“Thank you,” I breathed, my grip on his arm turning into a reassuring squeeze. “You don’t know how much I appreciate you telling me this and…I’m glad you survived.” Washer’s face crumpled and I sucked in an alarmed breath as he threw his arms around me, embracing me tightly. “I felt them dying all around me,” he breathed into my ear. “They were afraid and in pain, but all of them, each and every one, was proud to be fighting this fight for you and your sister. For a better world.”