"So impressive."
Shade appeared behind Miss Sylvia and sincerely praised her. The witch turned with a smile:
"Become my apprentice, and I can teach you everything."
Without giving Shade time to react, she added with another smile:
"Even if you don't become my apprentice, if we establish some other kind of relationship, I can still teach you everything."
"Let's talk about that after this is over. I didn't really understand—where did that snake go?"
Shade asked as he and Miss Sylvia mounted their horses again.
"It was compressed by space into a point with mass. Don't be fooled by how weak that monster looked. On the ground, we have no way to destroy it completely. Only a few seals, or methods like mine, can truly render them unable to fight. So tonight, you'd better not leave my side."
The sound of hoofbeats faded away as the two continued toward the depths of the river valley.
At seven thirty in the evening, amid the heavy gray snow, Shade and Miss Sylvia arrived at the small bridge outside the forest surrounding Osenfott Manor.
Shade and Miss Sylvia stopped there. After dismounting, Shade raised his head and gazed through the snow at the distant manor:
"This is far enough. Though the claim that demons and vampires cannot cross rivers is merely a superstition spread by country village women, if we go any farther, it may really sense us."
Shade removed his gloves and tucked them into the saddlebag:
"Miss Sylvia, from here on, you'll have to wait for me in the wind and snow. That won't be an easy job."
The young witch looked at him:
"Compared to the weather, what you're about to face is far more frightening. Go on, then. Take this."
She handed Shade a stone rune, engraved in dark