Dominique's POV

I was beginning to wonder if we were ever going to reach the castle, when I realized that the terrain had begun to change. The trees, once lush with autumn foliage, had thinned and were replaced by dead black stalks reaching inky fingers toward the sky. The earth was hard and filled with rocks. Even Anastasia, who was used to rough terrain, treaded slower and more carefully than usual. It was as if she could sense that something was wrong. Then I realized what ...