Adrian POV
The air was thick with tension as Valeria and I strolled through the quiet garden outside the hall. The gala's energy still buzzed in my veins, but in this silence, everything felt sharper. As much as I'd tried to process what I'd seen tonight-creatures, power, secrets-I was nowhere near grasping it all. But right now, with her by my side, that didn't matter. All I knew was that whatever we'd just faced, she'd made her choice.
And she'd chosen to stand with me.
I glanced over, studying her profile, her expression unreadable but tinged with something vulnerable. The shadows softened her sharp edges, but I knew better. This woman was lethal, something barely contained. Yet there was something delicate in this moment, as if she were finally letting me see beyond the armor.
"You think he'll come back?" I broke the silence, careful with my words. The whole Talon thing-it rattled me, but I didn't want her to see that.
She paused, her eyes darkening as she looked at the stars. "Talon doesn't give up," she said quietly, her voice steeled but laced with a vulnerability I hadn't heard before. "But... he doesn't control me anymore."
"Then I'll stand with you. No matter what he throws at us." The words slipped out before I could second-guess them, but I meant every one. She had a life I could barely comprehend, but it didn't change a damn thing. I wanted her. All of her.
She looked at me, her gaze softening in a way that nearly unraveled me. "Adrian, you're crazy for wanting to be part of this world."
I grinned, shrugging. "Maybe. But I'd be crazier to leave."
Before she could respond, I leaned in, brushing my lips against hers. It was gentle, an answer to every question lingering between us.
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The cold night air had a sharpness to it, biting against the lingering warmth of the gala. Outside, the city lights cast an eerie glow that barely reached Valeria's eyes as she walked with purpose, her silence wrapped tight around her. I matched her stride, feeling the buzz of adrenaline beneath my skin-a hum I couldn't shake since the Oracle's words had cast her binding spell on us.
That binding felt... different. Like a flicker of something foreign but intoxicating, pulsing beneath my ribs. It was her power, some piece of it threaded into me, igniting something dormant, though I had no idea how to wield it. I was still figuring out what had changed. But tonight, I knew I'd be ready for whatever came.
We reached a secluded spot outside the sprawling event grounds. Valeria halted, her gaze on the horizon, too controlled, too still. I could see it-the tension coiling in her shoulders, the weight of secrets she bore, the way she kept a fortress built even with me. And then I saw why.
I was no stranger to danger, but this man-if he could even be called that-had an aura that clawed at the mind, unsettling in a way that words couldn't touch.
"Valeria?" I whispered, but she was already a step ahead.
Her voice was a low growl. "Erebus."
The name meant nothing to me, but the way she said it-cold, filled with contempt-told me everything I needed to know.
I felt a chill as she turned to me, eyes fierce. "He's one of Talon's best. If he's here, it's because Talon wants me... by any means necessary."
A twisted smile crept over Erebus's face as he stepped forward. "Oh, he wants you, alright. And he's not concerned about the state you return in." His eyes flickered toward me, a sick glint in his gaze. "This human your new... pet?"
I clenched my fists, rage bubbling to the surface. "If you think you're taking her, you're dead wrong."
Valeria shot me a warning look. "Adrian, don't."
Something twisted in me. My chest tightened, a possessive instinct roaring to life, pushing against the boundaries of my skin. I felt her power lurking beneath my own, a foreign force that seemed to respond to Erebus's challenge, calling to me, as if it had been waiting all along.
"Leave, Erebus. You don't belong here," she said, each word wrapped in steel.
Erebus's laughter was low, dripping with malice. "Or what? You think I fear you?" He took a step closer, his dark aura swelling, poisoning the air around us. "Your powers may be impressive, but they're nothing compared to what I could do to him." He tilted his head towards me.
It was like a thread snapped in me. The taunt echoed, grating against something primal. I felt the surge of power building, unfurling, hot and relentless. It wasn't fully mine, I knew that, but it was part of me now, raw and untested, demanding release. I clenched my fists, trying to focus, but the energy was too strong, too wild. It thrummed through my veins, demanding an outlet.
My vision sharpened, every movement of Erebus clear, his malice almost visible in the air. Without thinking, I stepped forward, feeling the energy pulse from my skin, a force I barely recognized.
I stepped in front of Valeria before I could think to stop myself, ignoring her warning gaze. "You want her?" I spat, my voice rough, unfamiliar. "Then you'll have to get through me."
Erebus laughed-a dark, bone-chilling sound. "And what can you possibly do, human?" His voice dripped with disdain, his eyes glinting with something that looked like pity.
But I barely heard him. The power surged again, responding to the anger tearing through me. It was Valeria's power-I could feel it, raw and dangerous, mixing with my own, making me something more, something I didn't yet understand. But I wasn't afraid. Not now.
"Touch her,"" I said, my voice low, a barely contained growl.
Erebus's eyes widened for just a fraction of a second seeing the burst of light emanate from me. The surprise on his face was enough to ground me in the reality of my newfound strength. The power wasn't as refined as Valeria's, not nearly as controlled, but it was there, undeniable and fierce.
Erebus eyed me with a flicker of confusion that quickly turned into irritation.
"Oh? You think you can challenge me?" he scoffed, but his voice was lower, unsure. "Whatever little magic she gave you, it's not enough."
He moved toward me, shadows pooling around him. My instincts flared. I felt Valeria's power-my power-flare to life, like a shield that expanded with my heartbeat, solid and unyielding. Erebus tried to press against it, but the barrier held firm.
"Stay away from her," I heard myself say, my voice colder than I'd ever heard it.
Erebus's eyes widened, just for a moment. He stepped back slowly, his face twisted with anger, but he didn't push further. "This isn't over," he snarled, his gaze flicking from me to Valeria. "I'll be back. And I'll enjoy watching you both fall."
And just like that, he vanished, leaving the night empty once more.
The rush of power faded slowly, leaving me feeling both invincible and hollow. I turned to Valeria, her expression unreadable.
"Guess I can hold my own after all," I murmured, half-joking.
She stepped closer, her violet eyes piercing, a hint of something softer flashing beneath the surface. "It's only the beginning," she said, almost to herself. Then she looked at me, a slight, fierce smile tugging at her lips. "But you're stronger than you know."