He looks at M’bali. “So. Are you… going to kill me, or follow her?”

“I’m going to help you get out from under that cunt’s thumb. What has she got on you? I’ll get worse on her.” M’bali still has her arms crossed and actually looks menacing for once. Based on the stories he’s heard from Niko, this woman isn’t one to be trifled with. “There’s no way you’re going to that festival with her. You won’t make a fool out of my sister. She’s lived her whole life with things just being ‘good enough’. She deserves better. No matter what happened between you two.”

He feels that rather sharply, and Charlie takes a deep breath. There’s no point in picking a fight.

Maybe it would be fine to get help for once.

“Thandi… she had a ring, at some point. I’m sure of it. And I found it, with the ravens digging through for the past while.” Charlie rubs his neck, sighing. It probably isn’t as big a deal as he’s making it. But. That ring seems important to her, and he can’t stop thinking about it. “And Rose fucking stole it from my room and decided to trounce up and claim to be my fucking attendant so that she could make Dean— Sir Allemand— jealous. She’s hidden it somewhere, and while I’ve got the whole bird population of Roseview poking about for it, I can’t find it.”

M’bali looks… well. Her face is angry. That’s for certain. But at whom? Rose? Him? She’s keeping it restrained, at least and takes a deep breath. “You… So. You found the ring? And then instead of… Ugh. Gods.” She pinches the bridge of her nose. “I suppose you don’t want to hurt her so that’s out of the question. And your birds couldn’t find it anywhere?” She sighs and massages her temples. “Where is she staying at the moment? And can you get her back here? She may actually have it on her… or in her.” M’bali grimaces at that, clearly having experienced finding something inside of someone before.

Charlie pales at the very idea. He shakes his head, dismissing the image from his mind. “I swear, if it is, I’m going to toss her in the cellar.” He pushes his hair back, sighing. “She’s got family in town, so she lives with them. The ravens can only do so much, unfortunately. Wherever she’s hidden it, it isn’t in a very raven-friendly container. And she keeps bringing men back with her so trying to get into her rooms when she goes home is a trial.” He crosses his arms, beginning to feel ill. Gods, what the hell is wrong with that woman? Gaming for Dean and yet bringing people home. And she’s tried with him. Repeatedly. It makes his stomach turn. 

“Well maybe instead of sneaking and snooping, we just take it back. Grab her up and go back to her place. I have a spell that’ll tell me where it is if it’s anywhere in there. But first.” She presses her fingers together and breathes deeply as she closes her eyes. There’s a tinge of magic swirling around her and he feels it spread out, flowing over him and every surface in his room like a wave.

When she opens her eyes, she smirks. “She’s on her way. And she has it.”

That bitch. She had it on her this whole time!? She was taking advantage of his hatred of touch by keeping it on her person. Charlie clenches his fists, teeth creaking as he grits them. “I’m going to turn her inside out. I’m going to dangle her from the fucking eaves and beat her like a fucking rug. I’m—”

No kill rule. Rev, outside, sitting on the roof. The damn bird. You not hit.

“I’m going to turn her out of Roseview and make it so she can’t step foot back here ever again.”

Better.

M’bali’s brows rise. “Now that is something I can get behind. Though, turning her inside out might be good.” She strokes her chin and just as she opens her mouth to speak again, the door bursts open. Rose is red in the face and sweating, disheveled from…?

“You put me out with the fucking dogs?!” The woman shouts.

“Yeah? And?” M’bali shrugs. “Figured you could learn some manners from them.”

“You bitch! Well. It doesn’t matter. Your wife knows the truth now. You know she actually came to ask me how to fuck you? Hah! You should’ve seen her face!”

This was why Thandi was in such a good mood. The catharsis. The stupidity of this creature. He laughs at her. And with a small gesture, she’s frozen in place. “That explains why she was thrilled to see me after arriving. There’s just something about knowing that I can’t even stomach your fucking presence that makes her smile. Should I keep you around and put you in a little clown suit? Make you dance for her?” Oh, gods. He does forget how nice it is to spit venom once in a while, and the fury on Rose’s face certainly makes this good. “You’re a fucking liar. You have the fucking ring.”

“I! Do not! It’s hidden! You’ll never get it! Not until Dean begs me to marry him.”

M’bali shakes her head. “I don’t get it. I mean, he’s cute but he’s not exactly boyfriend material. Much less, husband material. Thandi told me about Autumnvale and that guy gets around. What are you so obsessed for?”

Rose scoffs. “You wouldn’t get it. Let me go, you rat!”

M’bali pulls out a dagger and takes a step closer. “Listen, we don’t wanna have to see what you got going on under there. So I suggest you tell me where it is, take it out, and give it back. Or else I’ll have to do the search myself. And no, the Duke won’t be looking.”

Rose pales immediately. Her eyes shift to Charlie. “Y… You can’t be serious. You wouldn’t! What would your wife think?!”

“That you suck, probably.”

“Y-You can’t!”

M’bali raises her dagger higher.

“I think M’bali’s right. You piss her off as much as you piss me off. And the only reason I’ve not just rid myself of you is because of that ring. Because you have two options here and neither are going to end well for you. I’m not stopping her from anything she deems necessary. I may not be like other Istrian nobles, but it doesn’t make me an exceptionally kind Duke.”

“Y… You’re both mad. And! I bet your wife is just as bad. You’re made for each other! Disgusting! Filthy! And–! And–!”

M’bali flicks her finger and Rose’s voice grows quiet even as she mouths words. His new sister rubs her ears and sighs. “Oh. That’s much better. Sorry, there was just this dog going yap yap yap yaaaaap. Anyway. Here we are.” M’bali digs a hand into the pocket of her apron and plucks out the gold band. She looks back at him and shakes her head. “Couldn’t even check her pockets? It’s a good thing you don’t adventure or you’d be screwed.” M’bali drops it into his hand and steps back to let him finish with Rose.

He paces round the now silent woman. “Her pockets and my hands? Touching her?? It was bad enough she would cling. Do you think perhaps it would add insult to injury if I had Dean escort her out of town and dump her there?” He’s already thinking of a million things he could be doing that would be much less kind. 

Murder, though. Might be overkill. 

Or is it…

Do no murder! Do no murder!!

“Hm. I’m thinking we do. Send a guard with them so he doesn’t get fondled. He’s going to be pissed. And you never see him angry.” He hopes that Dean spits on her. That would be good.

Rose is struggling to move against the magical hold he has on her and she’s opening her mouth to scream but nothing escapes her.

M’bali shakes her head. “Calm down, your voice’ll come back. Yknow. Once you’re out of here. And by here, I mean town. I’ll let you have your last goodbyes with Dean.”

Rose’s face is red again as the anger rises in her. But once he calls the guards, they escort her away. And he never has to see her again.

“Great. Now that that’s handled, get that to my sister, okay?” She raises a brow at him, pursing her lips. She’s had enough of this. “Uh… get it cleaned first. See ya.” And with that, she’s gone in a blink.

Charlie stares at the ring in his palm. Finally. Finally. Everything… everything is coming together.

He can’t wait to surprise Thandi with it in the morning.