the fur blanket. The warm light of day had seeped into the room, brightening the enclosed space and bringing the rosy glow of life to their faces. The scowl that the dark-haired witch usually wore had melted away, leaving her face surprisingly calm; while the red-haired witch’s face, now that her distracting eyes were finally closed, had lost all of its more sinister tones. What remained was a soft face, unnaturally well-proportioned, with high cheeks, a peachy complexion, and a scattering of freckles.

“They almost look normal,” Nathaniel thought.

He sighed heavily, and rubbed his forehead and his eyes. Tiredness came out of nowhere; his eyelids began to droop and the fur blanket called out to him. Tired as he was, however, there was a daily ritual that he still had to perform,...

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