14. The memory of Aydelline

It was the most beautiful bedroom Sky had ever seen. First of all, it was huge, with high ceilings and walls made of glistering golden stone. All the furniture here was made of carved white wood and it looked extremely expensive. There were crystals everywhere, and Sky suspected that they gave light during the night. The windows were huge, some of them led to balconies, and she could see the blooming garden outside. A couple of windows were open, filling the room with sweet smell of flowers.

The bedroom also had many tall windows in it, giving Sky a chance to have a good look at herself. She was still in the body of Aydelline, and she was wearing an amazingly gorgeous long dress. It was made of gentle pink silk, the color of fresh cherry petals. It was modest, covering her from neck to her white silk shoes. The dress was adorned with pinkish white pears, and there were larger pearls in her hair combed in braids. In that outfit, she looked like a princess, not like a witch.

She had no idea how she got here – and where she was! Even the castle on the Witch Island didn't have a luxurious garden like that! It was logical to assume it was all just a dream, but it felt so real! Sky could move where she wanted, she felt the warm breeze reaching through the window and smell the flowers. When she touched the hem of her dress, she felt the coolness of silk under her fingers. Her dreams had never gotten that realistic!

"Enjoying your stay here?" a familiar voice asked her.

Actually, it was more than familiar – it was her own… Her new voice. The one it took her some time to get used to, but now she did. Sky knew it was impossible, and yet while she was turning around, she was ready to what she'd see.

Her intuition turned out to be right. Next to the door stood Aydelline – the real Aydelline. Sky would think she was just facing another mirror, but this Aydelline was dressed very differently from her. Her dress was also long, but revealing – with a slit showing off her perfect legs and a cleavage to boast her impressive breasts. It was made of velvet of seductive wine color. She was wearing bracelets, a massive necklace and even a crown – all made of gold and adorned with diamonds. Her long hair was loose, and the eyes watching Sky attentively were violet, not green – it was the only difference between the two witches.

They looked like twins, they were of the same age, but still… When they stood like this, one looked like a girl, and the other – like a woman.

"Who are you?" Sky whispered, her voice trembling.

"You know my name."

"It can't be… You can't be… Aydelline is dead!"

"You can't know that for sure, it was just a guess you and the monks made. But you are right about one thing – I'm not really Aydelline. I'm the memory of her. Don't pretend you didn't know I existed!"

True enough, Sky knew about it. She suspected it before, and after Verina's attack, she was sure about it. It was the memory of Aydelline's powers that helped her.

But she never imagined those memories could drag her in like that!

"I still don't understand where we are… Where am I?"

"You're quite a boring little creature," Aydelline chuckled. "Why do you need to be precise about everything? Your body it still in that hole of a house you live in. You're asleep. But your mind is not really in a dream, you're deeper than that, you're in a memory."

The monk told Sky that Aydelline loved wealth and comfort. Judging by that room and the dresses she owned, it was true. But the fact she was sentenced to die proved it was all gained not through honest work.

"Why now?" Sky asked.

"Because you started to want it strong enough. Why are you surprised? You've been trying to get here for days!"

"Well, I wasn't exactly hoping to get inside a memory… Okay, it doesn't matter. Can you teach me how to use your magic?"

"It's your magic now," Aydelline noted. "Everything is yours."

"It sounds like you regret it!"

"I can't regret anything. I don't even know where the real Aydelline is right now. Don't forget: I'm made of the things she used to be. But I won't go anywhere as long as this body is alive. You wanted to know what you're capable of? Well, I'll show you."

She raised her hand elegantly – and the room was just gone. Both women ended up in a snowy forest. It was freezing cold, with the wind howling all around them. Sky could feel it all – the frost, the snow, the smell of pines close to her. Her breath was leaving her lips in little clouds of steam. In her thin dress, she was about to freeze to death!

Luckily, it all lasted for a moment. Next thing she knew, she was in the bedroom again, and, strangely enough, she didn't feel like she was out in the cold even for a moment! Sky looked at the witch in confusion and saw her smiling mockingly.

"What the hell was it?!" Sky fumed.

"An illusion."

"It didn't feel like an illusion!"

"Who are you taking me for, a carnival witch? The illusions created by Night Witches are top class. As long as they last, no-one would be able to tell the difference between them and reality. Anyone caught in that illusion wouldn't know they're caught!"

"I have no idea how to do that," Sky confessed.

"You have no idea about many things. Keep watching."

The doors opened, and a young man walked in. He was around 20 years old, tall and extremely handsome – with his long blond hair and blue eyes. He was dressed in royal clothes – a suit of golden velvet with some symbols unknown to Sky embroidered on it. He looked confused, but not afraid.

And he was wearing a crown! Unlike Aydelline's crown, it wasn't adorned with stones, it was rather simple, but still made of gold.

"Is he a prince or something?" Sky asked in bewilderment.

"He is," Aydelline nodded. "And he's not supposed to be here, but he still came. We attract men like fire attracts moths, little girl."

"Fire kills moths."

"We can do it too, but it's not necessary, they're more useful to us alive. Observe." Aydelline turned to the prince: "You! On your knees in front of your true Mistress!"

And he complied! Sky could see it was a proud man, the one who gives orders, not follows them. But he was helpless in front of Aydelline, and soon he stood on his knees. If she could do that to a prince, she could do the same to the king. And judging by what the monks said about her, she did.

This spell didn't shock Sky as much as the illusion. It reminded her of what she did to Verina. If the Beast Witch was ready to hit her head on the wall, there was nothing surprising in a mere human going to his knees!

Aydelline noticed her shock wasn't that great anymore and gave her another enigmatic smile. Before Sky could ask what it was supposed to mean, the witch walked to the prince. Aydelline bent over him, and Sky thought she was going to kiss him. But the witch stopped just before her lips could touch his. She opened his mouth a bit, very gently, and the next moment white glowing started leaving him to go into her lips.

It didn't last long, but clearly hurt him. When Aydelline stopped, he fell to her feet unconscious – or dead, Sky didn't dare to check.

"What did you do?" she just asked.

"Every spell a witch casts requires energy. The more energy she has, the greater the spell is. Witches take energy from different sources. The likes of me – and you, from now on, find their energy in the night. But unlike most witches, we have a huge advantage. If we need more, we can simply steal it from humans instead of gathering it painfully for hours or even days."

"I wouldn't call that an advantage, people need that energy!"

"They do," Aydelline agreed. "But who cares?"

"I do!"

"Then you won't survive in this world for too long. Often you'll be facing the situations in which it's either you or them."

Sky wanted to object, to say she'd just keep it low and wouldn't get into trouble. But then she remembered Verina's attack. There was no escaping aggression on this island! And if she wasn't the first to attack, would it really be so wrong to steal someone's energy?

"The things I showed you today are a small part of your new powers," Aydelline continued. "But if you limit yourself only to the natural power of the night, you will be able to do very little. There is no sense in teaching you anything, those petty spells will come on their own. But if you want to create some real magic… Stop thinking you're too good for this. That's the only way for you to survive."