He grinned to Adia as she left the house. "Good doggy..." he muttered under his breath as he turned toward Brandi's room, his cape shimmering behind him. He entered the room slowly, feeling a presence he could not identify inside the girl before he pushed his hood down, revealing his face to her. He locked the door behind him, casting wards on the door and each of her windows to prevent her from escaping.<br/><br/>It was only then that his gaze fell to the girl, and he began to speak. "Brandylynn Knox... my name is Ethan, and I am, some might say, the keeper of this village. I apologize for what happened to your parents, and that you had to witness it, but their fate was decreed far before either of us were born." His voice was gentle but formal as he stepped closer to the girl, knowing she would be in trauma. That said, he had to prepare her for the lottery that was coming up, or all hell might break loose--and in Ten Pines, such a threat was often literal.