Freedom doesn’t feel like relief.
It feels like standing in the ruins after an explosion ears ringing, dust still settling, unsure which structures are stable and which will collapse with the slightest touch.
Valen doesn’t sleep that night.
Neither do I.
We sit on opposite ends of the penthouse, the city stretched between us like a battlefield neither of us is ready to name victorious. The lights below blink on and off, indifferent to what almost happened.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” Valen says finally.
Not angry, Not accusing.
Afraid.
I look up from the glass of untouched water in my hands. “You already said that.”
“And I’ll say it again if it keeps you alive.”
I set the glass down. “You don’t get to decide that alone anymore.”
He exhales slowly, running a hand through his
