With each day that passed without a word, it felt like an eternity: the silence stretching into a void threatening to dismantle my sanity.
My worries grew with each tick of the clock—a collection of fears that kept me from finding peace. Would I ever see Crow again, the man whose touch had become as necessary to me as breathing? Would Leo ever know the warmth of a world not ruled by the shadow of the Serpents?
One evening, as I was about to lock up, the door to the restaurant swung open, and looking up, my eyes collided with Mel's. Hers were red-rimmed and swollen, and her usually fiery spirit seemed doused with a sadness that clung to her like a second skin.
At the look on her face, my heart plummeted.
Hurrying over to her, I pulled her into my arms. "What? "What is it?" I gasped.
"D
