Later, a fire lit the night sky. A small rooftop, a hidden garden, and the city sprawling beneath them. Adrian and Elena stood in silence, smoke curling around them like a curtain hiding sins.
You've changed, he said. The girl who arrived trembling is gone. In her place He trailed off, letting the unspoken hang heavy.
Elena looked at him, eyes sharp. In her place is someone who will survive. And someone who will take what she wants.
Desire flickered in their gaze, dangerous and unrelenting. In a world ruled by blood, they had found a dangerous spark in each other one that could ignite or destroy.