Jewel heard Anna gasp behind her.
The breath was sucked from her lungs as she realized what she had to do. Could she really turn her mother into a witch, an evil being meant to follow all of Volcan’s commands? Even if she could, the only reason she and Anna hadn’t been consumed by his dark power was because of their countervailing gypsy-healer magic. Her mom wasn’t a healer. She wouldn’t have the same defense against Volcan’s evil. She felt tears filling her eyes and had to blink to see her mom clearly. She was standing a few feet from the hideous cage that had been her prison, its door resting open. How long had her mother been there, she wondered.
“You can do this, Jewel,” her mom said gently.
Jewel was already shaking her head. She didn’t want to do this. She didn’t want the evil to
