The young ladies in the sky had already descended onto the deck, while Shade, who had jumped down from it, was walking toward the Doctor. On the deck, the beautiful blonde Witch stood with one hand on her hip and used the other to brush her long hair aside, letting it flutter in the night wind before asking bluntly:
"Audrey, long time no see. What is your relationship with Shade?"
Her pleasantries were brief.
Behind her, Siris shook her head at the Great Witch of "Knowledge and Wisdom" with an expression that was half amused and half helpless. The Miss Edwardz were equally blunt:
"Vanessa, what is your relationship with Shade? Come to think of it, we're all sisters in the Council. You can't keep hiding secrets from everyone else, can you?"
After the "joke" Miss Galina had specially arranged and planned for them at the banquet, this Great Witch was no longer afraid of anyone's questioning. Last time, she had been caught off guard by that Duchess's shameless surprise attack. Now that she was prepared, how could she possibly fall behind again?
"You haven't hidden anything from me, just as I haven't hidden anything from you. Isn't that right?"
Facing Megan and Audrey's combined gazes, Miss Benanis blinked. At Miss Sylvia's prompting beside her, she also understood that Audrey Edwards already knew all the secrets.
"Of course we are sisters in the Council. So everyone must keep Shade's matters secret."
Thus, two hands clasped together. Then Miss Sylvia's hand reached over as well, joining the other two. The Witches' way of shaking hands was an ancient custom from the Fifth Epoch: not palm to palm, but with thumbs and little fingers hooked together. Since there was also the hand of the spirit Audrey besides those of the three Witches,