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“Everything,” he said on a heavy exhale. “That’s the short answer.”

“What’s the long one?” Roman murmured, every trace of humor gone as he waited intently for his answer.

“She just…dropped into my life one day like an angel. I took one look at her, and I was obsessed.Completelyobsessed.” As he spoke, he almost forgot Roman was there. He could feel his heart peeling open like a flower, baring the thoughts and emotions he’d kept locked behind bars for so long. “The more time I spent with her, the more addicted I got. She taught me how to feel things again—taught me how to…how to love. She saw past the ugly parts of me, and…” He drew a shaky breath and said on the exhale, “I don’t know what she found there, but she hasn’t run yet. So there must be something she likes.” Darien didn’t bother adding that his mother being human had a lot to do with it; that was a wound he didn’t feel like opening right now.

Roman was quiet for a while. Darien thought he was maybe done with this conversation, but then he said, “The head, probably.”

Darien shoved him in the shoulder. “Get out of here.”

Roman staggered, laughing. “You sure it wasn’t you who put the hit on her? Gave yourself an excuse to track her down, take her home, feel her up a little? Get between those legs?”

He smirked. “Yeah, right.” But his humor was soon fading. “Her price would’ve been higher if it were me.” No price was high enough for her.

“How did she not run away screaming from your crazy ass?”

“She did—initially. Then she came back. Invited me out to lunch.”

“No way.”

“It’s the truth. She was completely honest with me too, right from the start. Didn’t lie when I asked her questions. She didn’t even make up a fake name.” His mind flashed between the dark tunnel and that fateful day on the sunlit Avenue of the Scarlet Star. How beautiful she’d looked. Scared, yeah—of him. But stillso damn beautiful. “She didn’t trust me at first,” he went on. “I had to work on her for a bit. But she came around.”

“Hm,” Roman said. “Interesting.”

“Yeah, very. It’s been a journey.” That was a wild understatement.

“Jokes aside…I’m happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

Roman abruptly stopped, staring over his shoulder.

Darien’s smile melted. His scalp prickled with a warning. “What?—”

“The walls,”Roman hissed. “The walls—look at the walls!”

Darien lifted the sword?—

And saw in its reflection that this tunnel wasn’t made of rock or adamant—not anymore. Somewhere along the way, it had turned inky and ropelike, the walls dripping with slime?—

Roman stumbled back and slammed into Darien. “Holy shit, do you see that? It’s moving.”

Darien tried to take a step, but his feet were stuck. Vines were wrapping around his boots, pulling down on them. Constricting.

He pried his feet free and stomped on another vine.

Another reached for him, trying to snake around his throat. He ducked right on time?—

The tunnel rumbled, as if from an earthquake. Quickly, he used the blade to look behind him.

The tunnel was caving in.

“Run,” he bit out. He grabbed Roman by the shoulder, pushing him down the tunnel. If either of them was getting out of here, it was Roman.“RUN!”

They bolted—fast as they could go. The tunnel began to shrink, the vines piling up, reaching for their throats.

Darien pointed the sword upward, the blade carving the ceiling apart. Vines dropped to the ground and curled up in pain.More screaming rattled the tunnel, but the shrinking slowed. Receded before picking up again.

“I’m not gonna die like this!” Roman shouted.