(Ava’s POV)
The morning broke with the kind of silence that felt like a warning.
I stood alone on the edge of the southern ridge, the jagged outline of the Shadow Claw stronghold behind me and the wild expanse ahead. The breeze was sharp but carried a hint of something new—change, maybe. Or danger. I couldn’t tell the difference anymore.
A full day had passed since the meeting with Caleb and Tessa. I hadn’t spoken to Dominic. Not really. There had been glances, tension, the kind of awareness that made my skin buzz and my chest ache—but no words. He was retreating. I was trying not to chase him.
Emily had checked in that morning, casual but concerned. “You haven’t been sleeping,” she said, her tone deliberately light.
“No one has,” I replied, but I knew she saw through it.
Back at the
