Hecate's stiff posture does not soften as her eyes scrutinize the heaviness upon her superior's face. Despite regarding each other as close friends it is obvious in the deafening silence between them that Ada holds a dark secret close to the vest. With the snap of her fingers a chair appears opposite of HB. Ada lowers herself into the seat.
"A lifetime ago my wayward sister found herself in a quite precarious predicament. After her time at Wormwood my dear sister wandered from one corner of the Earth to another searching for the parts of her that were broken. All she found was one heartache after another. She's always been quite adept at leaving a trail of destruction behind her. By the time she returned she was in a state that magic could not reverse without violating the code in unthinkable ways."
"Ada I do not understand," Hecate locks eyes with her.
"A lifetime ago Agatha had a daughter. Despite all of her grandiosity even she could see her flaws did not make her a suitable candidate for motherhood. In a stroke of luck the father was a decent human being, and was quite obliged to raise his daughter. He married and he, and his wife raised Amina to be the antithesis of Agatha."
"What does this have to do with the sketch?"
"Amina died prematurely during childbirth. She had been widowed a few months prior to her death. Both of her parents were also deceased by the time her son was born. Quite unfortunately for him his paternal grandparents were in their seventies, and felt ill prepared to care for a newborn. Adonis had the misfortune of being entrusted into Agatha's care. No one knows of him aside from myself. Agatha took leave of her position at the academy for years to care for him."
"What became of him?" Hecate's eyebrows arch.
"With Agatha at the helm he was a powerful, and troubled child. I was under the impression that he perished in the fire that destroyed the cottage Agatha lived in with him. That is certainly what she told me. He was six at the time," Ada's eyes shift to the sketch Mildred Hubble has drawn. She nervously smoothens the wrinkles of the page.
"Mildred has no knowledge of any of this?"
"It would be impossible. Amina's original birth scroll was destroyed. She knew of Agatha's identity as an adult, but great caution was taken to give her a normal life."
"The explanation you are suggesting is that Adonis is responsible for all of this?"
"If that is the case the academy may be the only place that we will be able to keep our pupils safe."
"I have enlisted the assistance of Mister Daisy to manufacture a highly potent protection spell which I was able to place on Felicity, albeit too late. Her family has assured me they are competent to maintain her safety."
"Can quality of the potion be maintained if they are produced in bulk?"
"Mister Daisy and I have inventoried the ingredients necessary. We have enough ingredients in stock for each pupil."
"And Mildred Hubble will be the one pupil he has his sights set on Hecate. Despite all of my sister's shortcomings the boy was highly attached to her."
"I have already used the potion on Miss Hubble."
"We must keep a close eye on her."
Felicity returns home much to her dismay. Winter holiday rolls around with every pupil relegated to the grounds. The long winter months drag on. One morning the girls are particularly grouchy, and restless as they roll into the great hall for breakfast. HB lowers herself into a seat next to Ada with a yawn.
"Dimity has volunteered to keep watch this evening," Ada begins the conversation.
"That is unnecessary. We must be more vigilant than ever. This will be the first temperate day this calendar year. The girls are going to be tempted to venture from the grounds."
"There are plenty of available staff to watch over them. Dimity will take charge of Mildred this evening."
"I do not understand how someone who sleeps so little can manage to suddenly be the ideal pupil."
"It is just a role she's playing, Hecate," Ada reminds her.
Hecate hangs her head, "Once upon a time I too played the role of dutiful student. I lost part of myself, and years of my life. I have only begun to scratch the surface of separating myself from the shadow I cast."
"Step out of the shadow, and offer the girl the vulnerable side of you, instead of the venerable one."
A silver of moon offers a hint of light as HB passes the window that illuminates the staircase. In light of recent events each girl is required to leave her door open until staff have done a head count. Once she is satisfied that the girls are all accounted for she turns to retire to her quarters. Despite her full faith in Dimity Drill's ability to protect Mildred Hubble she finds herself being drawn to the fifth year pupil. She ignores the universe's calls and collapses into her bed exhausted from countless nights of over-extending herself.
Dimity gently pushes open the door to check on Mildred. The night is young, and the pupil is perched at her desk with charcoal smeared on the palms of her hands, and the tips of her fingers. She shades the page in greys, and blacks. As Dimity hovers nearby she finds herself wondering if that is how the once vivacious girl sees the world these days. She clears her throat.
"Mildred if you would be willing to table the task at hand I would like to offer something that may be helpful in finding sleep."
Mildred remains focused on the page. She remains as still as a statue. It is as if she hasn't heard a word Dimity has said.
"Mildred?"
Her page skin yellows in the glow of her lamp as her face turns towards Dimity's figure. She wipes her hand on a nearby towel. Her head hangs as her body turns to face her elder.
"In recent time it is rare that I am able to obtain adequate sleep, therefore I have no difficulty entering a state of slumber, Miss Drill."
"I see."
"With sleep comes dreams. Except my vivid imagination, and recent trauma transform all of them into utterly gut-wrenching night terrors. I prefer the state of exhaustion to the state of terror."
