Chapter 27

Cassandra and Amelia sat beside Emily in silence, the seconds ticking by slowly. Amelia's voice broke the silence. "Does it normally take this long before she comes back?" Cassandra, her irritation bubbling beneath the surface, replied curtly, "I don't know. I haven't watched her die before." Cassandra's harsh reply caused her to flinch, "I didn't mean to offend you." Amelia said in a small voice. Running a hand through her tousled hair, Cassandra sighed deeply. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She averted her eyes from Emily's still form. "I don't let myself care for a lot of people. But Emily... I don't know, she's like the family I never had." Cassandra's voice wavered with emotion as she continued. "I mean, when I met her, I acted like a total bitch, but she stuck around. And when I saw her fall to the ground... I wanted to rush to her, but instead, I let my ego get the better of me. Maybe if I had-" "I could have taken the bullet instead and then-" Amelia held he