Magnus sat beside Rose on the mattress, the springs creaking beneath him. "Your lover has forsaken you and left you in my capable hands."
"I'm looking forward to breaking his cherished toy. This will be so fun," he said to Rose whimsically. She could not help but suspect he enjoyed the psychological stress he was inflicting on her.
"You see, Lord Christopher Thorn is…" Magnus paused. ".... No more. I suppose this is not what you wanted to hear?" he teased.
Christopher hid in the shadows of the cramped room. He concentrated on communicating with Rose through telepathy. However, she never responded. There was only dead air between them.
After realizing that she had not heard what he was trying to say, his chest tightened in anxiety. She lay on the squalid bed, a pale shadow of her former self, and listened to Magnus's conceited words echoing through the room.
"Magnus… Killian…" He abruptly cut her short.
