Chapter Twelve – Safe in the Storm
The echo of Damian's footsteps still lingered when silence fell again, thick as fog. Elena stood between the two worlds tearing her apart, her pulse still racing from the tug-of-war she'd just endured.
Adrian didn't move right away. He only studied her, eyes half-lidded, the faint curve of a smile ghosting across his lips.
"You're confused," he said at last, his voice velvet-smooth. "He stirs something reckless in you, doesn't he? Memories, nostalgia. The thrill of what once was." He stepped closer, his shadow merging with hers. "But what he can never give you is safety."
Elena flinched, her chest tight. "You call this safe?" she demanded, her voice trembling. "Shattering my world piece by piece?"
"Yes." Adrian's answer was simple, chilling. "Because even when your world breaks, you're still in my hands."
Before she could reply, he seized her wrist—firm but not cruel—and pulled her down a narrow alley, away from the quiet street. Her protest died in her throat when she realized he was leading her not toward danger, but toward something stranger.
At the alley's end stood an abandoned building, its windows dark, its rooftop barely visible against the night sky. Adrian's grin widened.
"Do you trust me?"
She swallowed hard. "No."
"Good," he whispered. "Trust is overrated. Hold on instead."
And before she could stop him, he lifted her effortlessly, his arm wrapping around her waist. With a single impossible leap, the ground vanished beneath them. The air whipped against her skin as they soared upward, landing on the rooftop as though gravity had bent in his favor.
Elena gasped, clinging to him. "Adrian—what—how—"
"Safe," he interrupted, setting her down gently. "Always safe with me."
Her legs wobbled, her breath unsteady. "You call that safe? You nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He chuckled low, the sound vibrating in her chest. "And yet you're here. Standing. Breathing. Thrilled, aren't you?" His eyes gleamed. "That's my kind of safe. The kind that makes your blood sing."
He walked toward the rooftop's edge, beckoning her with a curl of his finger. Against her better judgment, she followed, heart hammering.
The city stretched out below, endless lights flickering like stars trapped on earth. Adrian stood at the ledge, casual, almost careless.
"Look," he murmured, pointing out over the city. "Every flicker, every shadow—it all bends beneath me. And I choose to let you stand here with me, untouchable."
Her stomach flipped when he suddenly extended his hand, palm open, daring her closer to the edge.
"No," she whispered, shaking her head. "I'll fall—"
"You won't." His voice was soft, commanding. "Because I'll never let you."
Every instinct screamed to stay back, but her hand moved before her mind could stop it. She placed her trembling fingers in his.
Adrian tugged her forward until her toes hung at the edge. The city sprawled beneath her, dizzying, terrifying. Her knees weakened.
But his grip was iron.
"See?" he said, his lips brushing her ear. "Even when you stand on the edge of ruin, you're safe. Because I'm the one holding you there."
Her breath hitched, the adrenaline crashing through her veins. She hated the truth of his words. Hated that part of her felt anchored in his grip, even as fear rattled her bones.
"You're insane," she whispered.
Adrian smiled, his thumb stroking over her knuckles. "Perhaps. But I'm the only madness that can keep you alive."
He pulled her back from the ledge, guiding her as though she were fragile glass. The wildness in him settled once more into something soft, almost protective.
"Damian will tempt you with freedom," Adrian said, his gaze locked on hers. "But freedom burns. I give you both—wildness that never destroys you, and safety no one else can touch."
Elena's chest ached. She wanted to scream at him, to deny the pull of his words—but her silence betrayed her.
And when he brushed his lips against her forehead, gentle and terrifying all at once, she knew: no matter how far she ran, Adrian's version of safety would always find her.