11. The Witch of the South
WITH the conspiracy of the fake Karina now revealed, Prince Harold mobilized his people to search the palace. But there was no sign of anyone who looked like Karina or Elena.
“She’s probably used magic to flee far away.”
Harold gazed down at the map spread out on the desk before him, writing crosses on the areas his servants had already checked.
“That’s possible. But there are other possibilities, too,” Ed said.
“You’re saying she might still be here in the palace, looking like someone else?” Daniel frowned, perturbed by Ed’s suggestion.
Obviously, our chances of finding Fake Karina were slim to none. A gloomy mood settled over the room. Karina looked around at everyone’s faces, concerned and not comprehending why we were all upset.
“Say, Karina…how much do you remember?” I asked.
“What do you mean? I remember everything.” Karina blinked her green eyes at me in confusion.
I tried asking her more questions, but it was impossible to get anything out of her. Karina didn’t even seem aware that her memories had been altered at all.
According to Toll, incomplete magic could cause aftereffects that lingered on a person. There was a possibility that Karina’s memories would start to come back gradually. But there was also the possibility they never would.
And there was also the possibility that they might snap back all at once.
In other words, we had no idea what would happen.
“Hey, Ed, Toll. You said that the spell cast on Karina was cast repeatedly to prevent it from wearing off, right?”
“Right.”
Ed and Toll stopped their discussion with Harold and Daniel and turned to look at me.
“How often did she recast them, do you think?”
“Magic usually lasts a matter of hours after being cast, before starting to weaken and wear off. I’m not sure how long exactly but based on how thick the magic was on Karina, I’d say the Witch cast the spells once every day.”
“Every day… So, she would have planned to recast them again today, right?”
That’s when Harold leaped to his feet, yelling, “That’s it!”
“You mean there’s a good chance the Witch will come back to find Karina?”
“Yes. I believe so.” I nodded.
When Fake Karina burst in on us earlier, Ed quickly cast Concealment magic, preventing her from noticing the real one. Surely, Fake Karina would have to return soon to check up on the spells she’d cast on the real Karina and redo them if she wanted to keep her secrets.
If my hypothesis was correct, Fake Karina would be returning soon. And she’d head straight to check on the real Karina.
“I’ve created a strong shield around this area, which should prevent both Transportation and Locating spells. But with the Witch’s skills, it’s only a matter of time before she breaks the spells and discovers where Karina really is.”
Ed’s comment caused everyone to fall silent. Nobody disagreed.
“First off, we’re due to return to our own countries tomorrow. I’ve already contacted my people and let them know I wish to extend my stay,” I said. “Toll and Ed should take turns guarding Karina. I’ll stay by her side as well.”
“Thank you, I’d appreciate it if you did that. As for the magic…well, we simply can’t do very much without you and your people, Princess Annabel.”
Prince Harold rubbed his forehead before flopping back down into his chair. Its legs shrieked against the floor.
“I’ll extend my visit, too,” Daniel said. “And I’ll try to stay as close as possible. The woman who disguised herself as Karina has cause to hate me now. I pretended to be under her spell earlier and betrayed her in front of you all. She might come after me for revenge.”
“Yes, you’re in danger too. You should stay in Karina’s room with the others, Prince Daniel.” Prince Harold nodded.
Then we started making plans to ensure that Karina was heavily guarded around the clock.
✦ ✦ ✦
I couldn’t sleep after all the excitement.
The room was silent. But I could hear soft breathing beside me.
Tonight, I was sleeping side by side with Karina.
Toll and Ed were in the room guarding us and sleeping in shifts. Daniel and Harold were sleeping in the connecting room.
I wonder what time it is?
I sat up slowly to check the clock. Then as I tried to get out of bed, I heard a soft voice.
“Can’t sleep, Princess?”
I looked over, my eyes already used to the darkness, to see Ed sitting on the sofa and looking my way. Toll was sitting beside him, fast asleep.
