As soon as they left the library Lilith and Eda headed towards a nearby tavern; they both ordered something light to drink... or at least, Lilith got something light as she claimed she was still technically working at the time, while Eda got the strongest cognac she could find which was known in that town as Apple Blood, as it was said to contain so much alcohol that it made the blood of those who drank it identical in color and density to apple juice. Once ordered they sat at a table and finally started talking. "It's been… three years since we last saw each other, right?" Eda asked. "Did you get my letters?"

"It's been two years and eight months to be exact. And yes, I have received all your letters. It's a little difficult to lose them along the way when you use magic to deliver them directly to my face, often while I'm sleeping" Lilith replied, though without any malice in her voice.

Eda looked astonished. "Oh, does this really happen? What a shame, I didn't know. Try to understand me, the time difference..."

"Really? The time difference confuses you so much that your letters randomly always end up in my face ten minutes after I go to sleep?" Lilith asked rhetorically. She knew with absolute certainty that her sister was an expert in geography and that she knew the time zones of the whole world perfectly, and above all that she knew her times well.

Eda shrugged. "What can I say... bad luck! Lots and lots of bad luck! But just to be sure... how do you react when it happens?"

Lilith sighed, but despite her obvious exasperation she didn't abandon her smile. "You're still the same. And I thought that living as a hermit in the woods had made you a little more mature. And to answer your question... I no longer pay attention to it, even if sometimes I still have the impulse to come and look for you and tear off your wing feathers one by one" she replied, and these words made Eda burst out laughing, and she too giggled a little.

Lilith was about to say something else, but Eda grabbed her hair: "So, are you going to dye it now?"

"They're just colored with magic! I'm officially a private teacher, I have to look professional! You know how people feel about people with a certain haircut. And you, at least ask me if I want to let you touch my hair!" Lilith replied, moving away annoyed, then she composed herself again. "Anyway... a fairy godmother, huh? Have you finally chosen to follow the family tradition?"

"No, I simply have a very close relationship with Luz" Eda replied. "And I have to admit, I was pleased that she called me her second mom. I thought taking care of a little kid like you did was boring... but maybe because of my age, I'm finding that I don't dislike it at all"

"There's nothing nicer than seeing your pupil smile, right?" Lilith said with a dreamy sigh. "However, get ready, because you will have a lot to worry about. As their guides it is our duty not only to support them but also to correct them when they make mistakes. You will have to scold her when she behaves badly, teach her to take responsibility, punish her when she tells lies..."

"Ugh! Don't start with the usual chant, Lilith. I've never done this job before and by no means do I define myself as a perfect fairy godmother, but I know how to behave with Luz. And believe me, at least the problem of lies has long been solved" Eda the stopped immediately. "And you? How do you get along with that girl? Amity, right? Luz says she has the attitude of a mean girl and even a bully sometimes. Shouldn't you work hard to correct her?

Lilith's smile faded. "Believe me, it's not that simple. You've seen Amity, right?"

"Yeah. Just like you saw Luz. That's what you wanted to talk to me about, right?" Eda murmured, also stopping smiling. "So? Do you go first or do I go first?"

Eda and Lilith were two fairies, and as such they could see inside people's hearts; therefore, a single glance at their respective pupils was enough for them to immediately notice that something was wrong. "I'll go first" Lilith said. "I won't ask you why you chose to be the fairy godmother of a puppet, because if there's one thing I know about you it's that you're completely unconventional, but... what happened to her? I've never saw so much pain in a person. When I saw her for the first time I was almost scared. Anger, suffering, fear, guilt, all concentrated together... I'm surprised that she doesn't engage in self-harming behavior or that she hasn't already attempted suicide. What happened to her?"

Eda sighed. "It was Belos" she replied, and Lilith's eyes widened. "She met him while she was at sea and he devoured her mother, her sister and almost every friend before her eyes. She survived by sheer luck, but not before she stared death in the face. That's what happened"

Lilith was gripping her glass so tightly she might have broken it. "Belos... the sea monster? Oh, Eda, I... I'm sorry. Now I understand why she lives with you..."

Eda nodded. Her hands were shaking slightly. "Now she's... in better shape. You have no idea how bad she was when I finally managed to find her. I'm doing my best to stimulate her, to encourage her to move forward, to not give up... but I know very well that if I wouldn't cast a dream conciliatory spell on her every night she would wake up screaming and crying" Eda clenched her fists and then she closed her eyes and sniffed. "I wish I could fix things, make her go back to being the cheerful and joyful person she once was... but I don't know how. I suck as a fairy godmother"

Lilith bit her lip. It was rare to see her sister in such a fragile state, which fully demonstrated how Eda in turn, while trying not to show it, was suffering from what had happened to her pupil. "Eda, don't say that. Taking care of kids is... complicated, especially when they have problems. If Luz really is recovering from such a tragedy then you're doing a great job: even if her heart is shrouded in pain, I felt it clearly pulsating with the desire to live" she told her, taking her hands and squeezing them tightly. "Don't lose hope. I know it's difficult and that not even magic can cure some things, but it's our job as their guides to help them, especially in this dark moments"

Eda gave a small smile. "Thank you, Lilith. I needed to hear that" she murmured, albeit in a very low voice.

