Marin stumbled back, her breath shallow. "I… I don't understand. None of this… makes sense!"
"Sense is a luxury humans rarely have in my world," Averic replied, his silver eyes fixed on hers. "But danger doesn't wait for understanding. And neither do bonds that are meant to be."
Marin's mind raced. Bonds? She felt a strange pull toward him, stronger than curiosity, heavier than fear. Every instinct screamed that she shouldn't want this, and yet, she couldn't pull away.
"I don't… I can't," she stammered, though her body betrayed her. Her fingers twitched, aching to reach for him.
Averic tilted his head, studying her as though her hesitation was the most fascinating thing he'd ever seen. "You already are, Marin. You just don't know it yet."
A sudden crash outside the window jolted her, and they both turned. Shadows moved unnaturally across the street—silent, fast, hungry. The creatures from last night had returned.
"Stay close," he ordered, grabbing her hand and dragging her behind the desk just as the first figure appeared at the edge of the fog.
Marin's pulse raced, fear and something darker intertwining. She was terrified. She was alive. And somehow… she had never felt more drawn to danger—or to him.