brutal

Chapter 14

(this chapter is a re-publish due to wattpad glitches cutting off half the chapter in its first release *cries*)

VERENA

I always thought the fear of falling to be lackluster.

It never really mattered to me whether I was on the ground or a hundred feet above. If I was clumsy and fell, I would land on my feet. The chances of surviving always thinned the higher I was, but I never was afraid because I trusted my ability in landing. If I didn't make it, then I didn't.

But the fear that shot through me when his hand struck out made me realize just how wrong I was.

I always thought it was the landing that mattered most, but the fall itself shouldn't be dismissed. I was never afraid of heights because if I fell, it was because I was at fault. It was because of my own stupidity and incompetence that I failed to keep my balance.

I never really thought of it, but someone else being the cause of your fall is terrifying. Especially the one you always expected to push you off but never really thought they had the strength to.

Kai's palm pushed itself against my right shoulder. I moved back, feeling the gust of the strong wind against my back and death whispering its farewells in my ear.

In instinct, I struck my hand out to hold on to him. His hand brushed my arm, my elbow, my wrist. The noise in the background filled the empty air with sirens, horns blaring, indiscernible shouting, and all things that made the city the liveliest of all.

But all I heard in that moment was my breathing in tune with his own, one erratic and one calm. A taunt at best.

I closed my eyes. So this was what it felt like to fall, I thought. Never in a million years would I have thought that my cause of death would be hitting the ground too hard, especially at the hands of Malachi Deimos. I let him lead me here. I let him lead me to my death, like the stupid fool I was.

Didn't trust him? Yeah, right. I let him take me up here without protest. Some deep and sick and twisted part of me betrayed me as I let it consume all common sense.

Some deep and sick and twisted part of me did trust him.

"Verena." I heard him whisper. His voice echoed all around me. Despite the noise of the city, despite the heavy noise of our breathing, and despite my falling, I heard him.

"Hm?" I managed to hum back.

It all snapped to place, like the missing puzzle piece discovered underneath the table or a lopsided poster on the wall finally righted.

"Open your eyes." He murmured, my mind finally acknowledging the hand spread on my back. I could feel his breath not too far away, and it felt darker than usual even when I felt the sun on me not too long ago.

I opened my eyes. I was greeted with muted emeralds, intertwined with onyx depths and soft black hair pushed back, but not too stiff for it to let loose some of its stubborn strands to dance with the wind. I saw the sunlight in his eyes and the worry that glimmered with them.

My imagination did wonders for me at times, no matter how untrue it was.

This was stupid. Here I was, hovering over the rooftop of a building nearing the height of the Empire State, held by Kai Deimos-of all people-and admiring his face instead of freaking out over the fact he just tried to kill me.