(Ava’s POV)
I woke before dawn, the air in my lungs already heavy with decisions I hadn’t made yet.
The moon was still hanging low, silver light bleeding across the walls of my room, as if the night refused to surrender. My hand pressed against the cool stone windowsill while I stared out at the forest edging our territory. The trees looked peaceful, like they didn’t know how close we were to war.
Or maybe they just didn’t care.
I had told myself once that I would walk away from all this when the revenge was done. When Caleb’s lies were ashes and Tessa had nothing left to ruin. But here I was, still tangled in the politics of power, of strategy, of blood. And worse—tangled in Dominic.
He hadn’t spoken to me since the last mission. Not properly. Not when it mattered. And yet, I could f
