ELISA'S POV.
The fire in Festus’s hearth crackled softly, but to me it sounded too loud, almost noisy, against the silence that had settled in the room. My tea had gone cold in my hands, yet I still held on to the cup, as though it could steady me somehow. My heart thudded against my ribs, heavy and restless.
Festus had stopped sitting by now. He was back to pacing back and forth across the room, his long robes brushing the floor with each turn. His hands were clasped behind his back, but every so often, one would slip free to stroke his beard.
“Elisa,” he said finally, his voice low. “You told me this stranger healed you, and that he came wrapped in fire. But I must know more. Everything you can remember. Every detail.”
I swallowed hard. My throat was dry, and the words I carried fel
