HIS TO DESTROY

na nee

gne or bourbon or the iron weight of his body pressing into hers night after night, fi

, not violently – no, he didn't bruise unless he meant to – but

or a walk. It

meant they wouldn't pass out too q

er two ahead, as she wandered off the paved courtyard path and into the outer l

eeveless blouse, unbrushed curls fal

er mind worked through the maze of Lucien's strange inconsistencies – how he never asked questions, how he always knew when she lied,

e the official grounds ended and the f

irt with bare feet and two butterflies perched on his wrist like h

readbare white shirt two sizes too big, the sleeves rolled up like

p when she appro

his knuckles like they belonged to him. Cata

elsewhere – like this part of the land didn't e

oy wouldn't be here. He would be locked up, protected, hidden

nd strange and abandoned just far enough away from the main

ly, voice almost br

name?" He d

just unreadable. Like he'd heard language o

d pulled out a wrapped caramel, holdi

rs, and tucked it into his shirt pocket lik

oss-legged with a stick and a line of ro

watched. On the third visit, she brought pa

, but the shape was there. By the f

ly. Two: his name was Gabriel. He had written it, s

mething cold unfurling in her chest. Gabriel. I

his sleep. She thought about asking Isa to run a ba

te by a distant cousin, not until she could feel in her gut what

ow slept besi

-

the strap on his sandal, kneeling in the dirt, her finger

ce. Her knees buckled

t soaked in gasoline. She tried to call f

was Gabriel's face, still and silent, butterflies

warm and filtered through gauze cur

was too soft. The

pital. She was stil

tightly, hands folded in her lap. She wore the pale blue

"Careful, señorita. You fai

scanned the room. No mach

the bedside table, and a fa

er. Cleaned her. Bu

dn't know. Or if he

her throat

in by the guards. One of them s

y?" she ask

The midwife

s fi

e's fine. Like he

hing no one wanted her to dig into. Catalina shifted

's what you're thinking," the

been trying to te

lled. "What

n's eyes

regnant,