There is an old saying in Hallow: ‘Let sleeping dragons lie.’

The witch should have taken note of it.

But she did not.

She murdered my sister, Queen Alyss, and her husband, Prince Malik, when Felicia was six months old. Their bodies were never found, but there was blood aplenty, and we knew they must be dead.

The witch started a rumour that they had been taken by a dragon.

But I never suspected her, not once.

Instead, I trusted her.

I trusted her so much that I told her the Three Great Secrets, because another person needed to know them in case something happened to me. And Felicia was too young.

The witch swore that the Secrets would be safe with her.

She waited until Felicia was two years old. Then she came upon me in the palace, while I was asleep in my human form. She had the collar around my neck before I knew what was happening.

I fought against that cursed collar with all my strength. And at first, I could resist it, just as the Spellhounds resisted theirs. I could not escape, but I could lie to my jailer. To my turnkey.

For years, I managed to persuade her that the Floating Forest moved around, and its whereabouts were a mystery even to me.

But the longer I wore the collar, the more her will overcame mine. Until one day, I could no longer lie.

That was when she sent me to steal the Spellhounds.

And the Floating Forest.

My rage had been growing for eight long years. So it was no surprise at all that, there in the heart of Minchfold, I lost my temper.

I was no longer hungry; I had a cow and two sheep in my belly.

So I suppose I could have imprisoned the witch, as she had imprisoned me.

But really, it was much simpler to just – eat her.