At the center of the Sky Mirror, which reflected the night sky, the house-elves let go of Annan and Fiona.
"I think they're saying someone suspicious stopped here."
There was still no word from Mr. Swaro, who was searching the perimeter. Annan crouched and peered into the depths of the mirror lake.
Fiona watched him stare for a long while, holding back the urge to ask if he had found anything. Then Annan suddenly began moving his face from side to side.
"Are you looking at your reflection...?" Fiona asked in disbelief.
"Sorry. It still feels strange having a different face." Annan stood. "I didn't see anything, but the house-elves told me there's something down there."
"You can understand them?"
House-elves looked much like tree sprites: floating clusters of light.
They weren't very intelligent, and only tree sprites could understand their communications.
"I'm not hearing them. I'm sensing their emotions. They're telling me someone who made them uncomfortable came here and did something."
Annan stood and raised his left hand toward Mr. Swaro. They had agreed on signals: left hand for a trap, right hand for nothing found, and both hands for danger.
"You can sense emotions? I thought only succubi had that evil ability," Fiona said warily.
The elders of Dark Night had chosen to trust a human with such an evil ability... Whether that was a good thing remained to be seen.
"That's prejudice. The most—"
"You've told me."
"I have?"
"You have."
"How come I don't remember?"
"Eliana. Remember her?"
Realization dawned on Annan. "You know Instructor Anna?"
"She's a member of Dark Night too."
So Annan had crossed paths with Dark Night before. Nor was he embarrassed at being caught out. Sorcerers were like politicians: a politician who cared about saving face was no good at