Page 140 of Seeking Shadows

One's voice, calm and precise."You only have us."

Loneliness. Hunger. Fear.

The sound of chains, reminding me that I was never going to get out of there.

My chest hurts so much it feels like it's going to rip in half. My heart beats wildly, trying to remind me that I’m alive, but all I feel is despair—a suffocating panic that doesn't let me breathe.

"Mia, darling…"

The voices. They’re there, they always are.

"You don’t have to feel all this alone."

"Let us help you."

"You know you can trust us."

No. No, no, no!

I cover my ears, but it's no use.

"Enough!" My voice comes out loud, a scream drowned out by the water and the crying. "Stop! Stop talking to me!"

But they continue.

Because they never go away.

I press my forehead against my knees and tremble. My whole body shakes. I wish I could turn my mind off like a switch. I wish this crushing weight would disappear.

But it never goes away.

And for the first time, I don't know how to get up from the floor.

So I stay here.

I don’t realize I’ve slept.

I only notice when I feel something warm and solid against my skin, something that isn't the cold water still running down my body.

And then I hear the voice.

"Mia."

It’s a low, hoarse sound, laden with worry.

My eyes open slowly, heavy. The bathroom light is dim, and everything seems a blur of steam and shadows. But I see him.

Zane.

He's kneeling in front of me, his clothes wet, his hair sticking to his forehead. His eyes slide over my face, over the drops running down my chin, over the dark circles under my eyes.

And then he touches me.

His warm fingers cup my face with a care that destroys any barrier I might still have.

I sob. A small, shattered sound that seems to crack the air between us.

And then I cling to him.

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