Natalia’s POV
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the acrid scent of blood in my nostrils. Then came the smell of rotten leaves and dirt.
And when I opened my eyes, I didn’t find the dark stairwell, the healer’s chambers, or the ceiling of my bedroom above me.
All I saw were thorns. Twisted and gnarled like jagged claws reaching down toward me.
I sat up abruptly with a gasp, looking around wildly. The cold air bit at my bare skin through my nightgown, the chilly wind rustling through my hair and the leaves overhead.
I was in the Thornwood.
Crying out from shock, I scrambled to my feet, only to immediately stagger back against the rough bark of a tree. This time, the dizziness had nothing to do with morning sickness. I strained my mind against the fog, and vaguely recalled t
