It’s still dark when I open them again. I blink, having no idea how long I’ve drowsed. The fire is still burning bright, but Anani is no longer sleeping in the nest of pillows. I leap to my feet and look around, but my alertness fades as soon as I spot him by the small window. A blanket is wrapped around his narrow frame, the rough material making him look smaller somehow.
I approach him, stepping loudly so I won’t startle him. “Anani?” I stop next to him. His face betrays nothing of the overwhelming sadness emanating from him.
“I cannot believe I did this again,” he says in a flat voice.
I curl my hands into fists, but the temptation is too great. I rest a palm on the small of his back. Gulping down a mouthful of air, keeping it trapped in my lungs, hoping he won’t pull away.
He doesn
