chapter 58
Third pov
The first sensation was heat.
Not warmth.
Not fever.
Heat, sharp as a blade, licking up Gabriella’s spine like molten metal poured beneath her skin.
She jerked upright, choking on a gasp.
Her hand flew to her back—
—but there was nothing there.
No wound.
No claw marks.
No sign of the devastation she could feel tearing along her bones.
Only smooth skin slick with sweat and the cold air of the infirmary around her.
Her vision blurred, then snapped into focus. Moonlight spilled through the tall glass windows, slicing silver across the tiled floor. The room was quiet—almost peaceful—yet something inside her screamed that peace was a lie.
A presence stirred in her mind.
“Breathe, little one.”
Ava’s voice. Low. Protective.
A whisper edged with fear.
Gabriel
