VALERIA

"Who... who are you?" I stood up immediately, though a bit unsteady on my feet.

Truthfully, I wasn’t afraid of the small elderly woman who barely reached my chest, but I couldn’t fathom where she had suddenly appeared from.

"Come, come, don’t be frightened. You know I won’t hurt you. Lie down on the bed; the floor is too cold, and you might catch a chill," she said, gently guiding me toward the enormous bed. She pulled back the quilt and tucked me in tenderly.

I felt like a small child as I watched her walk away to add more logs to the fireplace that warmed the chilly room.

Something about her—her aura—made me want to cry. I remembered the words I’d read at the last altar.

Could she be the one who called me "little crow"?

"It’s me," she replied, finally turning around and smiling. She came back to the bed and climbed up, sitting beside me.

"Are you my nanny? How do you know my name? Why do you call me ‘little crow’?" I bombarded her with questions one after another.

"Yes, you c