Chapter 42 When The Silence Broke

• Tears welled in her eyes, spilling before she could stop them. The thought of him, lying broken, pale, fighting for breath, was unbearable. For all his roughness, his silence, his merciless mask, he had been her shield. He had covered her with a blanket when she shivered. He had gotten her fresh clothes to feel human. He had whispered that no one would ever hurt her as long as he was alive.
• And now he was slipping away.
• She pressed her forehead against the door, whispering into the dark as her tears streaked down.