Chapter 32

The witch’s house felt like it had been plucked from another time, small, rigid, and still, as if even the air obeyed her rules. The last time I’d been here, she chased us away without even hearing what we needed thrown her out. Now, I was the one lying on her cot, clutching at the thin blanket she’d given me. The smell of crushed herbs and bitter smoke clung to the room. Candles burned on the windowsill, their flames steady despite the draft from the half-open window. My stomach throbbed beneath layers of linen strips, each one soaked with a dark green paste she’d pressed into my wound.

“You’ll scar,” she said plainly, tightening the bandages. Her hands were cool, efficient. “But you’ll live.” I managed a stiff nod. Talking felt like it would take too much energy. My throat burned, and my head was heavy. The baby shifted inside me , a small, undeniable movement that made my breath hitch.

The witch glanced at me but said nothing, only poured a steaming liquid into a clay cup and pushed it into my hands. “Drink.” The first sip was bitter, almost metallic, but warmth spread down my throat. The throbbing in my stomach dulled a little.

Hours blurred. I drifted between shallow naps and staring at the uneven ceiling beams, my thoughts snagging on the memory of Stephany’s knife, the sudden burn of it breaking skin, and the way Dan’s voice had sounded when he’d shouted my name.

By late afternoon, heat pooled in my skin. My body trembled under the blanket. Sweat clung to my temples, and my breath came shallow.

“You’re burning up,” the witch muttered, pressing the back of her hand to my forehead. She shoved the window open wider, letting a cold draft rush in. I wanted to tell her I was fine, but then I saw him.

Dan.

He stood at the foot of the bed, his arms folded, his eyes fixed on me in that way that used to make my stomach twist. He didn’t say a word, only stared, as if he knew every secret I’d been trying to hide. My lips parted, but my voice caught. “Dan?”

The witch followed my gaze, then frowned at the empty space. “There’s no one there. But he didn’t fade. He stepped closer, his mouth curving into something between a smirk and a question. “Why didn’t you tell me?” The words hit harder than the fever. My pulse spiked, and I curled my hands into the blanket, trying to force the vision away. “You’re not real.”

The witch gripped my shoulders. “You need to rest. Now.”

Dan was gone. Just gone. I sank back into the cot, my breath ragged, every muscle aching. The baby moved again, stronger this time, and the witch’s face softened for a brief moment before her usual guarded expression returned.

“Sleep,” she said firmly. “If you fight the sickness, you’ll lose.” I closed my eyes, but the image of Dan’s accusing stare stayed with me, hovering in the shadows behind my eyelids, refusing to let me go.

It’s been two days since I arrived, and I’ve been taking each day as it comes, healing and taking advantage of the quietness of the place. The wound in my stomach had knitted enough that I could walk without holding my side, but I still ask myself what is the real reason is she decided to help, because she once chased me away when I came to seek help.

I was lying down when I suddenly thought of Dan. I became extremely worried and started to miss him the second his name was on my mind. Then the thought deepened into a picture of him in my head, his voice, his scent, the way his hand would rest at the small of my back.

Not long after, it wasn’t a thought anymore. It was a pull. My chest ached for him, my skin prickled, and my throat tightened like I was starving for air.

I paced the narrow kitchen, ignoring the witch’s glare.

“I need to go,” I said.

“You’re not ready to leave,” she replied flatly, chopping roots into neat pieces.

“It’s not about that. I just—” I rubbed my hands over my face, frustrated. “I need to see Dan.” Her knife froze mid-cut. Slowly, she lifted her eyes to me, studying me as if I were something she’d only read about. “Why now?”

“I—” My voice shook.

“I can’t stop thinking about him. I miss him. I can’t… breathe right without him.” My fingers dug into my arms, in panic, trying to bring myself to reality, but no. “Please, I need to go to him.”

She set the knife down and came closer, her eyes narrowing. “This isn’t you. You hated him when you first came in here. You cursed his name in your sleep. Now you want to run to him like a hound to its master? That’s not natural.”

“What are you talking about? Why would you say that? That man is my husband; I am allowed to miss him.” My pulse raced.

“You’re under a spell.” I almost laughed, but the pressure in my chest was too strong. “You’re wrong. I just… I just love him.”

“Love doesn’t work this fast, not in the state you’re in.” She took my arm and guided me toward the hallway. “You’re staying here until I find out who’s doing this to you.” I pulled against her grip, but my legs were weak from fever and the healing wound. The closer she pushed me toward the small back room, the more panic swelled in my throat. “Don’t lock me in here,” I begged. She ignored me, shoving me inside. The door slammed shut, and the click of the lock followed a second later.

I pressed my forehead to the wood, my breath coming fast. “Please! You don’t understand! I need him!” The silence on the other side of the door burned more than her words had.

I sank to the floor, heat rolling over my skin. Sweat dampened my hairline. My chest hurt so badly it felt like my ribs would crack open. I clawed at the floorboards, tears blurring my already useless vision.

“I can’t—” My voice broke. “I can’t stand not seeing him.”The room felt smaller by the second, my body shaking as if I’d been running for miles. My heartbeat thundered in my ears, and every sound, the creak of the house, the distant scrape of her chair, made me want to scream. And I did, tears welled up in my eyes as I felt myself unable to control my own body.

I screamed until my voice went raw, until my throat felt torn and my hands trembled. I didn’t care if she thought it was the spell. I didn’t care if she hated me for it. All I knew was the pain of wanting Dan and being trapped far away from him.