Chapter 152

Shit!

The moment Aethel and I caught that fleeting expression in the villagers’ eyes—the shift from fear to something far deeper, a shadowed recognition—they turned their faces away as if nothing had happened.

But the damage was already done.

The truth was there, lingering unspoken, pressing against my chest like a weight.

“Aethel,” I whispered, tightening my grip on her arm, “did you see that?”