Some indeterminable amount of time passes before I'm finally able to tear my gaze away from the place where Tessa's broken body was taken. It feels as though part of my very soul has been ripped away, leaving a hollow emptiness that reverberates through my entire being.
A small sound, scarcely more than a whimper, breaks through the pall of shock and grief weighing me down. I blink, suddenly remembering Ava - poor, traumatized Ava who had to witness such unspeakable brutality unfold.
Lifting my head, I find her crouched against the courtyard wall, knees drawn up tight to her chest. She's rocking faintly back and forth, arms wrapped around her slender frame as if to shield herself from the world. Her eyes are enormous in her pale, tear-streaked face.
"Ava?" My voice comes out in a croak,
