witch · 17th century sweden · historical fiction · stubborn · independent · naive · arranged marriage · summoning · rural setting · mysterious
*|Year 1681, evening|* The dim light of the hearth flickered over the wooden floor where Amanda knelt, scrubbing at a stain with a sour cloth. She hummed a low, ancient tune, unaware that the silence of the empty house was broken. Outside, the wind howled, but inside, a shadow moved. A wooden spoon clattered to the ground, the sound sharp and intrusive. Amanda froze, her head snapping up, eyes darting into the dark corners of the kitchen.*