The silence after battle was deafening. The chapel, now nothing but ruins, seemed to breathe with them—each crack in the stone echoing their exhaustion. The ashes of the demon still smoldered faintly, the stench of burnt flesh lingering like a curse.
Elena sat slumped against one of the shattered pews, her charm still glowing faintly in her trembling hand. Her heart felt hollow, as though a piece of her had walked away with Damian.
She whispered his name without meaning to, her voice breaking. "Damian…"
Adrian's head tilted sharply at that, crimson eyes flashing. He crouched down in front of her, his presence filling the space like an unspoken warning. His shadow stretched across her fragile form, wrapping her in darkness.
"He made his choice," Adrian said, his voice low, almost dangerous. "Don't waste your tears on a man who abandoned you."
Elena's eyes shot up, anger mingling with grief. "He didn't abandon me—he left because of you!"
The words hung between them like a blade.
Adrian's jaw tightened, but instead of snapping back, he leaned closer, his breath ghosting across her face. "And yet… here I am. Still standing. Still fighting for you."
Her chest tightened. She hated him—his arrogance, his suffocating presence. But she also couldn't deny the truth in his words. Damian had left. And Adrian… Adrian remained.
Her voice trembled. "Why? Why do you care so much, Adrian? You're the devil's son. You shouldn't—"
Before she could finish, he caught her chin between his fingers, tilting her face up toward his. His crimson gaze burned into hers, equal parts fury and something more vulnerable—something almost human.
"You think I chose this blood?" His voice cracked like thunder, but there was pain beneath it. "I didn't ask to be born of darkness. But you—" his grip softened slightly, his thumb brushing her jaw, "—you make me want to fight against it. You make me dangerous in ways even I don't understand."
Elena's breath hitched. For a fleeting moment, she saw the boy behind the devil—the one who craved something more than shadows and power.
Her heart wavered.
Adrian smirked faintly, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "So, Elena… tell me. Do you still wish Damian were here instead of me?"
The question sliced into her chest. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Because the truth—the terrifying truth—was that while she mourned Damian, it was Adrian's presence that now consumed her. His proximity, his heat, the way his shadows curled protectively around her.
Adrian chuckled darkly at her silence. "That's what I thought."
He released her chin and stood, extending his hand to her. "Come. We can't linger here. Demons like him never walk alone."
Hesitating only for a heartbeat, Elena placed her trembling hand in his. The moment their skin touched, a current of energy surged between them, hot and undeniable. Adrian's fingers tightened around hers as if daring her to pull away. She didn't.
Together, they walked out of the ruins.
The moonlight bathed them in silver as they stepped into the night, their shadows stretching side by side. The air was cool, carrying the faint scent of smoke and blood. Elena glanced at Adrian, his dark figure moving with lethal grace, and wondered how a man so terrifying could make her feel… safe.
But her thoughts wouldn't let her rest. Damian's last words echoed in her ears: You don't need me anymore. You have him.
Tears pricked her eyes again. Adrian must have noticed because he suddenly stopped, turning to face her.
"Still thinking of him?" His tone was sharp, but his eyes betrayed a flicker of something softer.
She swallowed hard. "He mattered to me, Adrian. He… he was a part of my past. You can't erase that."
For a long moment, Adrian said nothing. Then, to her surprise, he pulled her closer—so close her cheek pressed against his chest. She could hear his heartbeat, steady and strong, like a drum anchoring her to the moment.
"You're right," he murmured into her hair. "I can't erase him. But I'll make damn sure you never need to remember him again."
Elena froze in his embrace, her mind spinning. His words were possessive, even selfish, yet they sent a warmth through her that she couldn't deny. For all his darkness, Adrian's arms felt like the only place she truly belonged.
And that terrified her more than any demon ever could.