章 131: Under The Mask

Lorelai felt uneasy hearing the witch's reply. There was something in Naveen's voice—an undercurrent of raw emotion—that made her heart clench with a pain she could not quite place or understand.

Naveen seemed to sense her distress. The witch said nothing, her bright blue eyes studying every subtle shift in Lorelai's expression as she quietly puffed at her pipe. 

When she finished, she tucked the pipe into the sleeve of her long black robe with a fluid motion, her gaze never leaving the princess.

"Times have changed. That much is true," Naveen said, her words seemingly unprompted, yet they immediately drew Lorelai's full attention. "The horrors of the purists' reign may be over, but it will take decades—perhaps even centuries—to heal the wounds they inflicted on those of human blood."

Lorelai blinked, her confusion genuine. "Purists? Do you mean… the pure-blooded beasts?"