Early morning, Miss Bell looked especially pale as she followed Flora's instructions to get to work. Once the young ladies had dispersed, Shade and Miss Danist also entered the suite's bedroom.
Vanessa's bedroom carried a very fresh floral fragrance, but since it was only a temporary residence, its furnishings were identical to those in Shade's room next door.
The curtains were tightly drawn, shutting out the somewhat gloomy morning. Luvia and Sylvia stood on either side of the bed, while Vanessa had hidden herself beneath the blankets.
But when she saw Shade arrive, the young black-haired witch took the initiative to pull back the covers.
Vanessa beneath the blanket had apparently tried to resist her but clearly failed. Thus, Shade and Miss Danist saw a tearful blonde young lady wearing an ill-fitting nightgown. She seemed barely over five feet tall, with waist-length hair, but her height, figure, and appearance had all shrunk dramatically.
But after meeting his eyes for only a moment, she buried her head beneath the pillow like an ostrich:
"Shade, don't look at me!"
Then she yanked back the blanket Sylvia had lifted, covering both herself and the pillow.
"This..."
"Did she become younger too, like me?"
The red-haired young lady was extremely interested, but Shade immediately shook his head:
"Absolutely not a Time Curse. I can be certain of that. And although she looks younger, Vanessa is still a Thirteenth Ring Warlock."
"I didn't travel through time! I've used the 'Time Proof' ritual too!"
The muffled voice beneath the blanket agreed with Shade's assessment. So she had not been speaking in a shrill voice earlier; her voice had truly changed. That excessively young face still bore traces of the peerless beauty Vanessa would grow into. She was probably not even sixteen yet.
"Her power hasn't diminished,