Chapter 77 Betrayal's Edge

• Eli’s POV
• The camp was unnaturally quiet, a stillness that only increased the anxiety that coiled through every inch of my body. Shadows stretched long as the moon lingered high above us, illuminating the area in a faint, silvery light. My hand tightened around the hilt of my blade as I searched the perimeter. We were on borrowed time, every second feeling like a countdown to the impending conflict.
• Lucia’s revelation had fractured the fragile trust holding our coalition together. Ava seemed distant, her shoulders stiff, and I knew that look—she was retreating into herself, into the castle of anguish she’d erected to guard her heart. I wanted to reach out, to tell her that she didn’t have to face this alone, but the words froze in my throat. There was too much unsaid between us, too much hurt interwoven with our mutual will to endure.