There was a quiet lull while Gabriel worked to control his breathing. “The night Esther died,” I said, “Zahariev made me promise I would tell him if I didn’t want to be here anymore. He asked me to give him a chance to bring me back. Can I ask the same from you?” He looked at me. His eyes were swollen and almost shut. “Yes,” he said. “Of course I would tell you.” “Thank you,” I whispered, because I couldn’t speak any louder.
