#Chapter 164: Looking Up

Ava I woke up feeling more refreshed than I had in weeks—maybe even longer—despite the hard floor beneath me. The warmth of the fire had faded, but Chris’s arms were still wrapped tightly around me. As I stirred, he opened his eyes, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Morning,” he murmured, his hand absently reaching for the moonstone that still hung around his neck almost as if he were checking to make sure it was still there. I touched it gently as the events of the previous night flooded back. “I can’t believe we actually got it back.” Chris nodded, sitting up and stretching. “I’m never letting it out of my sight again. We can’t risk losing it a second time.” As we got ready for the day, there was a lightness in the air that had been missing for far too long. Even the news that Olivia had managed to slip away again couldn’t dampen our spirits entirely. “We’ll instate a guard around the borders,” Chris decided as we headed out of the Packhouse