17. The Witch's Den

[ELARA]

I dismount from the horse and land firmly on my feet. Magnus looks at me and nods, signaling for me to follow him. We’re away from the palace, about half a mile away, I presume, as I look back at it from a distance.

We walk a few steps, surrounded by trees so high that I crane my neck trying to find their crowns. Night is starting to fall, the sky taking on a sinister shade of gray streaked with red.

We stop at a lone hut standing upright in a clearing. It’s too small to contain anything significant inside. But when Magnus actually throws the door open, I see a trapdoor in the floor.

It opens with a creak, revealing a series of stairs. I follow Magnus quietly, too intrigued to speak. It’s not long before we’re faced with a weird-looking door.

Morgana is the first person I spot when the intricate locks on the gilded door click and twist, before it swings backward to reveal what I presume is a witch’s den.

I wonder how long she has been staying here to set up all of this.