I froze, clutching the blanket tightly around me. My pulse thundered as a shadow slipped through the opening, resolvinginto a familiar figure. Blonde hair pulled back in a sleek braid, sharp green eyes scanning the room like a hawk.
“Vivian?” Celeste whispered.
“Celeste?” My voice cracked, the disbelief making it sound foreign to my own ears.
Before I knew it, I was on my feet and across the room. I threw my arms around her, and the moment I felt her solid warmth against me, the dam broke. A sob tore from my chest, raw and unrestrained.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I choked out, clutching her tighter.
She hugged me back, her grip strong and steady, like an anchor in a storm. “What does it look like? I’m here to rescue you. Let’s go.”
I pulled back just enough to look at her, shaking my head. “Rescue me? Are you insane? How did you even get in here?”
A low voice answered before she could. “She didn’t do it alone.”
I turned sharply as another figure stepped through the window. Luca. His shadow magic still clung to him, faint wisps curling like smoke around his shoulders. His expression was stoic as ever, but there was a tension in his jaw I hadn’t seen before.
“Between Celeste’s breaking-and-entering skills and my shadows, we managed.”
I stared at them both, my mind struggling to catch up. “How did you even know I was here?”
Celeste glanced at Luca before answering. “Will phoned me the night he got back from the convention. He told me everything. He was terrified, Viv. He begged me to do something.” Her eyes softened, and she stepped closer. “And Luca confirmed it when he came here a few days ago to visit The Shadow.”
The mention of Will unraveled me. My legs buckled, and I sank onto the bed. “Will’s alive? He’s okay?”
Celeste crouched in front of me and cupped my face between her hands. Her green eyes, so familiar and grounding, met mine. “He’s fine. He’s worried about you, though. He wanted me to get you out of here. So here I am.”
I shook my head violently, pulling away. “I can’t go.”
“What?” Her voice rose, and she straightened. “Viv, are you hearing yourself? This place is a nightmare. He’s a nightmare. You can’t stay.”
“I have to!” The words exploded out of me, hot and desperate. “If I leave, The Shadow will kill Will. You know he will. I need to be confident that I can avoid that outcome before I can escape.”
The guards’ bloodied necks flashed through my mind again, and I inhaled sharply.
“That’s insane.” Celeste’s frustration spilled over. “Vincenzo won’t let that happen. He’ll protect you and Will.”
“It’s not worth the risk!” My voice broke, and I forced myself to stand. “Do you have any idea what The Shadow is capable of? I tried running away because I was naïve and thought I could get myself and Will to safety. I saw for myself what he is capable of and how quickly he can follow through on his threats.
“Also, when I was staying at Vincenzo’s, all I heard was how powerful he is. Correct me if I’m wrong, but he could take out everyone with a flick of his wrist if he wanted to.”
Celeste opened her mouth to argue, but she faltered. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, and she shot a look at Luca.
He leaned against the wall, his shadows rippling around him. “She’s not wrong,” he admitted.
Celeste exhaled sharply, pacing the room. “Fine. But I’m not leaving.”
Stunned, I blinked at her. “What?”
“You heard me,” she said, turning to me with fierce determination. “If you’re staying, then so am I.”
“Celeste—”
“Don’t bother arguing,” she snapped, kicking off her boots. She climbed onto the bed and sprawled out. “Get in. You look like hell.”
I stared at her, half-expecting Luca to drag her out the window. Instead, he moved to the corner of the room, folding himself into the shadows like he belonged there.
“I’m staying too,” he said simply.
