Nathan’s POV

For a moment, the witch just stared at me. Her eyes, usually so sharp and cold, widened in disbelief. The flickering light from the candles painted her face in uneven shadows, the kind that made it hard to tell if she was angry, or afraid.

“Remove the child?” she whispered again, almost to herself. Her fingers curled slowly against her palm, trembling slightly. “Do you even know what you’re saying?”

I stepped closer, my voice low but steady. “I’m not the one who ...