Chapter 126

I understood, on some level, that the individuals who had been confined here were criminals, but the overall environment was just so horrifying. I couldn't help but wonder how they managed to restrain everyone on nights of a full moon—surely, some of those criminals would possess enough strength to bend those bars as if they were mere metal coat hangers. Rubbing my temples in a futile attempt to relieve my tension, I took a deep breath and tried again.

"Xavier, I don't want to intrude," I began, letting the words spill out, "but if you have a few minutes, I would really like to talk."

I envisioned his back pressed against the wall that separated us, and I realized that this was as close to him as I could possibly be while we were both imprisoned.

"Are you okay?" I asked, followed almost immediately by a feeling of foolishness. Of course, he wasn't okay. Truth be told, neither of us was.

"Yeah, I'm okay. A