The dust hung in the air like a warning.
Ariana coughed, waving it from her eyes. Her heart thumped so violently she thought it might tear right out of her chest. She pressed herself against Adrian, feeling the taut coil of his body beneath her fingertips. Every muscle, every line of tension, screamed danger.
“Adrian…” she whispered, voice shaking. “What just happened?”
He didn’t answer immediately. His jaw tightened, eyes scanning the shadows where the man had disappeared. The hall was empty now—or so it seemed.
“They’re everywhere,” Adrian finally said, voice low, sharp, trembling with something Ariana didn’t expect: fear. Not for himself. For her.
Ariana swallowed. “I’m not leaving you.”
“You might have to,” he said, almost bitterly. “If you stay… if you stay near me, you’re a tar
