Chapter Twenty-one (Dane’s POV) Decades before…

I woke up sometime later with the cabin smelling of smoke, sulfur, death, herbs and lingering, sweet fragrant plants.

Saraya was not by my side and her side of the bed had grown cold which meant she had been up for a while.

I could perceive her in the house, she was just not by my side. I had grown used to waking up to the warm feel of her body and the lack of it made me quite irritable.

Grunting, I got out of bed, found pants to wear and headed out barefooted.

A frown furrowed my eyebrows when I found the entire kitchen area covered in smoke, but I could see her clearly, standing behind the kitchen counter. The entire work table was littered with plants but when my eyes settled on the diamond rock I had given her with the snake plant, I knew what she was up to. There was also a glass gourd which I knew witches often use to hold enchanted substances, herbs or trap spirits.

My eyes slowly lifted to her and she looked at me with a wide grin that wasn't hers. Her eyes were pitc