Serena’s fever clung to her like a shadow, the amber tonic from Olivia easing her symptoms but not her fear. The healer’s chilling warning—her fire witch powers could turn her into a beast—haunted her, as did the cloaked figure’s persistent threat and Hart’s unrelenting control. The charred pendant around her neck pulsed faintly, a reminder of the moonroot ritual she desperately needed to balance her magic. Lying in her small room in the Sloan mansion, she felt trapped, her body weak but her mind racing with Olivia’s cryptic words and the looming danger of her secret.
A raised voice from downstairs jolted her. Hart’s sharp tone, laced with frustration, clashed with Gary’s steady anger and Jack’s low growl. The triplets were arguing—again—and Serena’s heart pounded, sensing it was about he
