(Ava’s POV)
The first thing I noticed wasn’t the blood. It was the silence.
That unnatural, suffocating kind of quiet that follows a scream too loud to hold. It clung to the edges of Shadow Claw like a shroud, hovering over scorched walls and splintered timber. I walked through it with my head high, even though my chest felt like it might collapse in on itself.
Bodies were being counted. Faces were being matched to names. And I was being watched.
Some with grief. Others with blame.
Caleb had struck—again—and this time it felt personal. A message carved in flame across our threshold. It wasn’t just about power. It was about fear. He wanted to make me feel helpless again.
He should have known better.
Dominic moved beside me like a silent storm, grounded and furious. But I didn’t look
