Chapter 82 You Must Go

• *Xelina*
• I don’t mean to wander so far. I only meant to gather thyme along the outer edge of the frosty meadow before Mireth noticed I was gone, but the woods have a way of pulling me in deeper when I’m not paying attention. Today, it’s as though something is drawing me forward, calling me farther from the house. The air grows cooler beneath the tall trees, and the ground is covered with pine needles and winter moss. It’s peaceful here in a way the manor never is. Here there are no sharp voices, no endless demands—just me, the hush of the forest, and that strange, silent pull guiding my steps.
• I’ve just knelt to gather a cluster of wild thyme near the roots of an old pine tree when I hear a dry, crackling sound like twigs snapping underfoot. I freeze, my heart pounding in my chest.