I press my lips together, wading through the black mist in my mind, searching.
"Sh, my child." Liana’s voice wraps around me. "You are in my home now. Can you hear me?"
I force my eyes open, blinking against the dim glow.
Instead, golden crystal light pulses along the walls, casting shifting patterns across the stone. The air is thick with the scent of dried herbs and something metallic, like crushed minerals.
I shift, my body aching, and take in Mother Liana’s home.
There are shelves carved into the rock that hold vials of tinctures, bowls of crushed powders, and polished gemstones. Bundles of hanging plants sway faintly, caught in an unseen draft. A heavy wooden table sits in the center, scattered with scrolls, mortars, and fragments of uncut crystal.
Veins of deep violet quartz twist through the ceiling, glowing softly. Unlike the throne room, these stones do not speak of war, but of healing.
My heart beats unevenly. I had always loved the minerals and stones in Enduvida. Through the Fuegorra, the enduares taught us humans that stones have energies—some more than others. I’d spent months learning their potential to heal, unify, and mourn. In Enduvida, life felt like a fabric—woven from the threads of loss and love.
But something is ripping me from that fabric.
I want to scream at whoever will listen—at the Human Goddess,locked in her prison, shackled and silent, refusing to help me. At the fates that had neglected to give me a simpler life.
"Liana." My voice is hoarse. Unyielding. “What exactly do you think is wrong with me?”
Silence spreads through the room like a slow-moving tide.
“There was dark magic around you after what happened last night,” Liana says carefully.
Last night. Wow.
“How long have I been asleep?”
“Around one day,” Liana says softly.
More time lost. I focus on keeping my breaths even. “And… what is wrong with me?”
“You have been cursed, Arlet. We think it comes from one of the human witches. Have you been in contact with any recently?”
I furrow my brow. I hadn’t seen any since… since before the battle against the giants half a year ago.
“No. Not at all.” To be honest, I’d almost forgotten they existed.
"It will take time?—"
"It can’t,” I cut her off. "What if I hurt more people?"
I shift, attempting to rise—but hands close around me, firm.
My breath catches.
"What are you doing?" I twist my neck around, trying to see who’s here.
Vann steps into view, standing next to Estela. His expression is carefully blank. Why is he here? Is he angry?
He holds up a few silk ropes.
My skin goes cold.
Maldita sea. It’s too soon. I’m not ready.
"This is for your safety," he says, voice gruff. "We don’t want?—"