Chapter Sixteen -

The cottage was quiet except for the fire crackling low in the hearth.

I sat on the stool beside the bed, counting under my breath as I tilted the vial. My aunt lay propped against pillows, eyes closed, breathing shallow but steady.

“Five,” I murmured. “Six. Seven.”

I stopped.

My aunt smiled faintly. “You always stop at seven when you’re nervous.”

I mixed the drops into warm water and lifted the cup carefully. “Drink.”

She obeyed, grimacing at the bitterness. “Still awful,” she muttered.

“You say that every time.”

“And you still make it.”

“You need it,” I countered and she just waved me off.

I set the cup aside and wiped my hands. The movements were automatic. I had learned them years ago—how to measure, how to watch pupils and breathing, how to notice what others missed. Healing wasn’t magic the way stories made it sound. It was patience. Focus. Care.

“You came back late,” Aunt said.

I nodded, not wanting to dive into the whole forest fiasco plus, I had been with Tessa and Naomi the whole afternoon. “Things got… complicated.”

She opened one eye. “Did you go into the woods?”

I sighed. Of course she knew. Old hag has an ancient nose.

“That’s answer enough,” she sighed. “What happened? Did anything follow you home?”

“No,” I said immediately. Then, after a pause, “Nothing obvious.”

She studied me for a long moment, then reached out and squeezed my wrist. “If something stirs again, you tell me. Immediately.”

“I will.”

“But before that, what happened at the woods? Why'd you go in the first place?”

I was about to answer when —

A knock sounded at the door.

I stiffened.

Aunt frowned. “At this hour?”

“I’ll check,” I said.

I crossed the room and opened the door.

Jackson stood on the step, holding a small box in both hands like it mattered if he dropped it. He looked nervous in a way I had never seen before.

Behind him, Kyren shifted his weight, trying and failing to look casual. Maddox stood slightly apart, hands in his pockets, jaw tight, eyes soft and fixated on me.

For a second, no one spoke.

“…Uhh... hi?” I said.

Jackson cleared his throat. “We were hoping you’d still be awake.”

Kyren lifted a paper bag. “We messed up earlier. Actually—since we met you.”

Maddox didn’t speak, but his eyes searched my face like he was checking for damage.

I felt something in her chest loosen. Just a little.

“What brought you guys here?” I asked.

“We were so caught up in our... in ourselves that we forgot your birthday,” Jackson said, choosing his words carefully. My brows furrowed. My birthday happened before we even knew we were fated.

Kyren winced. “Forgot is a strong word.”

“My birthday was about a week ago,” I clarified, confused. Jackson visibly winced.

Maddox finally spoke. “It doesn't matter. We were jerks and we shouldn’t have been so we came to make up for it, your birthday I mean.”

The silence that followed wasn’t sharp. It was awkward.

I cleared my throat and stepped aside. “My aunt’s resting. You can’t stay long.”

“That’s fine,” Jackson said quickly. “We just wanted to... uh well.”

He held out his box.

I hesitated, then took it.

Inside was a thin beautiful bracelet. Simple. Hand-stitched leather with a small protective charm worked into the clasp. It was a beautiful rose gold color and it glittered in the light.

My throat tightened and my heart warmed.

“It’s grounding,” Jackson said. “We asked around.”

Kyren scratched the back of his neck. “And I brought food. Because birthdays should have cake, and we panicked.”

Maddox shifted, then held out his own gift. A small wrapped bundle. “I... uh didn't know what to get you,” he said, scratching the back of his neck nervously. “I hope you like it.”

Inside was a beautiful set of diamond jewelry with a simple butterfly pattern and beside it was another necklace - a simple chain with a pendant 'D'. My eyes widened.

I looked up at him, shocked.

“I hope you wear it. It'd look pretty on you,” he averted his gaze and added quietly.

I swallowed, still confused. “Thank you.” I murmured softly, my heart warming up at their gestures. "It means a lot."

Kyren smiled, relieved. Jackson relaxed visibly. Maddox exhaled like he’d been holding his breath all day.

My aunt’s voice drifted from inside. “Daphne, if that’s the boys, tell them thank you for the salve.”

I smiled despite myself. “She heard you.”

Jackson laughed softly. “Of course she did.”

They stood there for a moment longer, none of them quite ready to leave.

Then my bracelet warmed.

Just for a second.

Not burning. Not painful.

Just… awake.

My smile faded as I felt that itch, like I was being watched.

Far beyond the cottage, deep in the woods, something shifted.

Watching.

Waiting.