KATHERINE POV
Every nerve sparked, alive and electric beneath my skin. The relentless thrum of the helicopter blades above us beat like a savage heartbeat—pounding in my chest, refusing to let me rest. Night pressed tight against the small windows, a vast sea of ink-black sky scattered with distant stars. Below us, treetops slipped past in blurred shadows, shifting like ghostly waves.
Aurora’s steady hands gripped the controls up front; beside her, Gunter sat taut and watchful, scanning the instruments, flak jacket strapped tight over his chest. Behind them, the rest of us formed a tight circle: Kyle to my left, Keegan across from me, Kendrick and Kingsley flanking us both. Our faces glowed faintly in the dim light of instrument panels, broken only by the occasional flicker of night-visi
