a's

led again-har

y. The ache didn't disappear, but something colder slid its place. Sharp

me," he mur

loud, but it wasn't

t. The glitter of metal made my stomach drop. A gun. My palms trembled as reality stru

r blast

ning. I yelled, clamping my hands over my lips as the man in front

over in

l, thick an

d. His arms closed around me, firm and powerful, holding m

," he murmu

ere was blood on his h

he mumbled, voice scratc

"Who... who are y

he was memorizing me, like this moment mattered more than it

if you stay with me tonight... y

did something else-something

nded in th

ened. "We hav

ing with mine, grounding me. I should

I follo

at my universe had just ripped apart. As we reached a waiti

you need to know,

?" I

ed. "They didn

art s

came f