Elena's POV
I pressed my palm against my mouth, stifling the scream that threatened to escape as my eyes went wide with horror.
Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe it wasn't what I feared.
But the putrid smell confirmed my worst suspicions. When my gaze locked with the small, vacant eyes of the dead possum, I jerked my foot back and kicked it away, watching its blood spray across the corridor wall.
I spun around quickly, my hands shaking as I reread the letter.
What kind of person would do something like this? Who could murder such a helpless animal?
My stomach twisted as the gruesome image seared itself into my memory. The urge to vomit hit me, but I managed to keep it down.
"Elena?" Dorian's voice rang out from down the hall.
I turned toward him, tears already threatening to spill. He rushed toward me with four guards trailing behind.
"What's wrong?" he demanded, wrapping me in his arms.
