Flight of Frost and Aurora

Chapter 40

Eisheth and Lute were eager to leave the ball the moment the girl began conjuring toads and snakes into the air with her speech. They insisted that Lucifer take them home.

"I want him dismissed!" His wife demanded as they made their way back to the house. "No! Not just dismissed! I want him hanged!"

"For what?" Lucifer asked, perplexed.

"For what?!" she cried, her voice rising in desperation. "Look at what he's done to our daughter! He's bewitched her!"

"Oh, nonsense, Eisheth. There's no such thing as witchcraft or magic."

"Then how do you explain this?!" Lute cried out, causing another snake and toad to tumble from her mouth.

"Lute, not another word until morning!" Eisheth commanded, flinging the creatures out of the carriage. "But do you see what I mean, husband? How else can we explain this?"

"Well... I'll admit it's an impressive trick," Lucifer replied thoughtfully. "But I've seen similar displays at parlor games and festive shows. Once, I even witnessed a magician pull six rabbits from my own hat. This is surely nothing more than a harmless illusion."

"Harmless?!" Eisheth exclaimed. "You consider toads and snakes harmless?"

"Oh really, my dear, what harm can a toad do to a human? And as for the snakes, I know for a fact that green snakes are non-venomous. In fact, some farmers keep them as pets in their crops and gardens to ward off small mammals."

"This was supposed to be her special night, and he ruined it! Ruined it for no reason at all!" Eisheth lamented.

"Now, let's be fair, wife. Lute wasn't exactly an innocent victim," he said. "I saw the whole thing; she was harassing him before he pulled that prank. Not that I approve of his retaliation, and I will certainly reprimand him for it."

"So that's how much my daughter means to you," she retorted.

"She is very important to me, as important as Charlotte. If Charlotte had harassed someone into retaliating with a prank, I would tell her the same thing: while it wasn't this person's place to react that way, what happened was her own fault. It's called disciplining your children. Ever heard of it?"

Eisheth would have protested further, but she chose to remain silent. Moments like these made her worry that her husband was beginning to see through her wicked ways. She needed to tread carefully.

After dropping off his wife and stepdaughter, Lucifer returned to the ball to check on Charlotte. He found her dancing the night away with Alastor. Her eyes sparkled like stars, her face radiated joy, and her laughter rang out, all thanks to the young man holding her in his arms. In that moment, a surge of discontent washed over him—he didn't like it, not one bit.

Lucifer felt uneasy about the growing closeness between Charlotte and Alastor. It wasn't personal; he simply didn't know much about the young man. To him, Alastor seemed like a stranger who had materialized out of nowhere, making bizarre claims about being a sprite. On the other hand, Alastor was undeniably a hard worker, having supplied Lucifer and his family with exquisite furs and assisting around the house. Although Lucifer was not particularly pleased with the stunt Alastor had pulled on Lute at the ball, he couldn't deny that the man's actions had some rationale behind them. Yet, that was the only redeeming quality he could attribute to Alastor. Ambition, while commendable, was not enough for Lucifer when it came to his daughter's future.

Then there was the matter of Alastor's sudden fortune. The diamonds, the pearls, and the roses he had given to Charlotte, along with the gold and jewels he had bestowed upon the Pentious family—where did all this wealth come from? Lucifer was certain it couldn't possibly be magic. Could the young man be a thief?