The Gut Feeling

Thirty minutes later, we were in the limousine on the way to the castle. Ash straightened in his seat, carefully glancing through the window and checking our surroundings.

"Do you expect anything bad to happen on our way?" I asked, a nervous smile curving my lips.

"You cannot be too cautious," he replied, and goosebumps flooded my skin.

My instincts kept telling me that something dark was coming, and even when I rationalized it, telling myself that everything around Tenebris's castle was equally dark and dangerous, that feeling didn't go away. I didn't tell Ash about my premonitions because I wasn't even certain what I should warn him about. Besides, it was enough that one of us was wrapped in anxiety's tight clutches…

While we were on the way, I kept concentrating on my breathing and controlling my emotions. Unfortunately, it did nothing to decrease my stress. Suddenly, I felt Ash's hand take mine and tangle our fingers.

"Relax, Nala," he said softly. "We might enter the ball without