Chapter 73. Soothing the Wounds of the Past

Ally's POV

The scent of charred earth and old magic hangs heavy in the air, making my nose twitch. I stand before her- a witch draped in robes as dark as the secrets she hoards. Her eyes, sharp as shards of obsidian, study Elliot and me with an intensity that sends a shiver down my spine. I feel Dawn stir within me, her unease mirroring my own.

"Who are you truly?" she hisses, her voice a serpent sliding through the underbrush, "and what brings you to the doorstep of one who is best left alone?"

Elliot steps forward, his presence a calming force. "We mean no harm," he says, the low timbre of his voice resonating with a sincerity that even the hardest of hearts would struggle to dismiss. Yet, the witch remains unmoved, her body language taut as a bowstring.

I extend a hand, not in threat, but in offering. The marred skin of the witch's arms- burn scars marring the canvas of her flesh- draw my gaze. They speak of pain end