Deep Inside
“You’re a fool to walk alone.”
She stepped out fully, robes of twilight blue, long silver braids down her back, and eyes like split opal. Vestra Valen, High Priestess of the Hollow Flame Coven.
Janine’s heart clenched. She hadn’t seen Vestra since the night her father’s body was burned in secret, his ashes scattered in the valley behind their home.
“You should have stayed hidden,” Vestra said, voice soft but cold. “He has already marked you.”
Janine squared her shoulders. “He didn’t force me.”