𝙱𝙰𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙱𝙴𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙲𝙷𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃

•𝚃𝙷𝙸𝚁𝚃𝚈-𝚂𝙴𝚅𝙴𝙽•

Emory, Tracy, and August stepped into the dimly lit shop, the heavy scent of herbs and incense filling the air. The space was cluttered with jars of mysterious substances, old books, and trinkets from various cultures, all carefully arranged in an organized chaos that spoke of ancient knowledge and power. At the counter stood Mama Maîtresse, a woman of formidable presence with eyes that seemed to pierce through to one's soul. Beside her were Rosemary and Sumeria, her daughter and granddaughter, each with their own air of mystique and authority.

Emory took a deep breath and approached the trio. "I need to tell you two something," he began, his voice trembling slightly. Sumeria, sensing the gravity in his tone, glanced at him briefly before walking off towards August, leaving Emory to address Mama Maîtresse and Rosemary alone.

Mama Maîtresse's eyes narrowed as she studied Emory. "What is it, child?"

"It's about August," Emory said, his voice steadying as he found his resolve. "His bottom lip—it was bitten by Desireé. We tried to explain to him who and what Desireé is, but he's in denial. He's not corrupted, but he's refusing to see the truth."

Mama Maîtresse sighed deeply, her expression one of concern and frustration. "This isn't good. Yuna is in a coma because she took too much all at once from them. And because she's pregnant, she can't handle it like she normally would if she wasn't. There's no telling when she will wake up."

Rosemary's face paled, and she looked at her mother with a mixture of fear and determination. "I need to go see her," she said urgently.

Mama Maîtresse nodded. "We need someone to watch over her. But before you go, there's something everyone here needs to know. Yuna's grandfather is Baron Semedi." The room fell silent as the weight of her words sank in. "We need to catch everyone up and work on a plan to deal with Desireé. August will have to hold her off and distract her until Yuna wakes up again."

"But won't that be too much for Yuna, especially since she's pregnant?" Rosemary asked, her voice filled with concern.

"We don't have any other option," Mama Maîtresse replied firmly. "But you're right. If Desireé is a hybrid of a Lambodian and a Grand Dame, we need to figure out who the other parent is and their power. Only then can we formulate a proper plan."

Rosemary nodded, her resolve hardening. "I'll go help Yuna and do further research from there. It'll be safer with no trace."

Just as Mama Maîtresse was about to relay the situation to Sumeria and August, a commotion erupted. August jerked away from Sumeria, his face contorted in anger and denial.

"So you really are going to defend Desireé like this despite all she did to us?" Sumeria's voice was sharp with betrayal. "How she corrupted Emory, manipulated Tracy, and tried to take us all out when we were just trying to figure out what she was?"

August's eyes flashed with defiance. "I love Desireé, and no one can change my mind with lies. I'll take an Uber back." His voice was cold and final.

A stunned silence fell over the room, and all eyes turned to August. Emory's gaze fixed on the cursed tattoo still visible on August's arm. "If you love her, then why is your curse still there? Why hasn't the tattoo faded?"

Tracy stepped forward, echoing Emory's sentiment. "Yeah, if Desireé is truly the one, shouldn't the curse have lifted by now?"

Sumeria, her eyes filled with pain and confusion, added, "Maybe it's because she's not your soulmate and you don't actually lover her."

August opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, unable to find the words. Finally, he muttered, "I do but  I don't know. I'll just have to ask Yuna, I guess."