At the sound of that voice, Ronan freezes. His heart coils up and drops into his stomach, as if someone just came up from behind him and pushed him down the stairs. Why? it asks, and also, How could you? and also, Who will catch me now?

He folds every single question into the word, "Hennessy?"

Narrowing his eyes, squinting into the darkness of the cell to search out her features, he steps closer and wraps his hands around the bars. If this were a dream, he could turn them to ashes and free her. But if this were a dream, would she let him?