After Storm

Shenaya's POV

As I sat alone in my room, my mind drifted through the maze of memories from the last few months. It was like reliving a storm, the way every image and feeling pulled at me, the echoes of fear and chaos still fresh, though softened now with time. I traced the grooves of the wooden armchair as if the act itself could ground me. Somehow, amidst all the noise, I had found myself grateful—grateful that, for once, things were… calm. Or as calm as my life could get.

For once, there was no immediate threat, no looming figure ready to strike. Even Skylar, of all people, seemed to genuinely care for Zoey. That shocked me. I’d half expected her to seize the chance to hurt me again, yet she hadn’t. Aunt Belle had assured me that Skylar’s intentions were true. She’d risked too much, broken through Belle’s own spells, just to reach us.

I sighed, folding my arms around myself, feeling the weight of the decisions we’d made for Zoey. To hand my daughter over to Skylar went against every