Saffron stepped forward. Anya looked surprised and glanced at Ellany.
"She says she will take the chance," the Horse Witch relayed, carefully obscuring Saffron's identity. "If we are unable travel, the two of us can stay behind. Iris's pregnancy cannot be risked, and Nightingale could be more helpful along the way."
"Very well," Anya sighed. "But I will need your assistance, Ellany."
"Right."
Together, the two of them cast their spell. Saffron shivered as she changed, shrinking and remolding into a human. Though, as expected, she remained female.
For a moment, Anya thought she was looking into a mirror. Not a perfect one, of course, but one somewhat warped to change the features slightly while still resembling herself. She recalled how they always said she and Dmitri resembled their mother while the others favored their father's side. Now, she realized how true that had now become.
Meanwhile, Gelvin's heart sank further. It was clear that Saffron was another member of Anya's family. He had no clue she had a sister, especially one as beautiful as herself. Thinking back to the two brothers he had already met, he wondered just how many siblings she had scattered all over the kingdom.
Then, something else occurred to him.