Adrian laughed. It came out slightly hysterical. "I just got disowned by my father and lost everything. And yesterday I nearly died fighting a woman who could kill me with her pinkie finger. So no, I'm not okay."
They looked at each other. Then Elena sat beside him. "You have us."
"What?"
"You have us," Diana repeated, sitting on his other side. "Your team. We're not following Baron Celestius. We're not following the family name. We're following you."
"Even after everything? After I questioned my own heroism? After I admitted I might not deserve...."
"Especially after that," Thomas interrupted. His deep voice was firm. "You showed you're human. That you doubt. That you question. That makes you more trustworthy, not less."
Marcus Ashford nodded. "The hero who never questions is either lying or deluded. You're neither. That's why we're staying."
