CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Panting, the taste of victory and exertion coating my tongue, I leave Kyle in the training ring with a nod. Our sparring—intense, familiar—rekindles memories of our shared childhood, but the sweet sting of nostalgia fades fast as a new mission sharpens my focus. I need to find Emmy.
The library's heavy door creaks under my hand, a stark contrast to the muted thuds of fists and paws outside. The scent of old books and aged cedar mingles in the air, a soothing balm. There she is, nestled among shadows and knowledge—an obsidian presence in an ivory world.
"Emmy," I call out, my voice slicing through the silence, steady as the moon’s pull on the tides.
She doesn't startle; instead, she turns, her dark eyes meeting mine without a flicker of surprise. "Ava."
I stride be
