Chapter 4 — The Curse Awakens

Lila Rawlins

Lila woke to the sound of her own ragged breathing, the faint taste of copper still lingering in her mouth. She blinked into the dim light of the room, her senses immediately assaulted. The crackle of the dying fire in the hearth seemed unnaturally loud, each pop and hiss like a whip against her ears. The faint scent of damp wood and smoke had turned acrid, clinging to her throat. Her heart pounded with a feral intensity, and her muscles burned as though she’d been running for hours.