Chapter11 HOT DISTRACTIONS

Zoe’s POV   The soft rustle of leaves outside my window mingled with the fading twilight as I sat cross-legged on my bed, the weight of a mysterious warning settling over me. Suddenly, a voice, low and mystical, echoed from behind.   “Be careful when you’re in the woods, Zoe. The traps to capture you have been set.”   I turned, a mischievous grin tugging at my lips. “Sounds like they’re just waiting for me to run away from school again.”   The figure before me—Seris —shifted uneasily. Her iris, normally a warm shade of amber, flickered strange golden-brown, her eyes turning milky white in a blink. “No, this feels different,” she warned.   Before I could ask her to explain, something streaked past me. I caught it in a swift, smooth motion with a single hand—a knife. Its handle was ornate, the blade gleaming cold with an unsettling sharpness. A large emerald was set at its center, shining deep green like the heart of a forest.   Seris’s voice lowered reverently. “This isn’t just any blad