After so much time alone, it was an adjustment to travel side by side with Duskbreaker. Not a bad adjustment, far from it. She was grateful for his presence. But moving with him was different. Where she slipped quietly into the background, he commanded attention with his sheer size and steady presence.

She found him oddly amusing to watch as he traversed the world, his low humming a constant thread. Over time, she grew to appreciate the sound, it was grounding, a comfort against the silence that usually enveloped her.

Devika wasn’t entirely sure where they were headed, so she let him lead, taking in the passing scenery with a quiet and growing appreciation. But when the tainted forest came into view, a frown tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her gaze lingered on the trees, twisted and suffering. She listened, ears swiveling for life among the brush, but there was nothing. No birdsong. No scurry of small creatures. Just silence. Dead silence.

It was unnerving. Beyond eerie.

To answer her companion’s question, she gave a slow shake of her head. No. This was not normal. Something was terribly wrong.

Despite the weight of unease in her stomach, she found herself stepping toward the trees, almost as though the place itself beckoned her closer. Careful, deliberate steps carried her to the base of one. She lowered her head to sniff, and recoiled at the putrid stench clinging to its bark.

Somewhere nearby, a river whispered faintly, but its sound did nothing to ease the disturbance in her chest. She shook her head, disapproval clear, and a troubled expression darkening her painted features.

Glancing back over her shoulder, her icy eyes found Duskbreaker. Concern glimmered openly in them, worry she could not hide.

What did he make of this? What was wrong with these woods?