CHAPTER 51 More Determined Than Ever

  Avery's POV

  The moon hung high, casting its cold glow over the forest, turning the battlefield into something almost surreal. The towering trees whispered in the night breeze, their rustling leaves a stark contrast to the snarls and growls that echoed through the clearing. The smell of blood and torn earth filled my lungs, mixing with the faint traces of pine and damp moss.

  I crouched in the underbrush, my breath steady but my heart a wild drum against my ribs. My father was beside me, his protective presence grounding me, while Amelia clung to him, her delicate hands gripping his arm with white-knuckled intensity.

  Her usual arrogance was gone, replaced by wide-eyed fear as she watched the fight unfold before us.