"So, if Iluna and I can get back before evening, I'll attend the banquet."
Shade nodded, then looked at Iluna. The eighteen-year-old girl nodded as well:
"I'll attend too. I took the whole day off today, so I have time during both the day and the evening."
The Acorn that had been soaked in Shade's blood was already on him. As for the hidden place in the forest marked by Luvia, it lay southwest of the city, in the direction of Weilun Dai'er City.
"What is the relationship between Shade and this Miss Bayes?"
After Miss Bell saw the two of them downstairs, the witch asked her usual questions. The red-haired girl, who had been preparing to look through the local information again, froze for a moment before asking:
"You're asking me?"
That made the witch even more surprised:
"There are only two of us here. If I'm not asking you, who else would I be asking? Look at that young girl. She doesn't look dressed to venture deep into the woods with Shade. She looks more like she's going on an outing outside the city."
"Why do you think I know the answer to that? Don't be surprised yet. I need to clarify something: although I'm Shade's teacher in name, I don't know all of his secrets."
Miss Danist was quite candid:
"I know a little more than you do, but obviously that is only one part of it. As for Miss Bayes, all I can tell you is that she and Shade are very close. Very, very close."
The witch transformed into an owl and landed on the back of the sofa again:
"Don't tell me Galina can't even keep her own man under control. Is that Miss Bayes his lover?"
Thinking of what she knew, the red-haired