SCARLETT ROSE
The mist envelops the morning like a heavy veil, reflecting the weight I feel in my chest.
Kieran didn’t sleep.
I knew it from the way he moved in bed, restless.
When his eyes finally meet mine, they are dark, filled with questions he hasn’t dared to ask.
“Today we’ll meet her.", he says, breaking the silence.
I know exactly who he’s talking about.
The woman who wrote the book on binding rituals.
I try to find a trace of hope in Kieran’s expression, but all I see is tension.
After getting ready, we head out in his car.
The road seems endless, lined with tall trees that seem to guard ancient secrets.
“She’s... peculiar.”, he murmurs, gripping the steering wheel tightly.
“What do you mean?”, I ask, turning to face him.
“Reserved. Eccentric. But she knows what she’s
