Elara

The door slammed behind him, and silence swallowed the chamber.

His words echoed still, carved into my skull like a brand:

I will learn what enchantment you have placed upon me, little mouse. And when I do, you will never leave this room again.

Enchantment.

The word made my skin prickle. I wasn’t enchanted. I wasn’t special. There was no ancient magic humming in my veins, no secret curse burning in my blood. I was human. Only human. A girl whose life had always been ...