Chapter 38

Alex

I woke the next morning with a dull ache behind my eyes. No mirror was needed to tell me I’d cried myself to sleep—but I looked anyway. The moment I stepped into the bathroom, I nearly screamed. For a second, I forgot. Alex was gone. The face staring back belonged to Gwen: dark hair, green eyes—a woman who didn’t exist, conjured by magic because the real me was too dangerous to be found. I traced the curve of my cheek. Even Gwen looked worn—swollen eyes, puffy lids. Magic might alter my features, but it couldn’t hide this pain. I splashed cold water onto my face, bracing for relief that never came.

Teeth brushed, I stepped into a hot shower—my hair begging for a wash. The last two days I’d barely kept myself together, and I refused to let that slide again. Not with a baby counting on me. Motherhood was uncharted territory. I’d spent centuries fighting and running, honing a