have whiskers here.” She gestured towards Empress, who was attentively watching their conversation. The cat responded with a meow, turning its gaze towards Godwin.

That helped Scarlett relax a bit more, at least.

“I suppose I have little choice,” the man conceded, a hint of amusement in his eyes as he observed the feline.

Mistress rose from her seat, gripping her staff. “With that, I believe I have said everything I came here to say, and perhaps a bit more. It seems I am starting to overstay my welcome, so it’s best if I take my leave.” Her mouth twisted into a grimace as she scrunched her nose under the mask. “It’s been a while since I last felt this close to the touch of an idol. I had forgotten how prudish their kind always are.”

Bidding her farewell, the woman conjured another shimmering portal in the air beside her and stepped through it. As she vanished, a wave of tension dissipated from the room, and the Loci settled at the back of Scarlett’s mind.

She exchanged a look with Godwin.

“That was quite an event, wasn’t it?” he said with a half-smile. “Should we perhaps pick up where we left off?”