#Chapter 145: Midday Respite

DEREK I would deal with Cassandra. But not yet. Not before I took care of the woman in front of me. Elena sat on the bench like her bones might give out at any moment. Her skin was pale, almost ashen, and her hands trembled faintly even though she tried to hold them still in her lap. The wind caught the edges of her hair, brushing it across her cheek, but she didn’t react. She was miles away. “Elena,” I said softly. Her eyes blinked once. Then again, slower this time. Like she was coming back to herself from a place I couldn’t reach. “You need rest,” I murmured. “Come on.” She opened her mouth like she was going to argue—like she might remind me that we still had ten thousand things to deal with. But then she sagged, just slightly, and nodded. “Okay,” she whispered. I called for the car, and when it pulled around, I helped her inside, keeping one hand on her back the whole time. She didn’t flinch at my touch, but she didn’t lean into it either. That was fi