Amara's POV

The drive back to the apartment was a blur of headlights and taillights. My mind was a jumbled mess of fear, frustration, and a deep-seated helplessness. Eli, a small, fragile presence in the backseat, was asleep, his feverish breathing a constant, agonizing reminder of my failure. I was supposed to protect him. I was supposed to be his shield against a cruel, dangerous world. But I had failed. I had let him down, and now he was paying the price.

I got him into the house, my ...