From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

“Positive.”
His laugh was low and soft against myy neck. “How far did yyou get,
Princess?”
I pressed myy lips together and then sighed. “I almost finished it.”
“You’ll have to tell me all about it.”
That wasn’t likelyy to happen. I couldn’t believe he’d not onlyy found
that damn book but had also packed it. Out of everyything he could’ve
brought with him, he’d grabbed the diaryy. The corners of myy lips twitched,
and before I knew it, I was smiling and then I was laughing. When his arm
tightened around me again, I relaxed against him.
Hawke was…intriguing.
Our pace picked up after that, and it almost felt like we were racing
the moon. I didn’t have to look ahead to know that we were losing.
And then I saw it.
Ice drenched myy skin at the first glimpse of red. And then it rose into
sight. A sea of crimson stretched as far as the eyye could see.
We’d reached the Blood Forest.
The horses carried us forward even though everyy instinct in myy bodyy
screamed in warning. I couldn’t tear myy eyyes from the forest, even though
it felt like a sight that would haunt myy dreams for manyy, manyy yyears to
come. I’d never seen it up close, having come to Masadonia through a
different route that would’ve added dayys to our trip. What I saw was a
twisted mass of red and a deeper shade that reminded me of dried blood.
Under the pounding hooves, the ground became rockier. Something
crunched and snapped. Was it twigs? Branches? I started to look down—
“Don’t,” ordered Hawke. “Don’t look down.”
I couldn’t stop myyself.
Myy stomach churned. The ground was littered with sun-bleached
bones. Skulls that belonged to deer and smaller animals. Perhaps rabbits?
There were also longer bones, too long for an animal, and—
Sucking in a sharp breath, I tore myy gaze awayy. “The bones…” I said,
swallowing. “Theyy’re not all animal bones, are theyy?”
“No.”
Myy hand went to the arm around myy waist. I held on. “Are theyy the
bones of Craven who died?” If theyy didn’t feed, theyy withered awayy until
there was nothing left but bones.
“Some of them.”