Chapter 77 - The Forest Of Shadows

• Alina
• It's still dawn when Damon and I leave the estate, the silence of the forest enveloping us like a shroud. The air is frigid, laden with the smell of damp moss and rotting wood. Damon walks ahead of me, his body tense, the muscles of his back visible beneath the dark leather of his jacket.
• I grit my teeth, my footsteps sinking into the soft earth. Every rustling leaf makes me jump, every moving shadow in the trees puts my nerves on edge.