CHAPTER 42 GRUDGE AND GLOW

Minerva Pov The forest seemed to close around me, branches and leaves tugging on my clothes. It was dark, and the only light was the moonlight. I reached for my phone in my back pocket. It was 10 percent, and I know it will soon go off. I switched on the flashlight. Dominic moved ahead, a shadow that I was determined to follow, though a simmering grudge fueled each step. My breath came in harsh whispers, and then I let out a muttered curse, my irritation barely contained. I wish he hadn't followed me here; I wouldn't have been in this situation. I would have changed my mind from the beginning, when I went home to sleep and continued the search the next day. We burst into a clearing, and the sight before me stole whatever air I had left. Livestock bodies, mutilated and grotesque, lay strewn across the ground. The sickly, sweet stench of death assaulted my senses, making my stomach churn. For a moment, I stood motionless, absorbing everything. Dominic turned to face me, h