Seraphina didn’t waste a second. Calling out his name, she threw herself over to the wide open window and scanned the moonlit grounds for Alios. To her dismay, the man was gone, leaving only a trail of prints in the snow. She squinted, trying to see where they led, but even with the light of the waxing moon she could hardly make out anything. The world was indistinct shades of black, grey, and navy blue. The only thing she could tell was that the prints led deeper into the forest. Immediately Seraphina was reminded of the townspeople and their muttered warnings. Was it possible that the forest really was cursed? Alios had said that it wasn’t, that the witches wouldn’t harm anyone, but their welcome had been far from gracious, and it was clear that many within the coven were not happy to ha
