*~~Chapter One Hundred and Eighty-One~~*

{~~Avery Sterling~~}

We made no progress today, but I know Jessie will provide some insight. She’s a brilliant witch doctor, and with her skills combined with Logan’s healing abilities, we should be able to find a cure. At least, that’s the hope I’m clinging to. Every day that passes without a breakthrough feels like another step closer to losing Hope. The weight of it all presses down on me—every second that ticks by, I imagine it’s a second closer to some irreversible end.

As Logan drove us home, I watched the raindrops sliding down the window, streaking like tears. The storm outside mirrored the storm inside me. Hope was asleep in the backseat, her tiny chest rising and falling in a peaceful rhythm, completely unaware of the battle we were fighting for her. For her life.

I glanced at Logan, who had been unusually quiet for most of the ride. His hands gripped the steering wheel, knuckles pale from the tension. He hadn’t said much all day, and I could tell something was bothering him