Willing Sacrifice
Page 13

“She is. But my way is better.”
“What’s your way?”
“I won’t just keep them out. I’ll kill them.”
Grace shivered, but he couldn’t tell if it was the latent violence of his words or the chill of night that caused it. “You should come back and eat. As soon as it’s lighter, I’ll show you where I saw the creatures.”
He had no trouble seeing in the dim light, which only served to highlight Grace’s humanity. She had no magic, no powers she could use to defend herself.
“I’d rather go alone. If you could just point me in the right direction…”
“You’ll get lost out there. The trees are thick, and it’s easy to get turned around.”
“I have a good sense of direction.”
“Brenya told me it was my duty to guide you to what I saw.”
“Aren’t you afraid to go with me?” He knew she was. He could see it in her eyes. But she was hiding it well. If he hadn’t known her like he did—if he hadn’t spent hours talking with her and watching her face and studying her expression—he might not have even seen her fear.
She bit her lip, drawing his attention to the little dent she’d left behind.
Torr wanted to lick away the mark and ease the sting, and make her forget all about her worries.
When she spoke, her voice was steady, without a hint of fear. “After what I saw… I wouldn’t want anyone going out there alone. If you were to get hurt, you’d never be able to make it back here for help. At least if I’m there, you’ll have someone who can keep you safe.”
The idea tickled him, forcing a smile to lift one side of his mouth. The move felt so odd after going as long as he had without smiling, he was afraid he might pull a muscle. “You want to protect me?”
She nodded, and curly locks of dark hair slid over her shoulder. “Someone has to.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re important.”
She thought he was important? The idea sent a thrill racing through him until he was puffed up and feeling like a champion. “What makes you think that?”
“Brenya brought you here. She wouldn’t have done that unless we needed you for some reason, and that means I should do whatever I can to keep you safe.”
Some of his pride deflated a bit, but he tried to hide it. “Do I look like I need a protector?”
Her gaze slid over his body so slowly that he swore he could feel it against his skin. Places that had been chilled by the damp air grew warm, and the disk along his spine tingled.
“You look invincible,” she said. “But then, what do I know? You’re the only man I remember meeting.”
You’ve met me before. You’ve felt my lips on yours. Those were the words that bulged behind his teeth, trying to break free. He held them back, but the effort left him shaking with fury that he was required to stay silent when the woman he loved was within reach.
“I’m not invincible,” he admitted. “But I’m far more suited to battle than you.”
She lifted one shoulder in a shrug, drawing his attention to the slim line of her arms. Goose bumps puckered her skin.
Torr removed the blanket he’d tossed over his shoulders the previous night to cover his bare chest. There were no clothes here that fit him, but he’d been forced to wear worse things than a clean blanket before.
He pulled the fabric around her body, wrapping her in the warmth that clung to it.
The move pulled her close. His fists stayed bunched at the edges of the blanket, unable to let go. Her head tilted back as she looked up at him, and until this moment, he hadn’t realized just how perfectly she fit his frame. Since the night he’d met her, after saving her family from attack by Synestryn demons, one or the other of them had been paralyzed. First him, then her. He’d never stood in front of her like this until coming here. It felt incredibly right, which was its own kind of torture.
One hand held the blanket tight. The other slid over her shoulder, across the nape of her neck. His fingers parted as they moved through her hair to cup the back of her head.
Her dark eyes widened, and her mouth opened on a silent, sudden breath.
His hold on her was absolute. She couldn’t have broken free if she’d tried. She was trapped, and yet there was no sign of fear this time. Only curiosity and excitement.
“I’m not sure if we should be this close,” she whispered.
“Why not?”
“I can hear a voice inside telling me it’s wrong. But…” She trailed off, frowning.
“But what?”
“If it’s wrong, then why does it feel so nice?”
Her innocence hit him like a falling tree. With her memories gone, and no experience with men, she had no way of knowing what a man like him wanted from her.
And he did want from her. So much.
Torr released her and took a step back. It wasn’t as far as it should have been, but even moving away that distance was an effort of will.
“Why are there no men here?” he asked.
“Brenya doesn’t allow it.”
“But she brought me here.”
“None of us know why. Unless you’re here to give someone a child or meet one of your children.”
Shock drifted through him. “What? Why would you think that?”
Grace backed up a couple of steps, gripping the blanket. The flicker of fear that passed through her expression was quick, but he still saw it.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” she said. “I’m sorry if that question was out of line.”
“It’s not that. You can ask me whatever you want. I’m just a little surprised that you’d think that’s why I’m here.”
“Athanasian women come here sometimes after meeting with special men on Earth. The women stay here and have their children before going back home. I thought maybe you were one of the fathers since you’re from Earth.”
“I’m not one of the fathers, nor did I come here to become one.” It wasn’t possible. He’d heard rumors that there was a serum that could restore his fertility and that all the men had been ordered to take it, but in order to get it he would have had to go back to Dabyr. And that wasn’t an option. If he had gone back, his brothers might not have let him leave again, and he couldn’t have stood being around so many happy couples when he didn’t even know if Grace was safe.