"How did their first lesson go?"
Ulrich rested his hand beside the papers on his desk and waited for Shana to answer. Monika remained near the chair, close enough that Shana could see her without turning.
"It went well, my lord."
"What did you teach them?"
Shana hesitated briefly. The morning had passed almost entirely in conversation about Anna-Maria. It had helped the girls become more willing to listen to her, but she was not certain Ulrich would regard several hours of stories as a useful beginning to the instruction he had arranged.
She chose to speak about the afternoon.
"We began with an exercise to recognise the Witch Tree. It is one of the first things young witches learn, before they try to direct the Veins deliberately."
Ulrich watched her with an expression that gave little indication of what he thought.
"Explain it."
