Chapter 31. Fever and Flame

The cottage breathed with quiet. A hearth flickered gently in the corner, steeping the air in warmth and the soothing scent of chamomile and sage. The shadows settled softly, undisturbed. Mira had seemed steady when Joanne tucked her beneath the quilts earlier, her expression worn but calm. Her pulse had steadied. Her breathing evened. Sleep had taken her quickly—too quickly—and Joanne, exhausted herself, had left a candle burning low and curled into the smaller cot across the room.

But the peace didn’t last.

A sharp cry shattered the stillness, cutting through the cottage like a blade.

Joanne jolted upright, heart thudding, already on her feet before her mind caught up. She rushed to Mira’s bed, breath catching when she saw her.

The girl was twisted in the sheets, her body arched and trembling, sweat darkening her hairline. Her skin shimmered with silver light beneath the fabric, glowing faintly in the dark. The glow wasn’t soft now—it pulsed, fierce and err