#Chapter 145: Celebration of Life

Ava The square was utterly silent as every eye turned toward me. I could practically feel their stares boring holes into my skull, their eyes prickling over my skin like a thousand tiny needles. If anyone had spoken, I wasn’t sure—my heart was too busy thundering in my ears, the sound of it drowning out everything else. Chris’s question hung heavily in the air between us, his hand still extended. I opened my mouth, but no words came out at first. If there were even any words for me to say, they died in my throat before they even reached my tongue. My gaze flickered briefly over the remaining four Elders standing off to the side. Elise’s face was bright red with fury, her lips pursed so tightly they had gone white. The vein at her temple throbbed visibly as she stared daggers at me. I swallowed hard, my throat feeling impossibly dry and constricted. Finally, I managed a small nod and took Chris’s hand. “Yes,” I whispered, the single word seeming to echo in