Rias breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded. "Thank you," she said. She ruffled feathers just a tad before she bit back a small groan of pain. "I do appreciate everything that you all are doing for me, including Stephen." She opened her eyes and looked at Stephen before she laid her head back down and closed her eyes.

Stephen finished the fire and looked at me with a small frown on his face, and concern flashed through his eyes. "Ok, the fire is lit," he said and offered me a tight smile, which I returned with one like his. "What do you want me to do now, Ernie?" he asked and raised an eyebrow in question.

"Can you make sure that all the windows are closed and covered," I said and shook my head. "I don't know if Garrett is going to come by, but you can let him in if you see him, if that is fine with you, of course, Rias." I glanced at her and didn't move toward the fire, wanting to make sure that Stephen was done before I did that.

"And Garrett is..?"

"A crow friend of mine," I said and shrugged, biting back a small grimace. "He is my eyes at the place and will tell me stuff."

"For a price," Stephen said, and I rolled my eyes and pursed my lips in annoyance. He started to do what I told him to do and make sure that my windows were covered and locked and my blinds on my door were closed. "He will tell her stuff for a price."

"Then he can come in if he comes here," she said and nodded. She sighed and ruffled her feathers as best as she could. "After you set me into the fire, move back and don't stay close to the fireplace," she said. "Do not be worried about me because I will be fine and know what I need to do to help heal myself, even if I won't be at my full strength."

I nodded and started to make my way to the fire without saying another word. My whole body was tense, and I was nervous and worried about her safety because I had no idea what was going to happen to her after I did what I needed to do.

Please, make sure that she would be fine after this, I silently prayed to whoever was out there while I made it to the fireplace and knelt down by the fire, and Rias turned her head to look at the fire, looking weaker than she had in the past.

"Will this do?" I asked, and she nodded in confirmation.

"Yes," she said, her voice barely above a whisper and looked at me before she looked at the fire. "This will work. Can you get me out of the blanket and put me into the fireplace, please? I do not think I will be able to do that on my own."

I nodded and did what I was told to do, setting her gently down on the ground first, much to her annoyance. "I have to get the blanket off first before I do anything else for you, Rias, and this is the best way of doing it without injuring you further."

"It's going to hurt either way," she muttered under her breath and groaned in pain while I shifted her in a way that had hurt her. She closed her eyes and moved her head to the side while she ruffled some feathers.

"Sorry," I said and cringed in guilt. "I did not mean to hurt you like that, Rias, so I hope that you can forgive me."

Rias bit back a tired sigh and nodded, silently indicating that she forgave me. She ruffled her feathers and didn't move while she opened and then closed her eyes again, waiting for me to put her in the fire so that she could heal herself in a way that I wouldn't understand.

"Are you ready, Rias?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I gently picked up the female bird, who was fully out of the blanket. "Are you sure that this is going to help you take care of whatever happened to you?"

Rias bit back a small chuckle and slowly nodded before she opened her eyes to look at me. "I am ready, and yes, this will help me. I am grateful that you are here to help and are able to understand me. I do not know what else I would have been able to do without you here."

I bit back a small chuckle and nodded, and my heart grew warm because I was happy that I was able to help her in her time of need. "I am grateful that I am able to understand you, as well, Rias," I said. I placed the bird into the fire before I moved away from the fireplace and watched as the fire turned purple, and the air became filled with this feeling of power that had the hair on my arms standing at attention.

"Wow," Stephen said, his voice barely above a whisper while he watched the fire turn purple and the feeling of magic in the air, and I nodded in confirmation. "This is amazing."

"Yes, yes it is," I said and leaned back on the ground, moving a hand through my hair and across my face before I turned to look at Isaiah. "So, what are we going to do about her?" I asked and raised an eyebrow in question while I studied him. "Can she stay here, or does she need to go back to the zoo?"

"She can stay here," Isaiah said and shook his head, and I released the breath that I didn't know I was holding until he said that I could keep her here. "I will make sure that everyone knows that she is here and healing."

I breathed a small sigh of relief and nodded, glad that he was going to allow her to stay here because I knew that there were going to be questions that we wouldn't have the answers to if she stayed at the zoo. "I'll keep you updated on her well-being and what information that I find on her."

My father nodded in agreement and placed his hands behind his back while he clasped his hands together. "I will go ahead and take my leave if you do not need me any longer. If yo-"

"What about the boy?" I asked, interrupting him, and my adopted father scowled and narrowed his eyes while a look of annoyance flashed through his eyes. I ignored the look on his face and cocked my head to the side, not sorry for interrupting him. "Can we talk about everything that is going on now, or do you want to talk about that when we go to your office after everything here is done?"

"We will talk about that in my office later," he said and shook his head. He sighed and moved a hand through his hair and across his face before he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let me know when she is healed and whatnot."

I nodded. "I will make sure that she is comfortable here and then go ahead and go back to work after that."

Isaiah nodded in confirmation and looked at Stephen. "Keep me updated on everything that happens with them both," he said, and I rolled my eyes and scowled while Stephen nodded. He looked at me and smirked, knowing full well that I didn't like it that he was using my friend against me. "I will be coming at six, hopefully, for dinner."

I nodded. "I will make sure to have dinner ready for you. I don't mind if it isn't at six but later, Dad. I still have to make sure that the animals are fed and taken care of in the evening like usual."

"That is what the night crew is for, though," Isaiah said and winked teasingly, and I rolled my eyes and scowled playfully.. "You have been working early in the morning anyway, so you don't need to check in on them during the evening."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes while my scowl grew deeper. I didn't say a word about the animals and checked in on them at night, earning a small chuckle from my father, who knew me better than anyone else in this world.

My father chuckled a second time while he tucked his head closer to his chest. "Keep me updated," he said to Stephen before he looked at me with a scowl on his face and narrowed eyes. "And no more spamming me if it isn't a life or death situation; is that understood?"

"Yes, Sir," we said and nodded in confirmation.

"Good, now if you all will excuse me, I will take my leave and make sure that my zoo hasn't burned down to the ground while I was away."

And with that, and without another word, my father left to go look after the zoo while we waited for Rias to appear healthy and hopefully happy.

Oh, Gods, please, help and protect us from whatever it is to come next...