In the morning, Melinoe woke up on a soft bed. She was no longer in a cage. She stretched her legs to see if she was not just imagining things, and yes, she was indeed there in Shadowcreek’s castle. The witch was afraid that she had imagined the whole thing, especially the part with Samuel and his men coming to rescue her.
It was real. The bed felt soothing to her back, which had to stay bent while trying to fit herself in the cage. As she stretched her arms, though, she felt a sting. Then, she remembered her wound. She hastily checked it under the white nightdress she was wearing and saw it had been tended to. There was a clean gauze placed carefully on it.
She heard a knock on the door. Three knocks were made, almost like a secret message, after which the door opened. It was a fresh-
