VERA'S POV.
The forest was silent and endless around me as I walked. My steps were slow, my legs shaky, and my breath came in labored gasps. Each step I took forward felt like an act of defiance against the voice in my head whispering that it was all pointless. Telling me to just give up and let the poison put me out of my misery.
Draven.
His face refused to leave my thoughts. No matter how hard I tried to shake him off, his piercing eyes and the faint curve of his lips whenever he was displeased with something lingered in my thoughts. I clenched my fists, as though the physical act could push him out of my mind. But in the end it was pointless. Completely useless.
Focus, Vera. Just keep moving.
But the poison in my veins had other plans. My body grew heavier with every step. My visio
