Maelis' POV
The old woman's words hung in the air between us.
I've been expecting you for eighteen years.
I stood frozen in the doorway, my hand still raised from where I had been about to knock. The amber-colored eyes studying me held no malice, only a quiet knowing that made my skin prickle with unease.
"I... I don't understand," I managed to say. "How could you have been expecting me? I didn't even know you existed until today."
The woman smiled, a gentle curve of her lips that softened the lines on her weathered face. "Come inside, child. The night air carries whispers that don't belong to us."
She stepped back, holding the door open wider.
I hesitated for only a moment before crossing the threshold.
