_Lyla’s POV_
We ran.
Branches whipped against my skin, and the night pressed in around us like a suffocating cloak. The trees were tall and twisted. Their dark silhouettes stretched like clawed fingers into the moonless sky. I could barely see a foot ahead, but the seer moved like she knew every path, every hidden root, every bend. Her long skirt billowed behind her as she darted through the forest, and I followed as closely as I could.
I was panting hard. My lungs burned. My legs ached. But I didn’t stop.
She suddenly slowed down and glanced over her shoulder. “Keep close,” she whispered. “We’re going to my cottage.”
I stumbled a little, catching myself on a tree trunk. “Your cottage?” I gasped. “Is it safe?”
The seer nodded as she moved forward again. “Yes. I saw it in my vision. A
