Eli’s POV
The air was thick with the metallic fragrance of blood and sweat. My chest heaved as I leaned against the cold stone wall, waiting for any indication of pursuit. Every pulse of my heart resonated in my ears, a terrible reminder of how close we had come to death. Again.
“We need to keep moving,” Ava muttered beside me, her eyes probing the darkness. She looked pale, tiredness lines her face, but her grip on her blade was solid. “Blackthorn won’t give up this easily.”
I nodded, swallowing back the vomit rising in my throat. She was right. He wouldn’t stop until we were either captured or dead. The notion of what was ahead sent a chill down my spine, but I couldn’t let it show. Not now. Not in front of her.
“Lucia,” I shouted out, my voice quiet but firm. She was a few yards awa
