uth, made every breath a conscious effort. She huddled against the door, as far from Jaspe

, the passing streetlights strobing across his cheekbones. He looked exhausted. H

hroat. "Take me to the hospit

n't turn his head. "The

to be

hysical blow. "In the hallway? Crying? Contaminating the sterile envir

r handle. Her fingers fou

gaged with a

pressed against her spine, a pressure point that sent sparks down her arms. He leaned close, close enough that

tem cells, your son will die. Not eventually. Soon. Weeks. Days." He released her, wiped his hand on hi

e skyline shrink in the side mirror, her city, her life, her son's life, all of it receding

en here once before, five years ago, for Elek's funeral. She'd worn black and stood i

ne with his trident raised, water arcing from the tips-and stopped at

d onto the drive. The November air cut through her wet clothes. She followed Jasper up the steps

s Montgomery sat in a high-backed chair that resembled a throne, her silver ha

. The voice of a woman who'd never had to choo

nding. Her teeth ha

vel. "Medical assessment. Legal contract. I've had my attorneys review it twice." S

to see

n't waver. "Dr. Cromwell is monitoring him personally. Bu

gnatures, medical terminology she recognized from her own abandoned training. Sa

ld stop it. "IVF takes months. The ho

cument with a snap. "Which i

oved his coat, rolled his sleeves to the elbow. The veins in his forearms stood out, blue and

ussing the weather. "Faster. More reliable. The

nical reality remained a cold, hard fact: bone marrow matches were a numbers game, and Elek's son was rapidly running out of time. If this was the only guaranteed

g from a throat raw with suppressed screams. "You want me to-to

New York-Presbyterian. "This is the funding agreement for Ansel's private suite. The specialized nursing. The experimental protocols." She held it over the wastebasket. "One phone

the chair arm, lowered herself into the seat

resin, gold trim. The kind of pen tha

e yourself." She glanced at Jasper, still standing

seven minutes later, denied the inheritance by accident of birth order. But Bea had always claim

e could barely form the letters. D-e-n-i-c-e. C-o-

ill show you to your room." She rose, paused at the door. "And Denice

age. She didn't remember standing, didn't remember following the housekeeper up the stairs, down a hallw

eets, a bathroom larger than her entire apartmen

jasmine, the scent Elek had preferred, the scent that made her want to vomit. She wrapped herself in a robe

staring at the antique clock on the mantel, watching

g from his left shoulder blade to his ribs-caught the lamplight. She knew that scar. She'd traced it with her fingers, her tongue, had pr

ndow, drew the curtains, extinguishing th

ve. "You don't h

, beautiful and terrible. "I don't do anything I don't choose to

parted. The air was cold on her skin. She crossed her arms over her chest,

se, his breath warm against her ea

ing her hips, hands pinning her wrists above her head. His body was heavy, hot, familiar in eve

efficiency of a medical procedure, clinical and detached, and when it was finished

hought of Ansel, of the cells dividing in his marrow, of the child that might be co

sleep. Neit