Shadow and Bone

CHAPTER 15
ONLY WHEN I WAS in my room, the door closed securely
behind me, did I let my sobs overtake me. I slid to the floor,
my back pressed against the bed, my arms around my knees,
trying to hold myself together.
By now, Mal would be leaving the palace, traveling back to
Tsibeya to join the other trackers hunting Morozova’s herd.
The distance widening between us felt like a palpable thing. I
felt further from him than I had in all the lonely months that
had gone before.
I rubbed my thumb over the scar on my palm. “Come back,”
I whispered, my body shaking with fresh sobs. “Come back.”
But he wouldn’t. I’d as good as ordered him to leave. I knew I
would probably never see him again, and I ached with it.
I don’t know how long I sat there in the dark. At some point
I became aware of a soft knocking at my door. I sat up straight,
trying to stifle my sniffling. What if it was the Darkling? I
couldn’t bear to see him now, to explain my tears to him, but I
had to do something. I dragged myself to my feet and opened
the door.
A bony hand snaked around my wrist, seizing me in an iron
grip.
“Baghra?” I asked, peering at the woman standing at my
door.
“Come,” she said, pulling at my arm and glancing over her
shoulder.
“Leave me alone, Baghra.” I tried to pull away from her, but
she was surprisingly strong.
“You come with me now, girl,” she bit out. “Now!”
Maybe it was the intensity of her gaze or the shock of
seeing fear in her eyes, or maybe I was just used to doing what
Baghra said, but I followed her out the door.
She closed it behind us, keeping hold of my wrist.