Ava
I turned to see Chris walking in through the front door, the lines in his face etched with an uncharacteristic worry.
“Hey.” I strode up to him, my eyes scanning him as if searching for some kind of imaginary injury, even though he had only been handling business at the Packhouse. “How did everything go?”
Chris leaned down to plant a tired kiss against my forehead. “As well as can be expected,” he sighed. “The Elders are... They’re not taking it well. But everything’s set for tonight.”
I nodded, swallowing hard around the lump in my throat. “And Elise?”
“Stone-faced as ever,” Chris replied, his jaw tightening. “I can’t read her at all.”
Before I could respond, a knock at the door made us both jump. Chris opened it to reveal Ophelia standing on the front step, a
