Owned by the enemy

-without touching, without saying a

I didn't move. I

e looked... peaceful. Human. Like the walls he kept so carefully rei

ed to be like this. I wasn'

ing to want him to ke

terrif

trying not to wake him, a

he was sitting up, rubb

hat early?" he asked,

ys sneak into bed in the midd

here was a hint of

I think you

n't sc

ot

sing, that it made heat climb my neck. I did

nd, he stood and walk

an hour. We'

nked.

cooped up in h

o the dressing room

taking

W

at make my hear

-

. Luca was in the front passenger seat.

ack. The space between us felt like

ide passed in vague smears of color and

on my reflecti

ing back at me

as unravel

-

to a private

ng through exhibits. This one was housed in a converted warehouse

pty. Silent. Lit only by soft

tching the way his hands stayed tucke

e?" I ask

in front of

he said. "And sometimes... silence

ic storm of reds and blacks, like

about noise," I murmure

"You think those t

but something in hi

ask anyt

raph that caught his eye. I realized, slowly, that Dante appreciated beauty-not in the shallow way

d the final roo

you marry

sture s

t answer

Because

e of my

The war. It was the only

ietly. "Do you still t

d fully t

he said. "But I didn't reali

tened. "What's

ont

-

something w

to the mansion,

Ate dinner in silence. And when he fo

door behind him. Sat on the edge of

dn't

besid

lo

y cl

w to feel around

d at the floor, his fingers laced

girl I was two week

kn

what you're exp

xpect anyth

heartbreaking about

ed for h

n't pul

-

like a dream. A strange, s

ft. But he wa

end to love me.

dn't k

s I felt like

-

erything

he sky was thick with storm cloud

living room, the fire casting gol

everything

power

disoriente

an

ed for m

si

nt doors

fro

echoed in t

ust on

lti

racing, until my s

d t

apped arou

d, but it

led in my ear

ruggled. But

an stepped

hat momen

wasn't

sn't a b

d come

-

airs, through a garden gate I didn't even know exis

thrown

or slam

sts wer

s were

ne roared

d think was-he'

ha

I didn't understa

er let someone s

ig