"It's Beth. It's not good."

The words rang in Amelia's head like a death knell. She felt like the world had crashed around her feet. The courier was still leaning over, panting in ragged breaths. Amelia wondered if her heart would keep beating through another tragedy. It was too much in the span of just a few weeks. Surely, the world couldn't keep turning as the earth fell apart.

They were less than a half day's march from the compound. Amelia picked up the pace, ...