My mind reels, and my chest tightens at his words. I've lived a sheltered and lonely life, but I still had the option of a hug from my aunt, or the comforting nudge of my ornery raven friend. To not have the simple sensation of touch must have been excruciatingly lonely. All this time, he's been walking the earth, absorbing pain and mental anguish from strangers on his own, just floating in his incorporeal form. "Don't feel bad for me. The wait was worth it," he says, tilting my chin and leaning down.
