They didn't speak for a while.
The forest was quieter now. Only the sound of the soft rhythm of their steps pressing against the earth echoed through the air. Olivia felt the heat of Lucian's hand wrapped around hers, but even that warmth couldn't touch the cold sitting in her chest.
She had imagined Gauss's death a hundred different ways. Screaming. Burning. Begging. And yes—this had been the most fitting end she could've hoped for.
So why did it feel like nothing?
Lucian stopped beside a huge tree, and Olivia stood beside him. His grey eyes stared at her—his gaze was tender.
"Say it," she said quietly.
His brow furrowed. "Say what?"
"You think there is something wrong with me right?"
"I don't," he replied. "But I think you're bleeding in a way that doesn't leave a stain."
Her lips twitched. It wasn't a smile, but it was more like she was forcing herself to. "That's poetic for a guy who just fed a man to a monster."
