Chapter 557
Katelina inhaled deeply. There was only the smell of frost and cold, evergreens and dead weeds. Then she smelled the birds, the musk of the wildlife, and finally, underneath, a thin thread of death. Her first thought was animal, but somehow she knew better; she knew it was
"Human," Trivila said.
The scent that had once filled Katelina with dread now made her stomach tighten. She followed the women past the well-kept area and into the weeds. Annabelle's dress snagged. She stopped to untangle it, and Katelina pushed past them. As the scent grew stronger, she picked up speed. At last she crashed through a tangle of undergrowth to discover a spot where the dead weeds were mashed down. Nestled in the center and sprinkled with snow was the mangled body of a boy.