{Elira}
~**^**~
My chest heaved as I thought of the years of being mocked.
Then I thought of Tamryn's sharp edges softening for me, of Cambria's steady kindness, of Nari's teasing that always tried to cover her worry, of Juniper's dramatic sighs when she thought I was hiding pain.
I thought of the brothers' promise.
And then I thought of my mother. Kathryn Shaw. The woman who had loved me in her own way by keeping important pieces of information secret—and had still chosen to silence me.
"I choose yes," I whispered, though my hands shook violently. Then louder and fiercer I added, "I want it unsealed. I don't care what it costs. I want to live as who I am."
The witch gave no comfort or smile. She only gave a single nod. "So be it."
Then, she rose and moved with slow, deliberate steps to the hearth. The air changed with her, heavy and charged. And every breath I drew tasted of smoke and iron.
"Sit," she commanded, motioning to the circle carved into the stone floor.
