Aria's POV
Noah and I set out on the journey the next day. The forest seemed to grow quieter the deeper we went.
Lydia stirred inside me. We're close. I can smell something strange.
I drew in a slow breath through my nose. There it was. Smoke. It was not the ordinary scent of a campfire. This smelled bitter, mixed with herbs and something metallic that prickled against the back of my throat.
"That's it," I whispered.
Noah nodded. We continued forward until the trees suddenly opened into a small clearing. A crooked wooden house stood in the middle of it. It looked as though it had been there for centuries.
Moss covered the roof, vines crawled up the walls, and bundles of dried herbs hung from the porch. Strange symbols had been carved into the wooden posts surrounding the entrance.
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