Shade had not originally planned to set foot on Lake Heart Island so soon. He had intended to investigate further, get a clear grasp of the situation, and use the safest possible method to reach the island. But with the Apothecary Miss's help, going ashore early was not entirely unacceptable.
There was not much Shade needed to prepare for the landing. After leaving Grandma Natalie, he slipped into the underground warehouse behind the inn and returned home. Since Little Mia had been taken away by Dorothy, he made a special trip to Quill Street and invited Miss Writer to lunch with him.
Dorothy also told Shade that Leisha had informed Miss Galina about his need for help. The Duchess had reserved a table at a restaurant on Silver Cross Avenue for that evening, and they would talk over dinner after Shade returned from Green Lake.
After lunch, Dorothy brought Little Mia back home with Shade. Shade used a Poetry Manuscript Paper to send Miss Danist an invitation to meet, then bid farewell to Miss Writer, who was searching for information in the study, and returned to Green Lake City.
When Shade pushed open the doors of the Green Lake Inn again, Ms. Green, Helen, was no longer behind the counter. Her twin brother, Mr. Soren Green, was handling the afternoon shift. As for the young and beautiful "Apothecary Miss," he did not know whether she had simply never left, but she was still sitting where she had met Shade that morning, reading a Kartherian Language novel titled "Silent Forest."
Shade walked over and sat across from her. The Sorceress sized him up, pursed her lips, and did not speak first. So Shade began with a pointless topic of small talk:
"This inn is quite interesting. Most of the paintings hanging