I gave her a baffled look, about to ask what that was supposed to mean.
She was still looking at me like I’d offered her a treasure trove. “It’s truly an honor to meet you.”
I blinked. “Me?”
Val chuckled gently. “Yes, you. The Handmaiden witches did so much for our world over so many centuries. I never thought I’d get to meet a member of their lineage.” She reached forward to touch my hand. “I hope I didn’t hurt you too badly.”
“I—” I had no idea what to say. The fact that she’d cut me a few moments prior felt like it’d happened years ago. My head was spinning with what she’d just said. Handmaiden witches? Lineage? But that made no sense! I wasn’t a witch. No one in my family was a witch.
Aunt Esme was the closest thing I knew, but if that were true, surely I’d have seen her using mag
