Chapter 56

• The moment Ava stepped through the tree line, she felt the difference. The darkness was oppressive, pushing at her from all directions, almost like a living thing. Her heart started to pound. Had she made a mistake? But images of Claire’s eyes as she had tried to kill her entered her mind and forced her to begin walking forward.
• The trees were thicker than any she had ever seen, and their exposed roots looked like giant snakes entangled on the ground. Their long, thin branches looked like arms and fingers, making them look like petrified living creatures. She had never seen trees like this.
• She carefully stepped over the roots, judging the direction she needed to go. She would walk just far enough to get past the guards and then get out of this forest.