The clearing was silent, broken only by the faint humming of the sphere of light that contained the witch. Rhea was still holding it, although the sweat on her forehead showed how much it cost her. The woman, now in her true form, watched us with a mixture of disdain and amusement as if she expected to see us make some mistake. Her blue eyes glowed with an almost hypnotic intensity, and her posture was that of someone who knew she had the upper hand.
“Let her go,” I finally said, breaking the silence.
“What?” exclaimed Liam and Khael in unison, as Ezra shot me an icy stare.
“Listen to me,” I said, holding up a hand to avoid interruption. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend. We're in terrain we don't understand, facing forces that outnumber us. We need allies, and if she knows where the
