Leo felt a surge of urgency. He glanced at the mansion, the windows glowing with warm light. He looked at his own thin jacket and numb hands and toes. He could walk away, find warmth for himself, survive another night. But he couldn’t leave her. His mother’s words echoed in his mind, louder than ever. He made a decision.
The iron fence surrounding the garden was tall, but Leo had learned to climb in the alleys and backyards of Ashford. His fingers were numb and his legs burned from effort, yet he scaled the fence with determination. When he reached the ground, he stumbled and scraped his knees on the frost-hardened earth, but he refused to stop. He knelt beside Emma, wrapping her in the jacket he wore, giving her what little warmth he had to share.
“You have to stay awake,” he said firmly. “If you fall asleep now, the cold… it could take you.”
Emma shivered vi0lently, clinging to him as best she could. Her teeth chattered, and her small arms trembled. Leo held her tightly, rocking her slightly, whispering soft reassurances. “It’s okay. I’ve got you. I won’t let anything happen.”