"Of course. That's what sisters are for, right?" Lilith said with a smile, then she turned serious. "And her blond friend? What can you tell me about him?"

Eda shrugged. "It's the first time I've met him too. From what I know he's a wandering monster hunter"

Lilith's eyebrows arched. "So... you're not because we can't read his heart?"

Eda shook her head. When she and Lilith met any person they immediately knew what was in their hearts; but in Hunter's case, this hadn't happened. When they looked at Hunter they saw nothing: anger, hatred, joy, happiness, suffering, arrogance, any kind of emotion; nothing. It was as if Hunter wasn't really a person but an object no different from the weapon he always had in his hand. And this was rather strange and worrying in the eyes of the two fairies. Especially since he was walking around with a staff full of dark magic. "We should keep an eye on him" Lilith said.

Eda nodded. For once she fully agreed with his sister. "Okay, but let's try not to make rash judgments. Luz trusts him and he doesn't seem like a bad guy to me. Let's not lose sight of him, but let's at least give him the benefit of the doubt" she said, and then she looked her sister in the eyes. "Enough about the problems of my Luz and those around her. What about your protégé? I've never seen so much anxiety and pressure in my life. What's happening to her?"

"That she has a horrible family, that's what happens" Lilith replied. "Amity... is a sensitive and emotionally fragile girl. She will do anything to please her mother, Odalia... and her mother knows this well and uses this to control her. She has imposed an extreme lifestyle on her and convinced her that it was the right one. Would you believe it if I told you that Amity looked at me like I was crazy when I told her that she didn't have to worry about having a little pimple on her forehead? The slightest blemish sends her into a panic now, and her mother keeps giving her them weigh. She doesn't even need to punish her anymore because Amity punishes herself on her own as soon as she just scolds her. Just think that when that woman pointed out that her waistline had increased a little, Amity didn't touch food for a week and only with extreme difficulty I managed to convince her to eat something to prevent her from fainting. And this is just one of the episodes. I'm trying to show her... to make her understand that this model of absolute perfection is wrong, but she doesn't listen, she idolizes her mother too much to think that she might actually be manipulating her. I do my best... but it's not easy when she herself can't see her illness or the cause of it"

Eda lowered her gaze dejectedly. "Now I understand why Luz described her as a pompous and arrogant girl obsessed with status, hierarchies, reputation, respect and countless other things"

Lilith nodded. "I know she doesn't behave well, but it's all due to her distorted view of the world. Amity actually has a heart of gold, but her obsession with perfection prevents her from listening to it. Even though I've already scolded her countless times she continues to ignore me. I could punish her... but I'm not sure that would be a good idea. I don't want her to lose trust in me and move away from my protection. I know it may seem stupid but... trust me, you didn't see her when she was alone"

"You don't need to justify yourself to me, Lilith. I understand the situation very well" Eda murmured, and her nails lightly scratched her glass. "Doesn't that girl have a father? Doesn't he intervene?"

"Alador? Tsk! I doubt that man even knows he has a daughter" Lilith said in disgust. "I haven't seen them interact once. Even when Amity is clearly in difficulty in front of him, he ignores her. He acts as if she doesn't exist. He's not like that with the twins, with them he talks and jokes... but with Amity, he treats her as if she were an accessory in the house. The maximum word I have ever seen him say to her was a moan"

"Uh... damn, father of the year" Eda commented. "Isn't it... well... maybe she's not his daughter? Maybe the dear wife had an affair with another man and she was born, and he can't stand her because it represents his wife's betrayal, or something like that? It sometimes happens among humans. I mean... if he interacts with the twins, but treats her like garbage..."

"There are not a few people in this town who think like you. In fact, practically everyone thinks so, even if they don't say it out loud" Lilith replied with a lot of disappointment. "And let it stay between us, but I'm starting to believe it too"

Eda shook her head. "Humans can be really cruel sometimes. How can they ruin their own offspring's life like that? Are you making any progress with her, Lilith?"

His sister shrugged. "Someone. When I chose her as my pupil, Amity did nothing but study and work from morning to night. Now instead she goes out with her friends and has at least a little fun. I hope she continues to improve as she is doing now, but I fear that as long as her mother will be present she will never be able to get too far"

Eda let out a growl. If she could, she would immediately run to Blight Manor and erase that woman from existence, and she was sure Lilith wouldn't mind that either, but they both knew they couldn't do it. Killing was still a bad act, and so was taking a child away from its parents. The only way she or Lilith or any other fairy could have intervened without risking to corrupt and turn into monsters would have been if Amity's mother had deliberately attempted to harm her daughter. But as long as Odalia limited herself to comments and personal considerations, as Lilith claimed she did, then they could do nothing: saying the personal opinion out loud wasn't enough to justify punishment, even if what was said had a strong emotional impact on a person. Odalia unfortunately had never physically harmed Amity or yelled at her or punished her; she had always just commented, and her daughter had punished herself. Therefore, the two fairies had their hands tied: trying to do anything against Odalia or taking Amity away from her would inevitably turn them into rabid beasts.

