Nadia practically glowed as we ate dinner. Her eyes never strayed from the Lephards, and I was glad that she had reunited with them. Whatever Hannabella had done for her while I was forced to fight the Vigilant Men's battles, I knew I could never repay her for. I tried my hardest to be a model guest, for her sake, carrying on polite conversation, but the exhaustion of the day hung heavy. I stifled a few yawns, and when I glanced at Nadia, I saw she did the same.

Hannabella chattered on, not noticing, but Martin soon realized that his guests were about one minute away from planting their faces in the soup bowls.

"Perhaps we should wrap up for the night," he said, turning to Hannabella.

"What? No, we're going to the opera to see dear Giovanni sing. I know I can talk the theater into two seats for Ferdinand and Nadia. It'll be great fun." She turned a beaming smile toward Nadia. "I'll lend you one of my gowns and we'll do your hair. I promise you'll just melt for Giovanni's voice."

Nadia tried to muster up a smile, but failed miserably as a yawn instead overtook her face.

"Darling," Martin said. "The poor things just want to have a good night's sleep. I doubt they've been in a real bed for a long time, and we shouldn't keep that from them any longer."

Hannabella's mouth popped open and she slapped a hand to her forehead. "Yes, of course, how stupid of me! Of course you're both exhausted." She pushed her chair out and dumped her napkin over her empty soup bowl. "I'll show you your rooms and you can fall straight asleep. We'll leave everything else until tomorrow."

She led us out of the dining room and up the dimly lit stairs to the second floor. She talked the whole time, but her words buzzed around me without quite getting to my mind.

"Here's your room, Ferdinand," she said, pushing open a door to her left. The room was papered in blue floral, with a large oak wardrobe against one wall, an iron bed made with white linens, and a fireplace with a screen and multiple decorative clocks on its lintel. Draped across an upholstered chair was a nightshirt and a change of clothes for tomorrow.

As I was examining the room, Hannabella led Nadia off, their voices growing fainter in the hallway. I fought the urge to run after them and kiss Nadia goodnight like I'd done every night since we escaped, knowing that it was pathetic to be this dependent. Instead, I reluctantly changed into the nightshirt and sat on the bed, staring at the wall where two windows looked out over the alley in the back of the house. Shadows played across the panes as the wind shifted the branches of a tree.

In the darkness, I felt it creeping up on me. The dread. Dread that haunted me whenever I was silent enough to let it find my mind once again. My skin prickled, my senses sharpening as the sense of foreboding grew. My mind screamed that I was in danger, though I knew there was none. It wanted me to get up and run, find somewhere to hide, escape, because if I didn't then something horrible would happen.

I clenched my hands together until they ached, forcing myself not to get up or run. There was no danger, I told myself. Nothing to fear. I was safe.

"Ferdinand?" A whisper at the door. I swung my gaze over to see Nadia, a spector in her white nightgown, peering around the doorframe. "Can I sleep in here with you?"

I didn't answer her, only held out my arms. She ran to me, wrapping her arms around my middle and folding in close. I leaned back, laying down, and she followed, her head resting on my chest. I ran my hand down her hair, staring at the ceiling as the clocks ticked away the seconds. We said nothing, but there wasn't anything to say. Nadia's breathing was enough, soft and steady and no longer plagued by cold or fear.

She fell asleep before I did, her grip softening around my waist as she slipped away into a dream. I still held on tight, too afraid to let her go. While the sense of doom had lifted, I knew that letting her go would bring it right back. Leaning my head, I rested my cheek against the top of her hair. She had been the only reason I made it through the battles where men shredded into pieces in front of me. I had to protect her, which meant I had to live, to survive long enough to find her again. Even though we were free now, my mind still told me the same things. Stay alive for Nadia. Protect her. Don't let go.

So I did just that, clutching her close as the night wore on and sleep never came to me because I was too afraid to miss a single second of her soft breath floating across my skin, letting me know she was alive and well and by my side.