Adina’s POV

I sat stiffly on the bed, my fingers clutching at the sheets like they could anchor me. The witch’s presence was suffocating like a shadow wrapping around my lungs.

Her steps were soft but deliberate as she came closer. The hood still covered her face, but I didn’t need to see her features. I could feel her. The same woman from my dreams. The same voice whispering through the fog of my sleep.

“I have been waiting for this moment,” she said softly, almost lovingly, like ...