Willing Sacrifice
Page 26

“Are you happy here?”
“Mostly.”
“Then you’re doing everything you can to ease any worries your family or friends might have. Given the circumstances, that’s going to have to be enough.”
“But I want to find them.”
“What does Brenya say about that?”
“She shooed me away before we could really talk about it.”
“That should tell you something.”
“She’s tired. That’s all.”
His brows lifted in disbelief. “Then I guess you’ll have to talk to her about it tomorrow.”
“You and I are supposed to go hunting for some crystals tomorrow.”
A swift flash of anger tightened his features before he controlled it. Instinctively, Grace backed up out of reach.
At least now she knew why she did that—it was something her stepfather had taught her. Still, she hated it that he had any influence over her at all.
“I would never hurt you, Grace,” he said, disappointment softening his tone.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to insult you.”
“Never mind. It’s not about me.” He ran his fingers through his dark hair, leaving it messy.
The urge to undo the damage ran through her, but she kept her hands to herself. She really didn’t know him well enough to be touching him every time the mood struck. Which it did often.
“I’ll try harder not to flinch.”
“You do whatever you need to do to feel safe, Grace. I mean that.”
“I don’t think ‘safe’ is going to be on the menu for a while. We have to go out tomorrow, and who knows how many of those Hunters are out there?”
If the way his skin darkened was any indication, he really didn’t like that idea. “Do you know where the crystals are?”
“I do now.”
“Tell me,” he ordered.
Her instincts were to obey a command given in that kind of forceful tone, but when she opened her mouth to comply, there were no words. “I don’t know how to tell you. I can see a picture in my head as clear as if I were looking at it now, but it’s just an image.” And a feeling that she needed to head south. “I think it’s one of those things I’m going to have to show you.”
“In a perfect world, I’d be able to see what’s in your head.”
She wasn’t sure how, but she didn’t ask. It was either one of those things she’d forgotten or one she’d never known because she was human. “But it’s not a perfect world. And as much as I’d rather stay here where it’s safe, I’m glad that neither one of us has to go out there alone.”
His hand lifted as though he was going to reach for her, but it fell to his side before he could. “There’s no one I’d rather be with, but you’re the absolute last person I want to take out there with me.”
Now it was her turn to have her feelings hurt. “It’s because I can’t fight, isn’t it?”
“If you were the fiercest warrior on the planet, I’d still want you to stay where it’s safe.”
“Nowhere is really safe. Animals make their way into the village all the time.” After seeing him fight, she was sure that the safest place around was right by his side. But she was going to slow him down. “You know, you could show me a few moves, maybe help me prove to the other women—and you—that I’m not a complete weakling.”
“You shouldn’t feel the need to prove anything.”
“Easy for the manly man with the invisible sword to say. All I’ve got is this knife.” She drew it from her waistband to show him how puny it was. “That’s why my only option was to step off a cliff.”
“Don’t remind me.” He shuddered, and every muscle in his gleaming body flexed.
A tingle from somewhere deep down started to uncurl in her belly, spreading out through her limbs until she wasn’t sure she could even hold the knife. She didn’t know why this man had the power to make her go weak, but he definitely did.
Grace wasn’t sure if she hated that or loved it.
“You need a better grip,” he told her as he pulled the dagger from her limp fingers. “Hold the blade along your forearm to keep it hidden until the very last second.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to scare someone away by letting them see it?”
“With that little knife?” He snorted. “Not likely. Surprise is a better option for someone like you.”
“Like me how? A wimp?”
“I wouldn’t have said it that way.”
Anger was starting to slip into her tone. “How would you have said it?”
“You’re human. You have the strength of a human. There’s no shame in that.”
“Again, easy for you to say. It’s not like I’m asking you to give me your sword. I just want a little knowledge.”
He forced out a long breath as if seeking patience. “A little knowledge can be dangerous.”
“More dangerous than stepping off a cliff?”
“You have a point.” He repositioned the knife in her hand and showed her how to hold it. His warm fingers closed around her fist, making his words trickle away, unheard.
She stared up at him, watching his mouth move. The little dent above his top lip was beyond intriguing. She wanted to slide her finger along the contours to get a better feel. Or maybe even her tongue.
The thought was enough to make a mist of perspiration break out across her spine.
He went still and looked into her eyes. “You didn’t hear a word I just said, did you?” There was no censure in his tone, but a demanding kind of curiosity that compelled her to respond.
“Sorry.”
His gaze moved over her face, slowly, like a caress. He was so close to her like this, one of his hands covering hers on the grip of the knife, the other at her shoulder, changing her position. She could smell his intoxicating skin and feel shimmering waves of heat spilling from his body.
The need to get closer overwhelmed her, driving all rational thought from her head. Her feet shifted closer to his. He lifted the blade so she wouldn’t stab either of them. The move brought her right up against his frame, so close that the tips of her nipples brushed against him whenever he breathed in.
Torr’s eyes went dark, his lids falling to half-mast. His hand glided down to the small of her back, splaying wide. She wanted him to pull her closer, to increase the pressure of his chest against her nipples. They tightened in anticipation, but he didn’t draw her in.