“Yes…I don’t feel sleepy.”
I put both feet on the floor and grabbed my gown from the bedside table, sliding it on as I stood.
“It’s almost dawn.”
“Oh.”
I walked over to the window and opened the curtains. The inky sky hinted it’d be chilly today. The glass made my fingertips numb with cold.
“You should sleep,” Ed said softly. “You need your strength. I could cast a Sleeping spell on you. One that’ll wake you in an hour?”
“No thanks, I’m okay.” I shook my head. “I feel like drinking some nice hot tea.”
“The servants should be beginning their rounds around now. Shall I fetch someone?”
“Thank you. That’s very kind.”
“Of course. Just wait here a moment.”
Ed smiled, then shook the sleeping Toll awake to let him know he was stepping out. When Ed opened the door, I could see that the hallway was lit and filled with guards standing at attention.
She didn’t come today, either.
We’d been positive that Fake Karina would come soon, but she still hadn’t shown herself. We had no idea when she would show up, nor what she might look like when she did. Not knowing made me feel sick with unease.
I wish she’d just give up…
Flattening my palm against the glass, I gazed out the window. Just then, I heard the door latch.
I turned around. Ed was just coming back in.
“My, that was quick.”
Ed had only just left, and he hadn’t been gone long at all…only a minute or two. He was holding a tea tray, so he must’ve located a maid in the hallway.
“How’s it looking outside the room?”
“The room’s well-surrounded by guards.”
“Mm. I can see them out in the grounds, too.”
I gazed down from the window. Guards were posted all around the palace, their posts only a few meters apart.
“Karina’s sleeping well.”
“I see.”
I glanced at the sofa, where Toll was asleep once again, still sitting.
It was Toll’s turn to sleep, but he’d been awoken to guard me while Ed went to fetch the tea. He must’ve been really sleepy. As Ed walked over, he peered at Karina’s sleeping face. Then he came to join me by the window.
Crack.
I heard the sound of something breaking close by, and I reached up to touch my hair.
I was using the hair accessory from Ed to keep my hair back. I nervously unfastened it and looked at it. There was a big crack right across the red Magic Crystal.
It’s broken…
I had only put it on a few moments ago, after getting out of bed. It’d been fine then…
“Why don’t you go back to bed, Princess Annabel?”
Ed smiled at me. But I felt a cold shiver run down my spine.
Ed smiled at me in the moonlight, and every last detail of him was the Edoile Licht La Boulacherie that I knew. His suggestion that I return to bed was characteristic of the way he always cared for me.
But something was terribly, terribly wrong.
Ed never, ever calls me “Princess Annabel!”
Panicked, I ran over to the bed to shield Karina as she slept.
That’s not Ed!
“Special Protective Magic: Wall.”
I cast the strongest spell I knew of and a shield suddenly shimmered into being between me and “Ed.”
“Princess Annabel? Is something amiss?”
“Ed” frowned, looking troubled.
I spread my arms wide to try to conceal Karina from view, glaring at the imposter.
“You’re not Ed!!!”
The expression suddenly faded from “Ed’s” face. His eyes narrowed, fixing coldly upon mine. Then, golden particles began to dance in the air around him in a flash of light. “Ed” transformed, morphing into the familiar figure of Elena, right before my eyes.
“How could you tell? And what happened to my precious spells? How odd.” Elena narrowed her black eyes further, rubbing her chin. Her partially tied-back black hair fell over her shoulders.
Ed, hurry up!
My heart was hammering.
I may have been able to match Elena’s magic for raw power, but she’d mastered techniques I could never hope to use myself. I needed to call for help before it was too late.
“Elena, why are you doing this? I’ll arrange a pardon for you. It’s not too late…”
I hoped to appeal to Elena’s conscience. Elena’s crimes would lead to the death sentence for her. But if I intervened and spoke on her behalf, it was possible Nigren would pardon her.
“Don’t you dare call me by that name!!!”