“Um . . . thank you. It wasn’t really necessary, but”—she sneezes, then looks up at me—“thank you.”
I watch her, noticing how red her nose is from wiping it with a tissue at least a hundred times, and how tired she looks. I want to take her back in my arms, as if it would somehow make her feel better.
Instead, I just nod once more.
Ravenna blinks at me and then smiles. My breath catches the same way it did the very first time I saw her.
“People really need to dig to get a word out of you, Alessandro.” She c***s her head to the side.
The scarf around her neck has come loose, and my eyes fall to her throat. Or more precisely, to the vibrant red marks on it. Murderous rage ignites in my chest. I plant my palms against the door on either side of her and lower my head until our faces
