KAEL
It took three full days to reach the witch’s den. The road was slow, winding, and tense. At some point, frustration got the better of me and I asked why she couldn’t just fling us there with magic like before.
The response was immediate. Every single person shot me a look sharp enough to cut. No one answered. The silence lingered. The reason stayed unclear until we were standing at the door.
Lunessa had not been expecting us.
She yanked the door open, took one look at Elara, and her face twisted with anger. “No. Absolutely not. Did you drive here?” Her voice rose. “What the hell, Elara? You can drive right back out.”
She tried to slam the door in our faces. Markel reacted on instinct, shoving his boot into the gap just in time. The door bounced back open. Lunessa’s arm came up
