A week passed after Ethan’s return. A tense, uneasy week. On the surface, life in Blackwood continued, warriors trained, scouts patrolled and messages arrived daily from the Southern Territory and the vampire covens. Preparations for war never stopped, but beneath the routine, everyone was worried. Because nobody knew what had happened to Ethan.
Ava practically disappeared. The healer locked herself inside her office and rarely emerged. Ancient books covered every surface, scrolls overflowed from shelves, and notes littered the floor. More than once Becs found Ava asleep at her desk, a book still open beneath her face. Every time she woke , she resumed researching, searching, looking for answers. A way to remove the dark magic. So far, she found nothing.
Ethan handled things differentl
