Chapter 59 The Devil

• The silence of the manor had grown suffocating, so thick and unyielding that it felt like I couldn’t breathe. Lucian lay fast asleep beside me, his arm draped over my waist, his face peaceful despite everything we were going through. I watched him for a moment, studying the way his chest rose and fell with every breath, the way his brow would furrow slightly as if even in sleep, he was ready to fight.
• But I couldn’t sleep. I hadn’t been able to for days now. Too many thoughts raced through my mind—memories, flashes of what had happened before. It was all too much. Carefully, I slid out from under Lucian’s arm, doing my best not to wake him. He stirred slightly but didn’t wake as I moved quietly through the room, grabbing my robe and pulling it around me.
• I needed air.