Heads turned, and Severance found himself standing in the doorway of the dining room awkwardly. The choice had been taken from him, he realized.

"Sev!" Dhin grinned. "Come on, you're just in time!"

"There's an extra plate or two at the end there," Chaaya called.

"Here, there's room by Mouna." Maun helpfully pointed out. He nudged Severance. "Why don't you sit there?"

"Come on, darling, don't just stand there. Sit down." That was Nedra, who gave him a slow, creeping smile.

Beside her, Batin cut the meat in his plate with an expert motion. He didn't use the knives provided at each setting, but instead used one of his slender throwing knives. Piercing the sliver of meat with the tip of the blade, he lifted to his mouth. He glanced towards Severance while doing so and gave a brief nod of acknowledgment.

The whole situation felt entirely surreal. In a daze, Severance found himself settling in at the table beside Mouna. The wooden bench beneath him was hard and not exactly comfortable, and that fact alone reminded him that this was real.

He actually was having dinner with the Veiled clan. In Eliona.

It was ridiculous and hilarious and overwhelming all at once. He found himself looking to the quiet young woman beside him, the one who seemed to know what to do. Mouna didn't pay much attention to him or her surroundings, choosing to focus on eating. Yet her knee gently bumped against his under the table.

He tensed, thinking it an accident. But when she didn't move it away, letting her leg lean against his, he slowly relaxed. Part of him wondered if he should give her more space. There was room for him to move over, but... he didn't want to. He could feel the warmth of her presence beside him. It was kind of nice.

He ducked his head and busied himself with the plate before him.

He didn't remember what he ate, or what it actually tasted like. It was all a blur lost beneath a rush of conversation, of laughter and clatter of dishware. What he did remember was the gentle pressure against his leg and the unfamiliar lightness in his chest.

Both were things he didn't quite want to give up yet, so instead of logging out right away after the meal, he wandered up the stairs to the second floor and went to the room that had been given to him. It wasn't much, really, with only the basic furnishings and cabin-like décor. Yet the furs on the bed were soft and he settled on top of them with a sigh.

A silver head plopped itself on the bed beside him. Vast eyed him with the kind of resigned longsuffering that pets often reserved specifically for their humans. Vast's ears flicked and his eyes moved sideways, towards the door.

The hanging curtain was brushed aside and Mouna's lean figure slipped inside. She let the curtain fall behind her.

Severance was more than a little surprised to see her there. He pushed himself up onto his elbows. "Mouna, what's-?"

She pressed her finger to her lips, her dark eyes glancing towards the curtain. Severance fell silent, getting the picture. With only fabric for doors, sound would travel. Privacy was an illusion, especially with people like Maun around.

And if Maun knew that Mouna had slipped into this room... Severance felt his ears grow warm. The man would have an absolutely misguided heyday.

Severance made a quick set of hand signs. What's going on?

Will you leave soon? She sat on the edge of the bed, right near where his feet were.

Awkwardly, Severance sat up, bringing in his legs to give her more space. Yes, soon, he signed back.

Her dark eyes settled on him, and in the dim lighting of the room, they seemed to swallow up everything. They drew him in, and even if he wanted to, he wouldn't have been able to look away.

Are you well? Her hands made gentle motions, like a quiet whisper drifting through the air. Even though her expression was as solemn as ever, he could feel the concern as if it were a palpable thing.

It made him smile, just a little. I will be.

You fought with- She made an unfamiliar sign, one that was sharp, almost aggressive.

He tilted his head, and tried to copy it. Considering the day's events, he had a good guess as to what it meant. "Knight? Is that what this means?"

Yes.

He practiced it a few times, then carefully signed, The Knight waited for me in the city. He attacked us, but I don't know why.

A test. Mouna's lips pressed into a thin line. They study their prey before they kill.

They can't kill me. That was one of the perks of being an Outsider. Severance thought to remind her of that so she wouldn't worry, but that proved to be a mistake.

Her eyes sharpened, and she crawled to him, the bed dipping beneath her weight. She poked him in the chest, forcefully enough to push him back a little.

They can hurt you, she told him. The movements of her hands were jerky, tense, betraying her mood. Where is the coat?

Severance flinched, though he wasn't sure if it was from being jabbed or the guilt. Judging from her cold stare, she wasn't budging until she got an answer.

He exhaled softly. Well, he was going to have to tell her sooner or later. He pulled the remains out of Inventory. Literal shreds of material appeared of thin air. He caught some, but the rest slipped past his grasp and landed on the furs beneath them.

It was obvious the coat was even more destroyed than the last time, but that wasn't the worst of it. Each piece was still soaked with his own blood. It hadn't dried at all. Just touching them had streaked red across his palm and fingers. He hadn't expected that and froze, staring at the scraps in his hand.

