‘I do not run.’

‘You have questions you hope I will answer.’

Sapphire nodded, staring out at the water.

‘Ask.’

Sapphire took a deep breath before finally turning to look at the apparition beside her. ‘If I do not accept the prophecy, what will happen?’

‘The prophecy is not yours to accept or refuse. The prophecy is a part of you. You are, in many ways, the prophecy itself. It is inevitable.’

Sapphire stiffened. ‘The future can always be changed.’

Ryvinika chuckled. ‘My visions are final.’

‘I won’t bring the barrier down.’ Sapphire sat up a bit straighter at the words, realizing she meant them. ‘Not for you. Not for anyone.’

Sapphire could have sworn she felt the heat rippling off the witch. She shuddered at the sensation as the ghost moved up the shore until their eyes were level.

‘Now, now, we both know that’s not true. Not with your fondness for the witch.’

Sapphire froze, chilled at the mention of Ashes. ‘She has no place in the conversation.’

‘Of course she does. You might not bring down the barrier for the likes of me, but what about your beloved? How far would you go to protect your witch?’

Sapphire knew a threat when she heard one. ‘Don’t lay a hand on her.’

Ryvinika laughed again, eating away at Sapphire’s patience.

‘The monster you know, child, is the danger you should fear.’

Sapphire considered the witch’s words, a heavy feeling settling on her chest. She felt Ryvinika’s cold touch on her shoulder.

‘I am afraid.’ Sapphire hadn’t meant to admit that out loud.

‘Fear is not an enemy; it is a guide.’

Sapphire stared out at the lake once more, refusing to meet the woman’s unsettling eyes as she began to move back towards the water. ‘Destiny can be put off but never avoided, my child. Remember that.’

Sapphire kept her eyes closed for a few moments, and when she opened them once more, she was alone.

The lake no longer felt like home, and Sapphire rushed back into the castle and locked the doors behind her.

That night, her dreams were nothing but nightmares of war and destruction, and Ashes was at the heart of it. Her bones broken, her shadows stolen, her heart ripped from her chest. They hoisted her upon a wooden platform, and Sapphire screamed as flames were brought to life in the palms of her subjects – aimed at the girl she –

As fire met Ashes’ skin, an inhuman scream ripped from her chest. Sapphire shot from her bed, rushing to the washroom. Staring at her own reflection, she tried to calm herself. Her skin was slick with sweat, her chest rising and falling harshly with uneven breaths.

She remained there until the sun broke the horizon.