The Devil you called
“You think that’s love? Real love don’t take your soul to keep you close.”
Malik stepped behind me, his hand finding mine. “I didn’t take her soul.”
His fingers intertwined with mine, warm despite his shadowy power. I felt his pulse—steady, sure, connected to mine like a second heartbeat.
“She gave it freely,” he whispered.
My chest tightened. “Because you saved me. Because you protected me. Because you’re the only one who ever saw me.”
Aunt Dee flinched. “Sarai—”
“No,” I said sharply. “You don’t understand. The world tried to break me. Men, bills, loneliness, the weight of everything I lived through—Malik didn’t force his way in. I opened the door.”
Bab Populer