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can’t please you?”
    Adrienne rolled her modern day eyes. What if she couldn’t please him? More likely he wouldn’t be able to make it happen for her. Men so rarely could.
    “I....”
    Whatever Hanzi would have said was never uttered. A very fast moving Feri ran toward them, calling their names. She swung around to look at him. Neither Hanzi nor Feri had aged a day.
    “There’s a witch.”
    Hanzi’s hand on her arm squeezed tighter. “What?”
    “A witch. She’s in the square. She says she has little time and would speak with all of us.”
    Her heart rate sped. Ema was clearly terrified of witches. The woman who occupied her body wasn’t very brave.
    “What would a witch want with any of us? She must bring nothing except doom.”
    Hell.
    They all turned, and, guided by Hanzi’s arm, she made her way to what she had to presume was where the witch waited.
    “Do not be afraid Ema. We will see what the witch wants. It is probably a tribute of some kind; these people always want gold.”
    Feri laughed. “As if we have any more to give.”
    “Perhaps we will have to find it under old man Gunther’s bed. I heard he keeps a stash there for....” His voice trailed off. “I am sorry, Ema. What I was going to say would not have been appropriate for you to hear.”
    “Oh, of course.”
    What? Adrienne wanted to be gagged with a stick. What kind of woman didn’t want to hear the dirty details? If Hanzi expected her to be like Ema, he had better find a way to move on. She was never going to be okay with being told what to do.
    They finally arrived at what had to be the town square. Perhaps one hundred people had gathered. Mostly men, but some women, too. The majority of the town was around the same age as Hanzi. Why were they so young? Adrienne would love to ask why. Had something happened to the older generation? Some kind of illness?
    She had no control over her surroundings. All she could do was simply exist and watch from Ema’s perspective.
    A woman with long red hair stood at the front of the town. She was dressed much more elaborately than anyone else Adrienne could see. While, as Ema, she wore gray and brown, the witch wore ornate purple clothing. Adrienne knew from working with dyes how difficult purple was to create. The witchy woman had resources the locals did not.
    “My name is Constanta.” She spoke with a slight lisp. “I am evil, despicable, and the bringer of death to you. In other words, I am the worst person you will ever meet.”
    To Adrienne’s horror the so-called witch standing in front of the crowd started to cry. Tears slipped down her cheeks.
    “And no matter how long I try to make what has happened right, I shall never be able.”
    Her speech sounded downright serious.
    “What is happening? Oh, Hanzi, you won’t let her hurt me.”
    He rubbed her arm. “Never.”
    The sooner Adrienne maneuvered out of Ema’s body, the better. She’d be fine with waking instantly.
    “What have you done, witch?” Feri called out next to Hanzi.
    “There are powerful people who want your land.”
    Hanzi shook his head. “As there have always been. It no longer produces food as it once did. Tell them to go bother other peasants.”
    “I’m afraid it’s too late.” She sobbed again. “They have my son. I’ve had to kill you all.”
    Feri laughed. “I seem pretty alive.”
    An older man turned around, his eyes wide. “Stop interrupting her. If I’m to die, I’d wish to know how, so I can kill them instead.”
    “Can any of you read?” the witch asked, a gust of wind picking up her hair and swirling it around. “Not any? Is there not a single scribe here?”
    Someone close to the front of the crowd answered. “He is not in the town today. He’ll be back tomorrow.”
    “Only some of you will be left to tell him what happened. Tell him to read the book I’m leaving.” She placed the book by her feet. “It will explain everything. All of you will be dead. Some of you may wish you