29. Setting her free

Beata didn't believe it was normal even for a second. There was always a catch when the Day Witches were involved! She just didn't know what it was. With things going like that, she couldn't even complain to the knights, and not only because she didn't trust them. Beata didn't know what she could say! If she claimed someone kidnapped Sky, they'd come to Garance's mansion – and see Sky wasn't held in chains! They'd punish Beata for this, they wouldn't care enough to search for the truth.

Verina tried to pretend she didn't give a damn about this whole situation, but that wasn't true. Sure, she wasn't really Sky's friend, but she owed her a lot, and she disliked the Day Witches even more. She'd gladly change something… but she couldn't.

At least, Beata thought she couldn't, until Verina came from the market unusually excited.

"I know what they did to Sky!" she announced.

Beata threw a quick look at the customers, but none of them seemed to pay attention to the Beast Witch. After Sky stopped appearing here, the number of clients diminished drastically.

"Quiet!" Beata hushed at her. "Let's talk upstairs!"

She waited for the clients to go away and locked the shop. That way Beata could be sure they wouldn't be interrupted. Only after that she dragged Verina upstairs.

"What did you find out?" she asked. "I thought you were just going to the market!"

"I was… And it happened at the market!"

"What happened?"

"I met Freesia!"

"Alone?"

"She comes there alone," Verina shrugged. "The other two don't like doing simple things like going to the market, they believe they're too good for it."

"So you met her… and what did you do?"

"I just couldn't stand it… I came to her and asked what they did to Sky."

"Verina! You weren't supposed to!"

That was actually extremely dangerous. Freesia was the kindest of the three, but she was still a Day Witch. If her mother ordered her to kill someone, she would never argue. Beata and Verina discussed this, they agreed never to approach the Day Witches directly! Even a hot-tempeted Beast Witch should understand the reasons for it…

"I know, I know," Verina smiled a bit timidly. It was rare for her to admit she was wrong. "I just couldn't help it! They acted like they owned that place…I wasn't really thinking about what I was doing."

"So I see… Are you saying she actually replied to you?"

"Of course not! When I asked her, she said she didn't know what I was talking about. And I told her Sky was suffering and they didn't have the right to do it. Soon her servants dragged me away from her."

"And? I can't see how that explains what happened to Sky!"

"When everyone were distracted by me, Freesia looked me in the eye and touched her neck. Like this!" Verina touched her neck gently with the tips of her fingers. "She made sure I could see her and did this!"

"I can't see how that explains anything…"

"It explains everything! Have you noticed Sky now wears the same necklace all the time? The necklace Garance gave her! I noticed it at once, I just didn't think it was important. And now, thanks to Freesia, I know it is!"

"You don't know that for sure," Beata shook her head. "You could've misinterpreted her gesture… Or she could've lied to you!"

"Well, that's an option, but… can't you see it all makes sense now?"

"Nope."

"They control her day and night," Verina reminded. "That would never work if they relied on their energy only, it disappears during the night. They had to rely on some artefact for this whole thing to work! And the only object she wears all the time is that necklace, that's what Freesia was hinting on!"

"You don't know what Sky wears under her clothes, it can be something else. Even so, why would Freesia help you?"

"Not me," Verina replied. "I think she wants to help Sky."

Strangely enough, that made sense. Before Sky stopped being herself, she used to tell Beata about how things were in the mansion. She mentioned that Freesia was the nicest of the Day Witches and they got along easily. Could that mean that Freesia had some conscience left and she understood that what they did to Sky was wrong?

Beata wasn't an expert in artefacts, but she knew enough about them to know how those things worked. If the Day Witches used some sort of control artefact on a powerful Night Witch like Sky, it wouldn't have worked at once. It would need days, many days, to break her will and turn her into their slave. And that was exactly the thing happening now!

Sky seemed strange and detached when she last spoke to Beata, but now she was acting like nothing had happened. The artefact was gaining power over her! And if nothing changed, she might reach the point where there would be no coming back for her.

And yet…

"Even if it's true, what can we do for her?" Beata asked.

"Take the damn necklace off, of course!"

"Who's going to let us?"

At that point, even Verina finally had to fall silent and think about the situation they were in.

They couldn't just take the necklace off and forget about it! For starters, they'd have to get to the mansion. During the day, it was impossible – the gates were open, but that hospitality was deceitful. Garance had her power, she could turn anyone into dust. And during the night the mansion was securely locked, the witches knew their vulnerabilities and weren't taking any chances.

But even if Beata and Verina somehow managed to get inside that house and find Sky, that wouldn't mean they succeeded. Sky would stop them! Observing her from afar was enough to realize how deeply she was under Garance's control. Sky started using her magic even before it all happened, by now she had to be better at it. If she inherited at least half of Aydelline's power, that would be enough to get rid of two weaker witches.

Even Verina, with her stubbornness, had to see that.

"So what are we left with then?" the Beast Witch asked gloomily. "We can't just leave her!"

Beata didn't have a chance to answer: she was interrupted by a knock on the door. Both witches instantly became alert: they didn't expect anyone. And no-one was supposed to come! Sure, Beata closed the shop earlier that day, but now it was by all means the time when it didn't work. It was evening, already dark… Who could've come here at this hour?

Beata threw a wary look at her companion:

"How serious you conflict with Freesia was, again?"

"It wasn't serious at all! Nothing special… I mean, they know I'm a Beast Witch… We all act like that and nobody cares!"

"Looks like someone cared this time…"

Beata didn't doubt Verina was telling the truth, she didn't really start a fight with Freesia, no-one got hurt. But what if that was enough to anger Garance? The Day Witch considered them a threat and decided to get rid of them. If she truly had big plans for Sky, she wouldn't risk it because of them, they weren't important enough.

The knock on the door sounded again – whomever it was, they certainly weren't going to go away.

"What do we do now?" Beata whispered. "Pretend we're not here?"

"Nonsense, it's easy to see the light in our windows!"

"We still don't have to open…"

"If that's some of Garance's minions, they would let themselves in," Verina sighed. "We have to face them… Not like we have a choice!"

Beata didn't like that, but she couldn't argue. Both of them went down the stairs slowly. The door remained closed, but the late visitor was still there.

Verina inhaled the air deeply and frowned.

"That's not one of the Day Witches!"

"So? They never come out after dark, they could've sent someone else! I'm telling you, they know we want to set Sky free and…"

"Only women work for them," Verina interrupted her. "Different witches, true, but all women. And there's a man standing behind our door."

"What?! What man?"

"I don't know," Verina replied, keeping her eyes locked on the door. "I know all men on this island – not personally, but I recognize all smells. I probably know this one too, but he's smart, he's using a special set of herbs to change his smell. Few people know how to do that."

"And he has to know a Beast Witch leaves here to do it," Beata added. "He knows who he came to see! He didn't get those herbs from me, mind you… He had to be working for Garance! Verina, I'm scared… I don't want to open that door!"

"We have to, we can't hide forever."

"Well, he can't stand there forever too!"

"But he can break the door. He hasn't been aggressive yet, so… let's see what he wants."