Darren's skin felt hot and sweat trickled down his neck. He gripped the leash firmly and his nails dug into his palms.
With every move Meg made, he got more and more terrified. He couldn't hear his rapid breathing, but he could feel the oxygen flooding in and out of his lungs.
"You're scared, aren't you?"
"No, I'm not" He denied.
"I can literally hear your heartbeat."
"Stop talking! You're making me more tensed!"
The hidden path faded as it led into the darkness of the woods, and the horse galloped the narrow strip of naked earth. They weren't prepared for the journey, and Artemis blamed Darren for their mishaps.
The prince underestimated the utter blackness of nighttime in the woodlands. From the paintings he'd seen, the moonlight would bleach the environment, but in reality, the moon that night couldn't penetrate the thick covering of trees.
They could barely see a thing. Their ears could only hear the small sounds of rustling bushes, and the howling of the wind.
