Chapter 61. The Witch's Promise

Nathan's POV

The scent of ancient incense wraps itself around my senses, a familiar and unwelcome embrace. Poppy's hand is on my arm, her grip firm, guiding me through the dimly lit corridors of the witch's lair. It's a place drenched in shadows and secrets, where the past deeds of the Luparian Kingdom still linger like cobwebs in the corners.

"Careful, Nathan," she whispers, her voice both a warning and a caress. "She doesn't take kindly to impatience."

I nod, the taste of iron thick on my tongue. In this dank chamber where the supernatural thrives, I am both king and supplicant- a dichotomy that never fails to rankle.

The witch, Marla, emerges from the darkness like a specter, her eyes glinting with a hint of malice or perhaps amusement. "Back again, are we?" Her voice slithers through the air, smooth as silk and just as ensnaring.

"Marla." My acknowledgment is curt, an attempt to mainta