Chapter 13

"No!" Anna screamed herself awake, gasping for breath as if she had just surfaced from the depths of an ocean. The nightmare had been a suffocating net, tangling her mind and pulling her into the depths of despair. She'd had the same dream of witches surrounding her—it was as if the witches from her dream had followed her into the real world, casting their dark spells on her.

Anna's heart raced as she tried to steady her breath. The nightmare had felt so real, and the fear still lingered within her. She sat up in bed, feeling the cold sweat on her forehead. It took her a few minutes to realize that it had only been a dream.

But the fear wouldn't leave her. It stayed like a dark cloud looming over her, suffocating her. She held the emerald pendant tightly in her fingers, trying to find some comfort in its weight.

There were no signs of daylight outside the tent. She probably had a couple more hours before daylight.

"In the morning." The grimness of Lucian's words still echoed in the