The silence that followed their agreement wasn't peaceful; it was heavy, filled with the ghosts of everything they hadn't said over the last five years.
As they moved toward the sub-basement, the air in the sanctuary grew cooler, smelling of copper and the damp earth of the gardens outside.
Damien stopped at the edge of the stairwell, his hand hovering over his side. He was swaying slightly, the adrenaline of the fight finally beginning to give way to the reality of his injuries.
He looked at Bella—really looked at her—not as the girl he had patronized in the past, but as the woman who had just saved his life with a power he was only beginning to comprehend.
"Bella," he started, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard, trying to push past the thick wall of pride that had dictated every
