She wasn’t swinging the other two humans in a circle—the man she’d loved and the woman he’d preferred. Instead, the man and the woman stood behind her. Their arms hung at their sides, and they looked at her with empty eye sockets. Their faces appeared translucent as jellyfish, their skulls visible through the skin.

Hæra looked around wildly. Where was the bed and the cottage? Where was Madeleine? Or—no—it was a good thing Madeleine wasn’t here. Madeleine should never come within a mile of this creature and her victims. For that matter, Hæra had no idea why she was here either.

“Bring me your despair,” the witch said.

Her eyes were an abyss. Light could not penetrate there. Nevertheless, years ago, Hæra had managed to appeal to her. She’d made the selfsame bargain the witch referenced now.

“You said I had to come back when I failed,” she said. “I haven’t. Madeleine has come to me.”

The witch said nothing.

Hæra lifted her chin and looked into the abyss. She said, “Even if I die for all this, I don’t regret my choice. I won’t despair. There’s nothing for me to give you.”

The witch’s mouth sliced open into a grin. She was missing some teeth. Those she did have, bleached white as any other bone, were sharp enough to put an Each-uisge’s to shame.

“Not long now,” she said.

Hæra recoiled. “Why do you say that? And why—” She looked down at her human form. “Why am I like this when I’m in the sea? How did I get here?”

“You are what you are.”

“Of course I am! What else could I be?”

“You are this.” The witch pointed one long, thin finger at Hæra. “This, no more. Begone.”

“But...”

Behind the witch, the man and woman began to walk forward, toward Hæra. They said nothing. They made no sound. Last time, they had begun to scream⁠—

Hæra opened her eyes to find herself back in the bedroom with Madeleine still asleep. She was so cold that even Madeleine’s body couldn’t warm her. She was shaking. She leapt from the bed with a cry, looking around to make sure the witch and the whirlpool were gone.

Madeleine woke up with a gasp. “Hæra?”

“How did it happen?” Hæra looked around again, and then down at Madeleine, who was propping herself up on her elbows and looking thoroughly discombobulated. A lock of hair fell over her eyes.

“How did what happen?” Madeleine sat up and pushed the lock behind her ear. “What’s wrong?”