d myself heading straight towards Elena's pla

rder than I intended, my ches

bs and warmth, but that comfor

es that were packed with clay jars and filled with herbs, each one labeled with her neat handwriting. Bundles of sage, la

p from the f

ut I broke a vase."

still,' I said, my voice dull. "As if I

beside me, her ha

be used to being unwanted. But today the way he looked at me, th

into a hug "You are not useless, and you have never been. Don't let a

her sharp eyes

doing?" She

e had the weirdest day." I let o

e back of my throat, b

inside but showed no scar when she grabbed me, told her about the voice I hear

ed in her lap, her head tilting now and then as though she

and moved to the single candle burning on the shelf. She watched the fla

spoke, her voice

know what exactly triggered i

, it said something about Raven being fire or flame.... I also

hing her arm out "Here try..... touch m

h age, but full of strength. I waited a while but heard

's not working. Maybe I imagined

w knitting. "Hmmm I don't think yo

while, both of us

at tight, "I almost forgot to tel

a bit. Even so, I still pushed the words out

t ma

ent, but it does not

r tone softening. "L

n. The glow seemed even brighter in the dimness of her cottage,

lips pressed into a thin line. She studied it in silence, tracin

peared, I swear I felt... something. A presence. Like I wasn't al

isn't ordinary. It hums with energy, even without me to

pressed, unea

she muttered. "Can I?" She a

heart beating." She pulled back and g

hese mean?" I was e

d one. But listen to me well, if anyone else sees this, they will not ask

held the table to steady myself, even the wood creaked under my palm. I thought I'd st

floor, "Careful!" Elena caught me,

skin met mine

older and sharper th

e takes the ache, the burn, the break. The herbs obey her, the root

in my mind, herbs burning until only ash was left, Elena bent down cradling a wolf's broke

as heavy, like I was carrying something that wasn't mine. A flicker of pai

hat was when I noticed she was staring at me

shock, "I heard it again. And this time..

ened, but no