The shrill, rhythmic blare of my alarm shattered the quiet dark of the bedroom. I groaned, burying my face into the down pillow for three blissful seconds before forcing my eyes open. The room was freezing, the fire having died down to gray ash hours ago, and the sky outside the high stone windows was still a deep, pre-dawn indigo.
I sat up and let out a long sigh, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Today was the day.
Despite the early hour, a nervous, electric energy was buzzing right beneath my skin. We were heading into the marshes, straight toward the unknown. I wasn't just going on a trek; I was going to find answers. I wanted to know about my heritage, about the bloodline that had been hidden from me for so long, and exactly what this magic was that kept stirring in my chest.
Hopeful
