Midnight cold stung the skin when Ava left The Full Moon behind, Liam moving ahead without speaking. Fog crept low along the streets, drawn toward them like breath pulled into lungs. His pace never wavered, shoulders parting the haze as if pushing through something solid. She stayed close, pulse tight in her throat - one wrong sound could tip the balance now. Water fell from a broken pipe nearby, each drop loud under the silence that follows shouting. Distance muffled voices, but they still carried weight.
"Orin's place is three blocks east, past the old warehouses," Liam murmured, voice low against the lap of black water nearby. "Stick close. Ulric's type doesn't forget a face."
Her head dipped once, heart jumping as his arm grazed her skin. Cold air bit everywhere except where he touched. The smell of pine clung to him, woodsmoke trailing behind, plus that raw note only Liam carried - the kind that pulled at her bones like gravity. She buried the feeling deep. Later maybe. Or never at all.
A shadow stretched, broken by light that stuttered above them. Not far from the tracks now, she caught a smell sharp in the air - metal, like coins left out in rain.
Liam froze. "Hunters."
A whisper still hung in the air when shapes peeled away from the dark gap between buildings - three people dressed in tight black suits, arms up, weapons aimed. Light caught the front figure's stare beneath fabric pulled low; he snapped words like a whip crack. "Monster! Stay where you are!"
Blood pounded in Ava's ears. Move. Now
A sharp whistle cut the air. Liam seized her wrist, pulling hard just as the silver-tipped bolt slammed into a wooden crate with a hollow thud. A single scratch from that metal would eat into skin like fire. Running was their only move.
Down a tight passage they ran, feet slamming on wet stones worn smooth by the river's touch. Her pack slapped her side, those fake documents their one chance at escape. Chasing close, the men behind fired again, wood splintering near her ear as stone broke under the hit. Each step shook loose more doubt, yet forward pulled harder than fear.
Move apart! Liam snapped, though she paid no attention, steering sharply to the left where rows of corroded metal boxes rose high, packed tight like relics buried in silence.
Fear clamped down instead of anger. Her body tensed, ready to change, yet she stayed still - people were watching, and slipping now could mean disaster.
Over the short metal fence they went, dropping into a backyard cluttered with broken machines. A large boiler became their shelter when Liam tugged her close by the hand. His fingers held tight, rough yet careful, and his thumb grazed her skin just once - brief, unintentional, but warmth shot through her anyway. In that dim space, she looked at him; gold swirled in his stare, clouded by fear, edged with something sharper. Need? Guarding instinct?
Hold on beside me, he whispered, near so his air brushed her skin.
She felt her breath catch. That word hung in the air - forever
Out of nowhere, a hunter turned the corner, weapon raised. Into motion slipped Liam, bringing the figure down hard. Down they went, crashing into the earth - elbows flying, one punch landing sharp on the face, the bow bouncing loose. Kicking free, the hunter pulled out a gleaming blade, thin and dangerous.
Out of nowhere, Ava snatched up a rusted pipe lying near her feet. Smack - she brought it down fast on the hunter's arm. A sharp crack echoed as his grip broke, the knife spinning away. Liam didn't wait, driving his elbow into the guy's neck. Down he went, breath cut short, body folding to the dirt.
"Good move," Liam said between breaths while pulling her upright. His fingers stayed at her hip - maybe holding her steady, maybe needing balance of his own. For just an instant, his eyes flicked to her mouth, open, without shields.
Her throat tightened, static humming in the space that separated them. Not now with the soft stuff - he's watching. Company means keep it sharp
From behind came more yelling - the last pair getting closer now. Off they sprinted once more, darting between hollow steel arms that clawed at the sky, tracks stretching forward like a path half-dreamed. Each breath scraped Ava's chest raw; still, having Liam near kept her steady, an anchor when everything else spun wild.
A low growl escaped him when the shot caught his arm, fabric soaking fast. The sound of wheels on metal filled the air right then, masking their escape. Hunters appeared behind them, loud and close, another dart slicing past. Blood soaked through, heavy and warm, though he kept moving - nothing stopping him.
She pushed him in the direction of the tool hut. Move fast, she said. I'll get their attention
Back turned, he pressed her into the wood. Bullets sparked nearby, loud cracks bouncing off tin. Close enough to feel his air hit her skin. Every glance held tight, as if letting go would drop them both. She stood there, steady beneath his weight.
He pressed his lips to hers without warning. Sharp, urgent, flavored by sea spray and anger. She grabbed his shirt in tight fists, yanking him near for a single pulse, then another - everything fading except the force of his kiss, their hearts crashing together like waves at night.
A flash cracked the glass just steps away. That snapped everything into place again.
Liam stepped back, a wild grin on his face even with the cut bleeding. Luck was what he called it
Out of air, she giggled, pushing him down the rails. "Fool."
Fog curled back from the light as the train thundered in, rails humming underfoot. Shots cracked through the air, wild things swallowed by noise and motion. Just before impact, she sprang - a leap caught on rust-streaked steel, fingers gripping where splinters bit skin. He followed without pause, boots thudding down beside her, breath sharp in his throat.
Onward raced the train, swallowed by darkness. Behind, hunters shrank to dots, their shouts lost in air.
Wind tugging at her hair, Ava perched on the roof of the car. Close beside him now, she felt Liam shift, drawing her near with his arm. Warmth spread where he held her. That quiet moment after a kiss - charged, still humming.
Wind took her words, yet he stood there, waiting. She spoke low, almost swallowed by the storm's roar.
A whisper of a touch, his lips on her temple. "He can wait," he said. Time was something they still had
Right then, flying into the night beside him, doubt slipped away. Almost, she trusted what he said.