Maya's POV

Of all the things I could learn, that was the one I wanted most. I didn’t want to be blindsided by emotions the way my mother had been. I didn’t want to be manipulated by affection or fooled by false love. I had learned the hard way that not all love is real, and some of it comes with conditions.

I had loved my father more than anyone, but the truth was, he never really loved me back. He stopped loving me the moment he realized I was a witch.

The letter from my mother had proven ...