Serena’s fever pulsed beneath her skin, a low burn that the amber tonic from Olivia could only dull. The charred pendant from the Witch’s Sanctuary hung heavy around her neck, its warmth a steady anchor as she prepared to venture into the Shadow Woods with the triplets. The moonroot ritual, detailed in the scroll Gary and Jack had uncovered, was her only hope to cure her illness and stabilize her fire witch powers. The letter revealing Alpha Maveric and Cedric’s pact to hunt fire witches had exposed a conspiracy that made her blood a target, and the cloaked figure’s pursuit, Olivia’s lethal warnings, and Hart’s fragile redemption arc kept her on edge. Gary and Jack’s unwavering support strengthened her, but Hart’s distance—his offer to help driven by guilt rather than trust—left her wary.
