The night clung to the tower like a living thing, thick and restless. I didn’t sleep at all. Every groan of the wooden beams, every sigh of the wind, sounded like footsteps circling below.
Adrian dozed fitfully against my side, his breath shallow, his skin warm beneath my palm. I should have been grateful for the fragile rhythm of his chest rising and falling, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. The taste of his kiss still burned on my lips. The echo of his promise—I’d rather die with you than live without you—spun in my head, both a comfort and a curse.
At dawn, the light crept through the cracks, painting the boards gold. The forest stirred awake beneath us. My body ached from sitting upright all night, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.
“Emma?” His voice was hoarse, dragging me back
