Katia lay on the bed with her eyes closed. Unmoving, she listened to the steady rhythm of music. Each melodic note of the song throbbed through her, replacing the long numbing pain. Although she recalled asking Anastasia to put her disc on before she left, she couldn't remember how long it had been since she'd left her side. She could only breathe in the music. Feel it encompass every inch of her. Each breath came shallower, the time between them prolonged until she thought they might cease altogether.
The bed sunk beneath someone's weight. Long legs stretched alongside hers. At the brush of fingers in her hair, a smile curved over her lips.
"Niklaus?"
"Yes, Kat. I'm here," he replied. "As here as I can be, anyway."
His voice seemed remorseful, tight with emotion. Something she hardly
