"Are you okay?" Ilay asked, drawing Min closer into her embrace. Sergen remained a steadfast presence behind them, solid as a wall, but Ilay's arms provided a sense of comfort.

"I... I don't know." Min rested her head on the witch's shoulder, unable to tear her eyes away from her mother's anguished expression. "Can't she just submit and get it over with?"

"She won't," Ilay responded. "I knew your mother for many years before she left us, and she was as proud and stubborn as any woman I've ever known." She placed a tender kiss on Min's forehead, as if trying to offer solace. "I never thought I would see...