I look at him.
His worried eyes.
His trembling thumb.
I nod.
He threads his fingers through mine.
Warm.
Steady.
A lifeline.
We move as one down the hallway.
My apartment behind us.
The darkness inside it still clinging to my skin like damp fabric.
Halfway down the stairs, my knees shake again.
Finn squeezes my hand.
Kael glances back.“Take your time.”
Atlas keeps scanning every corner, every shadow, jaw clenched.
At the bottom of the stairwell, Finn stops walking.
He turns to me.
“Wren,” he says softly, “we’re not letting him near you again.”
His voice cracks on the last word.
I look at all three of them—
Kael, steady and sure.
Atlas, burning and silent.
Finn, frightened and brave.
And for the first time since the bathroom door opened...
I breathe.
A real breath.
Shaky, yes.
But mine.
I squeeze Finn’s hand back.
“I know,” I whisper.
