Chapter Twenty-Four: The Shadow at the Gate
The air in Oakhaven had turned from a summer hum to a deafening, pressurized silence. My hands were a blur of motion as I shoved Chase’s small t-shirts and a handful of granola bars into the fraying duffel bag. My chest felt like it was being constricted by an iron band. Every instinct I had developed over the last six months was screaming at me: He’s here. He’s here. He’s here.
"Rachael, slow down! You’re going to scare him!" Charlie hissed, stepping into the bedroom. He looked at the chaos on the bed—the half-packed bags, the spilled box of crackers—and then at my face. I knew I looked possessed. My short, blonde hair was matted with sweat, and my eyes were wide with a frantic, animal light.
"The poster, Charlie! The Knights Global Protectio
