KNOX
As soon as I stepped out of the room, I ran into Claudia.
She smiled, her steps quickening as she approached, but I walked right past her.
"Knox," she called after me.
I stopped, exhaled sharply, then turned. "What do you want?"
"Are you still mad at me?"
Was that a real question? Who wouldn't be?
"I think your job here is done. You should leave."
"I'm sorry," she said, her voice soft, her eyes glassy with tears. "I never wanted to hurt you."
She stepped closer, stopping inches from me. Her fingers gripped my shirt tightly, trembling. Then, in a sudden motion, she wrapped her arms around me and laid her head on my chest.
"I missed you so much, Knox. I swear on the goddess Hecate," she whispered. "I wanted to reach out—I did—but I couldn't. Not when everything I'd done would've meant nothing. I had to stay away until the danger passed."
My voice came low and cold. "How long?"
She hesitated. "Two years ago."
