The night air was sharper out here, cutting against my skin as we stepped to the edge of the forest.
The sky above was painted in deep indigos, the stars scattered like pieces of broken glass. The trees ahead looked darker than they should have, their shapes twisting in the moonlight, shadows spilling between them like spilled ink.
"Are you sure about this?" Rowan asked, his voice low and even.
I swallowed, hard, my teeth worrying at my lower lip. My heart was hammering so loud I was almost embarrassed. But I forced myself to nod. "Yeah," I said, even though my voice came out much quieter than I wanted.
Rowan's green eyes searched mine for a moment, like he was looking for cracks in my resolve.
"Alright," he said at last.
Behind him, Dante grinned like a wolf in a storybook, sharp, feral, and far too amused by my terror. "This is going to be fun," he said. Without warning, he grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head, tossing it onto the grass.
