“And well you should. You’ve sought refuge in my domain often enough, haven’t you?” Nocturnal replies archly. A pair of exceptionally large crows return to her, one settling on each of her outspread arms and cocking their heads in unison.

“Don’t think me displeased,” she goes on smoothly. “I’ve granted the audience you were so eager for. But you didn’t call on me for the sake of reverence or childish curiosity. So, what prize have you come to ask this time?”

“My Lady,” Felix says carefully, “we ask your aid for a friend we hold dearly. She suffers under a powerful curse which forces her to see the falsity of any lie or deception. Illusions are laid bare to her. Even the shadows themselves cannot cloud her perception.”