And speaking of turning into beasts, just at that moment a large gray feather sprouted on Eda's forehead. Lilith froze as if she had just seen a ghost. Eda realized what had happened too late. "Sgrunt, of all places, right in plain sight on my forehead!? Damn, kiddo, what are you doing this time!?". She didn't feel too bad, a sign that whatever bad deed Luz had just done wasn't enough to turn her into the Owl Beast, but something was happening nonetheless. "I have to go look for Luz" she said, standing up abruptly. "Sorry, Lilith, now I have to..."

Her sister's hand tightened around her arm like a vice. Eda bit her lip and looked down, and she met Lilith's wide eyes. "Eda" she whispered. "What have you done!?"

Eda had hoped not to reveal that detail to Lilith, but she knew she wouldn't let her go until she spilled the beans, so she admitted the truth: "The magic that allows Luz, a puppet, to move and speak... it's mine"

Lilith remained silent, but Eda knew it wouldn't take long for her to put the pieces together. And when she did, Lilith jumped up and seemed almost ready to slap her. "Edalyn Clawthorne, are you completely out of your mind!?" she yelled. "Do you realize what this means? If that girl were to misbehave, you...!"

"I would turn into the Owl Beast, I know" Eda replied hastily. "Listen, it was the only way to..."

"Owl Beast?" Lilith repeated raising an eyebrow. "Why did you name the transformation?"

Eda felt the urge to punch herself. Damn her long tongue. "Hooty invented it... after I transformed"

"Did you transform!?" Lilith looked like she was on the verge of an aneurysm.

"Yes, but as you can see I'm fine now! Luz brought me back!" Eda exclaimed. "Listen, Lilith... I knew it was dangerous, but I wanted to do it anyway, and I don't regret it. Luz deserved to live, and I have complete faith in her. She's not a bad person"

Lilith spread a hand over her face. "You really can't be that suicidal, Eda. Luz may not be a bad person, but she's still a kid. Making mistakes and making mistakes is in the nature of kids, it's part of their growth path. Look at Amity: she's obedient and hardworking , yet she makes mistake after mistake every day! This is not a question of trust but of probability, and the probability says that you will turn into this... Owl Beast again!"

Eda sighed. She appreciated that her sister cared about her, but she also knew that Lilith tended to exaggerate... or perhaps she was the one who took the situation too lightly. Who knows. "Listen, sister, I know it's dangerous, but it's too late. I brought that puppet to life and I don't regret it. I transformed, but she brought me back. And I love her, more than you know. So... stop scolding me, because there's no going back anyway"

Lilith opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it and rubbed her temples. "You will make me die of a broken heart one day, Eda..." she murmured. "Okay. But I will only accept this situation if you make me perform the pain sharing spell"

Eda's eyes widened. The pain sharing spell was a special magic created by Lilith when they were little, which allowed the pain of a wound to be shared between two people and therefore made more bearable. "I can't let you do that. If I did, you too would suffer the consequences of Luz's actions"

"Only half. This will give us more time to fix it, and also so I will always know if you are in danger" Lilith said. "Eda, I just found out that you had transformed and I didn't know anything about it. I could have lost my sister. I don't intend to do that again, so let me cast this spell. Weren't you the one who had faith in Luz?"

Eda was hesitant for a moment, but Lilith had been quite convincing... and she knew she would never be able to dissuade her sister. "Okay. Do it"

Lilith nodded, then she rested her head on Eda's forehead and opened her hand; Mike Socks flew between her fingers and transformed into a magic wand. Eda did the same to Owlbert, and then the two fairies crossed their wands. "With this spell declared, let the pain be shared" Lilith said; as soon as she finished saying these words, the bodies of the two sisters lit up for a moment, and then the large feather vanished from Eda's forehead. "Satisfied?" she asked. "Can we go and punish our pupils now?"

"You're only connected to Luz. Who says Amity has anything to do with it too?" Lilith asked.

Eda shrugged. "Oh, simple... intuition"

And that intuition turned out to be right. It didn't take the two fairies long to track down their pupils in the forbidden section, and when they opened the door they found everything in disarray, the kids on top of the shelves and a lake that was rapidly being sucked in by a book that Luz was laboriously trying to close. Eda noticed a belt on the floor that seemed to belong to that book and so she handed it to him: "You need this"

"Ugh! Thanks!" Luz exclaimed, finally closing the book. "Now we can say that it's really over! We were...". The puppet froze as she turned and saw her, and broke out in a cold sweat. "Uh... hi, Eda"

Eda rolled her eyes. It really seemed like it was time to be strict again.

A chat between sisters about their respective pupils was in order. Both Eda and Lilith both have to do their hard work to manage their girls. And of course Lilith would never have left Eda to deal with the risk of the Owl Beast alone after discovering the truth