Shadow and Bone

“My … what?” Then it hit me, and I broke into a huge grin.
“You’re the one who found Morozova’s herd! I should have
known.”
He didn’t return my smile. He didn’t even meet my eyes. He
just looked away and said, “I should go.”
I stared at him in disbelief, my elation withering. So I’d
been right. Mal was done with me. All the anger and
embarrassment I’d felt over the last few months crashed in on
me. “Sorry,” I said coldly. “I didn’t realize I was wasting your
time.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, no. I understand. You can’t be bothered to answer my
letters. Why would you want to stand here talking to me while
your real friends are waiting?”
He frowned. “I didn’t get any letters.”
“Right,” I said angrily.
He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. “We have to
move constantly to track the herd. My unit is barely in contact
with the regiment anymore.”
There was such weariness in his voice. For the first time, I
looked at him, really looked at him, and I saw how much he
had changed. There were shadows beneath his blue eyes. A
jagged scar ran along the line of his unshaven jaw. He was still
Mal, but there was something harder about him, something
cold and unfamiliar.
“You didn’t get any of my letters?”
He shook his head, still wearing that same distant
expression.
I didn’t know what to think. Mal had never lied to me
before, and for all my anger, I didn’t think he was lying to me
now. I hesitated.
“Mal, I … Can’t you stay a little while longer?” I heard the
pleading in my voice. I hated it, but I hated the thought of him
leaving even more. “You can’t imagine what it’s been like
here.”