Her eyes close again, and her breathing evens out, but her words linger in the air like a faint echo. Faith in myself? In destiny? The idea feels too big, too foreign, but something in her tone makes me want to believe.
The moment is shattered by the sound of angry footsteps on the stairs. My stomach sinks as the sharp, unmistakable voice of Ravena Shadowmere rings out. “Talia!”
Before I can move, the door bursts open, slamming against the wall with a deafening crack. Ravena storms into the room, her eyes blazing with fury, her lips curled into a snarl. She doesn’t pause, doesn’t even give me time to explain, before she grabs a fistful of my hair and yanks me to my feet.
“Ungrateful little wretch,” she hisses, dragging me toward the door. Pain shoots through my scalp, and I cry out, clawing at her hand, but her grip is unrelenting.
“Mrs. Shadowmere, please!” Rhea shouts, scrambling to her feet. “Where are you taking her?”
Ravena’s eyes flick to Rhea, her sneer deepening. “Stay out of this, girl, unless you want to join her.”
Rhea freezes, her hands clenched into fists at her sides, but she doesn’t move. I shake my head at her, silently begging her not to intervene. Ravena’s wrath is a storm no one can weather.
Ravena drags me down a narrow, winding staircase, deeper into the basement. The air grows colder, heavier, the dim light fading into near darkness. I stumble over the uneven stone steps, my knees scraping against the rough surface, but she doesn’t slow.