climbed onto the walkway and left.
He and Ravyn watched their new boarder sashay across the dock and disappear down a dark alley.
Silence stretched between them until he couldn’t stand it. “That was very kind of you.”
She shrugged. “You would have done the same thing.”
“I didn’t even think to check her for injuries.” He snorted. “Let alone give her family a safe home.”
Ravyn faced him, her expression difficult to read. “Luc, what do you know of Jade?”
The abrupt question took him aback. He schooled his reaction. “Not much. She dresses like a boy. Seems to have a bit of a grudge against me.”
“So you’re unaware that she’s a Bringer?”
His mouth fell open. “What?”
“A Bringer. Did you know?”
A dozen reactions swamped him. Denial. Jade couldn’t possibly be a Bringer. He would have known. Question. If she was a Bringer then Esmeralda was as well. Fear. A Bringer turned Bane—what did it mean? This revelation added a deeper level of mystery and danger to the Bringers’ quest.
Luc stared at Ravyn, grappling over how much to tell her. He needed to speak with Jade first. Had she deceived him? Was her alliance truly with the Bane and she was using them to worm her way into the Bringers?
“No. I didn’t know.” That at least was the truth.
“What are you not telling me?”
“Damn it, Ravyn.” He glared at her. “Stop prying.”
“I’m right, though. Aren’t I?”
He sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Let me deal with some things. Then we’ll talk—all of us, Rhys, Siban.”
Her gaze narrowed. “What kind of things?”
“I need to speak with Jade first.” He could almost see the questions speeding through her mind. It was her nature to help, or at the very least pry. “Please,” he added, hopefully pushing her into compliance. “Just let me talk to Jade first.”
Ravyn pointed a finger at him. “Fine, but I expect answers. You’re not fooling anyone.” She lowered her hand. “Too many things about your story don’t add up, Luc, and I won’t let you endanger others with your carelessness.”
Her words hit the mark. “I may have my faults, Ravyn, but even you can’t argue with my dedication to the Bringers.”
“Oh really? How about the fact that you don’t want to be one? Maybe you can explain your reasons for that when you tell us the rest of your story.” She took a step toward him. “I know deception when I feel it, and it’s pouring off you in buckets.”
Her words felt like a slap in the face. He’d fooled himself into thinking he didn’t care if Rhys and Ravyn respected or trusted him. Yet her harsh words proved him wrong. He did care. With great effort, he corralled his hurt and anger. “May I see her?”
After a tense moment, Ravyn stepped aside. “She’s still weak. Don’t tax her overly long.”
He nodded and eased past her.
“And Luc…”
He stopped but didn’t turn.
“I had to bring her to full power.”
He swung on her. “What?”
“She would have died otherwise.” Ravyn squared her shoulders. “As it was, I barely saved her.”
The realization of how close Jade had come to dying hit him, as did a chaos of emotions he was unprepared to deal with. He pushed the tsunami of feeling into the ever-expanding space of things he didn’t wish to acknowledge and looked at Ravyn. “Thank you for saving her.”
She gave a single nod.
He turned back to the cabin door and gripped the handle. “I hope she is more grateful than I was.”
A trace of desperate hope laced Ravyn’s answer. “As do I.”
C HAPTER N INE
Jade opened her eyes and screamed. Luc’s face loomed no more than a foot above her. She pressed her head into the feather tick, trying to put distance between them and calm her racing heart. Waking up in the chapel was so much more peaceful. “What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you’re still breathing.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She braced her palms against his chest and pushed. “Get
He and Ravyn watched their new boarder sashay across the dock and disappear down a dark alley.
Silence stretched between them until he couldn’t stand it. “That was very kind of you.”
She shrugged. “You would have done the same thing.”
“I didn’t even think to check her for injuries.” He snorted. “Let alone give her family a safe home.”
Ravyn faced him, her expression difficult to read. “Luc, what do you know of Jade?”
The abrupt question took him aback. He schooled his reaction. “Not much. She dresses like a boy. Seems to have a bit of a grudge against me.”
“So you’re unaware that she’s a Bringer?”
His mouth fell open. “What?”
“A Bringer. Did you know?”
A dozen reactions swamped him. Denial. Jade couldn’t possibly be a Bringer. He would have known. Question. If she was a Bringer then Esmeralda was as well. Fear. A Bringer turned Bane—what did it mean? This revelation added a deeper level of mystery and danger to the Bringers’ quest.
Luc stared at Ravyn, grappling over how much to tell her. He needed to speak with Jade first. Had she deceived him? Was her alliance truly with the Bane and she was using them to worm her way into the Bringers?
“No. I didn’t know.” That at least was the truth.
“What are you not telling me?”
“Damn it, Ravyn.” He glared at her. “Stop prying.”
“I’m right, though. Aren’t I?”
He sighed, his shoulders sagging. “Let me deal with some things. Then we’ll talk—all of us, Rhys, Siban.”
Her gaze narrowed. “What kind of things?”
“I need to speak with Jade first.” He could almost see the questions speeding through her mind. It was her nature to help, or at the very least pry. “Please,” he added, hopefully pushing her into compliance. “Just let me talk to Jade first.”
Ravyn pointed a finger at him. “Fine, but I expect answers. You’re not fooling anyone.” She lowered her hand. “Too many things about your story don’t add up, Luc, and I won’t let you endanger others with your carelessness.”
Her words hit the mark. “I may have my faults, Ravyn, but even you can’t argue with my dedication to the Bringers.”
“Oh really? How about the fact that you don’t want to be one? Maybe you can explain your reasons for that when you tell us the rest of your story.” She took a step toward him. “I know deception when I feel it, and it’s pouring off you in buckets.”
Her words felt like a slap in the face. He’d fooled himself into thinking he didn’t care if Rhys and Ravyn respected or trusted him. Yet her harsh words proved him wrong. He did care. With great effort, he corralled his hurt and anger. “May I see her?”
After a tense moment, Ravyn stepped aside. “She’s still weak. Don’t tax her overly long.”
He nodded and eased past her.
“And Luc…”
He stopped but didn’t turn.
“I had to bring her to full power.”
He swung on her. “What?”
“She would have died otherwise.” Ravyn squared her shoulders. “As it was, I barely saved her.”
The realization of how close Jade had come to dying hit him, as did a chaos of emotions he was unprepared to deal with. He pushed the tsunami of feeling into the ever-expanding space of things he didn’t wish to acknowledge and looked at Ravyn. “Thank you for saving her.”
She gave a single nod.
He turned back to the cabin door and gripped the handle. “I hope she is more grateful than I was.”
A trace of desperate hope laced Ravyn’s answer. “As do I.”
C HAPTER N INE
Jade opened her eyes and screamed. Luc’s face loomed no more than a foot above her. She pressed her head into the feather tick, trying to put distance between them and calm her racing heart. Waking up in the chapel was so much more peaceful. “What are you doing?”
“Checking to see if you’re still breathing.”
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She braced her palms against his chest and pushed. “Get
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