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“My family’s estate.”

Rowan’s mouth tightens, his gaze drifting back toward the rain beyond the glass.

“You’re safe now, mouse. No one is putting you in a cage again. Ever.” The words leave my mouth too fast, sounding far more desperate than I intended while I try to convince both of us.

I look down at the bruises still darkening beneath his skin and remember finding blood drying across his hands.

“You don’t know that.” Rowan shifts, and his face tightens in pain.

“You need to stay still.”

“I’m okay.”

“Okay? You can barely breathe.”

That almost earns me the ghost of a reaction before his expression closes again. And yeah, that hurts too, but I force myself to stay calm while he takes in the room around us.

Something shutters in his expression. “I need to leave.”

“No.”

His eyes finally lift toward mine properly then, tired and bruised and still too full of guilt for somebody who almost died two days ago. “You shouldn’t have done that.”

“Done what?”

“Come to Düren for me.”

I stare at him. “Mouse⁠—”

“Tell me.” His voice roughens. “Tell me what’s happening. Tell me why any of this happened.”

Something twists painfully in my chest. “Not now.”

Rowan blinks, his brow furrowed.

“The woman who took you is dead. The tunnels were cleared. Whatever she thought she was building ended down there.”

“Ciaran—”

“You’ll get answers.” The words come out firmer this time. “All of them. But right now, the only thing you need to know is that it’s over. Nobody will touch you here, baby. I’ll make sure of it.”

He just stares at me, as though he still doesn’t believe I’ll burn the world down before I let anyone touch him again.

All I can think about is him collapsed on the ground with blood all over his hands while I searched the tunnels terrified I was already too late.

“You don’t know that.”

“I do.”

“Ciaran—”

“I said I do.” The sharpness in my voice startles both of us. Rowan goes still, and I drag a hand through my hair. “Mouse…”

But Rowan’s fingers twitch in mine, as if that’s the answer he needed, and I hold on tighter before he can pull away again.

Rain moves softly against the tower windows while the city glows gold far below us, distant enough that this room almost feels cut off from the rest of the world entirely.

“You shouldn’t have come after me,” he whispers, staring down at our joined hands instead of looking at me. “You should’ve just let me disappear.”