CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
The morning snow glistens, each flake reflecting the rising sun like miniature swords. I lunge forward, my muscles coiling and releasing with practiced precision. Melody mirrors me, her movements a dance of red hair and lithe limbs.
"Focus, Ava," she snaps, as my foot slips slightly on the damp earth. "Kyle's counting on you, whether he knows it yet or not."
I grit my teeth, pushing harder. The thought of Kyle—brown hair tousled, those deep eyes that seem to see right through me—fuels my drive. He's been gone for five years, years I've spent honing my skills, but now he's back, and everything feels both familiar and uncertain.
Melody comes at me again, a feint to the left that I narrowly dodge. We're circling each other, two predators locked in a silent battle. But m