A slender hand lightly touched the material he was holding. He looked up to see Mouna, and her expression – the last time he saw her make that face was in the death pit with the Valkyries. His heart skipped a beat.

"I'm sorry," he blurted. "It's-"

She laid a hand against the side of his face. Her fingers were warm and gentle. Whatever he was saying flew right out the window, and he could only stare at her in shock. What was she doing?

Mouna leaned in, her face alarmingly close. Severance froze. He could feel his heart beating rapidly in his chest, could hear the blood pounding in his ears. He didn't know what she wanted, or what she meant to do, but whatever it was, he couldn't have lifted a finger to stop her.

She pressed her forehead against his, and just rested there. Her hand slid down his jaw, his neck, then found purchase on his shoulder. Like this, he couldn't see if she signed anything with her free hand. He didn't understand what she meant by doing this.

He closed his eyes, even as his face began to flush. They were so close now that he could feel the warm puffs of her breath. It felt awkward, for suddenly he was hyperaware of every little detail. There was the single drop of sweat rolling down the back of neck, the hardness of her head against his, the earthy, herbal scent that could only have come from her. Despite it all, he found himself relaxing, because even though it felt strange, it somehow was comforting.

It wasn't clear how long they stayed like that, but when a muffled pounding came from downstairs, they abruptly leapt apart. The moment had shattered. Mouna twisted, turning towards the door of his bedroom, going full alert.

"What's that?" Severance gasped. The sudden sound had nearly given him a heart attack.

Without even looking at him, Mouna quickly signed, The door. Someone's at the door.

Someone was knocking on the front door? Severance frowned. "That's normal, isn't it?"

Mouna slid off the bed and went to the door. With one hand she pushed aside the curtain and peered out. The knocking continued, a heavy, rhythmic beat that showed no signs of stopping. She looked back at him, and he thought she looked a little pale.

"Mouna?"

No one should be here.

A chill skittered down Severance's spine, as the meaning of her signs sank in. No one should be here. This House wasn't on the maps. Only the Veiled themselves had the rights to this property. He looked to Vast. The beast stood as still as a statue, ears straight and forward as he listened. He was alert, that much was clear, but he made no sound.

Severance scrambled off the bed and hurried to the door. He slipped through, intending to go to the balcony's edge to get a better look. Mouna caught his arm though, stopping him from going more than a step outside. When he looked at her questioningly, she gave a single shake of the head.

"It's fine. Maybe someone just wandered here by mistake." Movement below caught his attention, and he saw Maun, Batin, and Agadhi himself striding across the Hall. Behind them came a few more Veiled, with Hassiba and Nedra among them. There were no weapons in sight, but it wasn't hard to tell that all of them were on high alert.

Severance's mouth went dry. It was sinking in just how wrong this situation was. He tugged against Mouna's grip, wanting to get a view few of the main doors.

Instead of giving way, Mouna yanked with considerable force. He staggered backward, almost falling through the curtain as she pulled him back inside the room. Before he could even regain his footing, he found himself pressed against the wall beside the door. She leaned against him, one arm across his chest, and it was only the dead seriousness of her gaze that kept him from struggling.

Don't move.

"What's going on?" He whispered.

She pressed two fingers against his lips and gave her head a sharp shake. He blinked, inhaling sharply at the unexpected touch, but she wasn't looking at him any longer. She stared at the door as if she could see right through it.

The knocking had stopped.

From below came Agadhi's voice, calm, yet with an unmistakable air of command. "Explain your presence."

There was a laugh, or more like a guffaw, for it was rough and loud without any restraint. "Did you think your little cave so hard to find, little pravit?"

Severance's eyes widened. That was no voice he recognized, so it had to be the person who was knocking on the door. What nearly frightened him, however, was how they had spoken to Agadhi. This person was either very stupid, or very strong.

"Eusebius the Madi," Agadhi stated. There was no hint of anger or reproach in his response; it remained as even as ever. "What brings the Fang to my House?"

Mouna visibly jerked, her eyes widening. She mouthed the word Fang, and Severance felt her tremble. He gazed at her, growing more alarmed. It sounded like this newcomer was known to the Veiled, but this reaction made a thousand questions arose in his mind.

Mouna slapped his chest, which made him start. Certain she had his full attention now, she hastily signed, Leave. Leave now. Hurry!

"What?" He didn't understand. If there was a threat, shouldn't he–

Please. There was frantic urgency there now, and it was like she was pleading with her eyes. He'd never seen them so wide before. You must leave. We will be well, but you must leave now.

The last thing he wanted to do was leave. Not only did he want to know what was going on, but if there was danger, then he wanted to help. But one look at her expression told him that she wasn't joking around.

Leave, she signed fiercely. Now.

"Fine," he whispered. He didn't want to go, but he sensed she'd become very angry if he did. He already was long past his usual log out time, anyway. "I'll go. System, Log Out."

And he was gone.