Chapter 36. Lucen’s Power Ritual

Nora’s POV

Relief and dread warred in my chest as I sprinted toward my home, the last rays of daylight flickering across the cobblestones. My heart thundered so loudly I was certain my father would hear it from his bed. When I pushed through the door, the familiar scent of burned wood and herbs greeted me. There he lay, pale and frail, his chest rising in shallow, uneven breaths. He reached for the thin blanket that barely covered him. My throat tightened at the sight.

I knelt by his bedside, the wood creaking beneath my knees, and gently brushed the damp hair from his forehead. My hands shook as I gathered the dried lavender and mint from a clay jar on the shelf and heated water over the hearth’s last embers. The mixture steamed in my mug, releasing a pungent, almost acrid aroma that made me hesitate.

My doubt melted as soon as I saw the faint warmth return to my father’s eyes. I lifted the cup to his lips and urged him to sip. With each swallow, color cre