"My breath caught before I saw him."
The rumors about Eli had followed Silver through the Gothic corridors all morning, whispered fragments bouncing off stone walls as she made her way to her first class back. The lecture hall felt smaller than she remembered, old radiators clanking against limestone walls while pale January light filtered through tall windows that had watched over decades of nervous students.
She chose a seat in the middle section, close enough to appear engaged but far enough back to avoid professor scrutiny. Her notebook lay open on the wooden desk that had been carved with initials from students who'd graduated before she was born. The pencil in her hand felt heavier than it should.
