Faye's POV
"This is how we discovered her," Herman explained.
Hillary's body sprawled across the cold stone floor of the narrow cell, shadows cutting her form in half. Her dark hair fanned out like scattered wheat around her head. Blood had dried on her chin and throat, forming a rusty stain across her collar where she had torn into her own tongue. Her vacant eyes gazed somewhere beyond the ceiling, seeing nothing. A rough blanket covered her lower body, though it offered no dignity to the scene.
Behind her on the damp wall, someone had carved unsteady letters: A WITCH IS AMONG US!
The words had bled where moisture touched them, creating dark streaks down the stone.
Nausea rolled through my stomach.
Hillary had pointed her finger at me from the moment we met, calling me a witch at every opportunity.
Now her final accusation stared back at me from the wall, making my teeth clench. I forced myself to breathe slowly and release the tension.
