Kayan was slim and had a pretty—too pretty—face, Saren thought. Kayan was sitting on an armchair, her legs stretched out toward the hearth, where two dogs were warming themselves. Next to her, another birl sat on a box. Behind the ruler, a richly dressed birl stood. A magnate, Saren thought.

Velery introduced Saren to Kayan.

"A witcher," Kayan said.

"Yes, your Majesty." Saren lowered her head.

"What made your hair almost white? A curse of a witch? I can see that you look like a normal human. I am joking. Say nothing. You've had enough experience, I assume?"

"I think so, your Majesty."

"I would like  to hear about it."

Saren bowed lower. "Your Majesty, I can't give you the details of my work. You know our code of practice doesn’t allow me to speak of my work."

"A useful code, very convenient code. But tell me, have you fought witches before?"

"Yes."

"Vampires, demons?"

"Those too."

Kayan hesitated. "Strigas?"

Saren raised her head, looking Kayan in the eyes. "Yes, I did."

Kayan turned her eyes away. "Velery!"

"Yes, Majesty?"

"Have you given her the details?"

"Yes, your Majesty,” Velery nods. “She says the spell cast on  your girl can be reversed."

"How, witcher? Oh, of course, I have known that for a long time. But How… Oh, I forgot your code of practice. Okay. I will make one comment. A few witchers have been here already. You have told her, Velery? Good. So I know that your profession is to kill. I doubt you reverse spells. This isn't an option. If you hurt my little girl, I’ll make sure you turn into dust. That is all. Maya, Noble Remi, stay and give her all the information she needs."

Saren crossed her arms. “What about my stay, where am I going to stay and feed myself, majesty?”

“And feed her,” Kayan said, looking at Maya and Remi. “I am leaving.”

Kayan got up, whistled to her dogs and walked to the door. At the door she paused.

"If you succeed, witcher, the reward is yours. Maybe I will add something if you do well. Of course, you won’t marry my girl. I’m sure you don't believe I would give my girl to a stranger?"

"No, your Majesty. I don't."

"Good. That shows you might be a little bit smart."

Kayan left, closing the door behind her. Velery and Maya sat at the table. Velery finished the ruler's cup, glanced at the cup and cursed. Maya, who took Kayan's chair, glared at the witcher as she leaned back in the chair. 

Remi nodded at Saren.

"Sit down, witcher. Food will soon be brought. What would you like to know from me? I hope I can help you enough. I assume commander Velery has told you everything. I know her, she speaks much more than needed."

"Only a few questions."

"Ask."

"Commander Velery said that, after the striga's appearance, the ruler called up many sorceresses."

"That's right. But don't say striga, say noble girl. It makes it easier to avoid making a mistake in the ruler’s presence.”

"Was there anyone well-known or famous among sorceresses??"

"There were such, then and later. I don't remember the names. Do you, Noble Maya?"

"I don't remember their names," Maya said. "Some of them were well-known, I think. But their fame didn’t change anything."

"Did they agree that the spell can be reversed?" Saren asked. “I would like to know that because when magic is an option, the sorceresses might be shy enough not to share their wisdom with people. I am just commenting, of course.”

 Remi rubbed her hands and smiled. "They always agreed with one another but, when reversing the spell on the noble girl was considered, they supposed it was easy. I think Magic shouldn't have been an option, though. If I am correct, it would require someone to spend the night and be by the coffin until the third crowing.”

“What crowing?” Saren said.

“A cock’s third crowing, of course.” Velery laughed. “You are a witcher, you should know that, shouldn’t you?”

“Sorry for my blurry memory, but I don’t reverse spells for a living,” Saren said. “And I want to know about the body aspects of the stri... I mean the noble girl. I mean, what does she look like?"

Velery jumped up from her chair. 

"The noble girl looks like a striga!" she yelled. "Like an ordinary striga. Her nobleness, the cursed royal heiress, is taller than any of us here, shaped like a predator, has a mouth that is full of keen teeth, has red eyes and red hair! Her paws, with claws like a wild cat's, hang down to the ground! And the noble girl is already fourteen. Time to think of giving her to a birl in marriage!"

"Hold on, Velery." Maya said, glancing at the door. 

Remi smiled. "The description is almost correct if we get rid of your fantasies, Commander Valery. Anyway, that's what you wanted, isn't it, witcher? One more important detail that Velery didn't mention... the noble girl moves with incredible speed and is far stronger."

"Okay," Saren said. "Does the noble girl attack people only during the full moon?"

"Yes," Remi replied, "Within the palace walls people always die, but there hasn’t been a connection between the attacks and the moon's phase. But she only moves out during the full moon."

"Has she attacked  anybody during the day?"

"No."

"Does she always eat her victims?"

Velery spat on the straw. 

"Come on, Saren,” she crossed her arms. “It'll be supper soon. She devours her victims as I will eat my supper soon. You could say she eats her victims’ dust. Damned mother's—!"

"Careful, Velery," Maya said. "Say what you want about the striga but do not insult Adda in front of me, as you would not dare in the ruler’s presence!"

"Has anyone survived after any attack?" Saren asked, not paying attention to Maya.

Remi and Maya looked at each other.

"Yes," Remi said. "At the very beginning, seven years ago, she threw herself at two soldiers standing guard over the crypt. One escaped—"

"And then," Velery interrupted, "there was another, the miller she attacked near the town.”