Shatter Me, #1
Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi
Contents
TWENTY-SEVEN
Overview
Adam reveals himself fully against Warner, and he and Juliette turn Warner's own weapons and empty building against him in a desperate escape attempt. Warner's efforts to manipulate Juliette fail, but his reaction exposes how deeply possessive he is and how threatened he feels by Adam's ability to touch her.
The chapter shifts the story from captivity to open flight as Adam and Juliette flee through a shattered fifteenth-floor window. Its final revelation that Warner touches Juliette without being harmed complicates Juliette's understanding of her power and Warner's obsession.
Summary
Adam holds Warner at gunpoint and demands that Warner clear an exit. Warner reacts by threatening Juliette with a hidden gun, but Adam strikes Warner, making the shot misfire. Juliette seizes Warner's weapon, surprises herself by handling it decisively, and warns Warner not to underestimate her.
Juliette and Adam prepare to leave with the bags they packed in advance, but Warner tries to regain control through threats and persuasion. Warner warns Adam that escape is impossible, tells Juliette she is throwing away a future with him, and claims Adam is only using her. Juliette resists Warner's manipulation by remembering his cruelty and insisting that she does not want to become his weapon.
Warner's anger intensifies when Adam says Juliette belongs with him, and Warner realizes there is a romantic bond between them. Adam overpowers Warner again, while Juliette, desperate to escape, suggests leaving through the window. Juliette also realizes there is no Code Seven, and Adam understands that the alarm was only a drill, meaning their opportunity is shrinking fast.
Adam binds Warner with zip ties and explains that jumping from the fifteenth floor would be deadly, so they must climb down using the rope and anchor from his escape bag. Warner mocks the plan by saying Adam cannot catch Juliette without dying from her touch, but Juliette chooses to trust Adam and ignores Warner's increasingly panicked questions.
Adam breaks the window, triggering a loud alarm and drawing soldiers toward the room. Adam descends first with the bags, while Juliette moves to follow. Warner, tied on the floor, tries to grab Juliette's leg and begs her to stay; when Juliette starts down the rope, she realizes Warner has touched her bare leg and nothing happened, suggesting Warner may also be immune to her lethal touch.
Who Appears
- JulietteCaptive escaping with Adam; resists Warner and discovers his touch may not harm him.
- Adam KentRevealed rebel lover; overpowers Warner and leads the dangerous rope escape.
- WarnerObsessive captor; threatens, pleads, and accidentally touches Juliette without injury.
- Reestablishment soldiersUnseen forces rushing toward the room after the window alarm sounds.