Chapter 19

I sat in the bumping wagon, silently looking over at my old magic teacher. Otis still seemed the same. The crinkles in the corners of his eyes and mouth were still there. But those around his mouth were hidden underneath a thick layer of whiskers and a short beard. His deep brown irises had paled a bit, but they hadn’t lost the molten gold ring on their exterior.

Otis also examined me and tried to find the young lady he had seen grow before his eyes, although I doubted I looked very much the same. I wondered if he was proud of who I had become.

Lynn sat quietly, frequently shooting me glances and questioning if I was okay. Was I, though?

I had accepted Otis died during the uprising. He had died back in the library just as the secret passage closed on me, leaving me alone to run and hide. How was it possible that he was sitting right in front of me?

“All this time… you were alive?” I choked, reeling in a sob. I had no intention of letting it out. I didn’t want to look weak in front