Dmitri cradled her in his arms, carrying her the short distance to his office and resting her gently on the couch. She was deathly pale, shivering and breathing shallowly, her eyes staring blankly into the ceiling. Even now, he couldn’t help admiring the way strands of her dark hair fell across her forehead, covering her eyes and completing the beautifully slender lines of her face. He smiled, brushing them away with his fingertips, inadvertently smearing dirt and blood across her otherwise perfect skin. 10. 9. 8. 7. 6. 5. 4. 3. 2. 1. At last, it was over. They would be together forever, now.