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Grey looks like he’s going to say something, but Dane quells his words with a look.
Trying not to laugh, I unlock the storeroom and find her standing in the middle of the floor, wringing her hands and looking worried. She stops when I come in and schools her face into a blank mask.
I lose the smile and walk around her slowly, relishing the way she tenses and shivers a little at my presence.
‘Did you need to take the other pain powder?’ I ask.
She hesitates and then nods.
I frown, wondering if the others know how battered she is under that sack.
‘Don’t worry,’ I whisper close to her ear. ‘I’ll take care of you, Harbinger.’
She turns her head to look at me, clearly confused, then rolls her eyes. ‘As if I’d need your care,’ she mutters. ‘I suggest you keep your distance, or you’ll be groaning on the floor and cupping your gonads again, Kallum.’
Gods, I love my name on her lips.
I pretend I don’t notice, though, merely chuckling a little at her threat. ‘Arms.’
She huffs but puts her wrists in front of her without a fuss, and I tie them together securely. I can’t help but think that I’d love to bind her body with rope … perhaps around her breasts and between her legs …
I shake my head a little, realizing I’ve gone see-through. Her eyes widen as she notices, but I get myself together, solidify quickly, and pretend it didn’t happen. I pull her from the room and sit her on one of the couches, hardly looking at the others as I murmur that I’m going to get the bags that are still in my room and that I’ll meet them.
I flee the apartments, wondering why my gift is being disobedient and also how I suddenly have the ability to go fully invisible when I could never do it before.
I enter the barracks, go into my room, grab the bags, and leave the way I came in. I don’t linger, and I don’t say any farewells.
I’m not going to miss this place, and the only ones I care about are coming with me.
It’s not until I leave the academy’s walls that I notice the city’s discontent has already begun to rear its head. There’s smoke hanging in the air and distant yelling. I follow the sounds with my eyes and see the unmistakable glow of fire near the southern gate.
I move as fast as I can, avoiding the main road where I can hear wailing and the noises of clanging steel. A bell begins to ring, calling for the City Guard, and I have to duck into an alleyway as some of my former brethren come running past a few moments later with their weapons already drawn.
I make it to the boat as the eighth chime rings and grin wide at the glowering faces of Dane and Grey.
The Harbinger doesn’t look at me, but the sight of her in that skimpy sack out here makes me want to bend her over the side of the boat and stick something other than my knife in her. I stifle a groan. I need to get a handle on myself … maybe find another female to slake my lust with. I let out a breath. There’ll be little chance of that over the next few days. I doubt there’ll even be any other females on the road outside Alcana that I’d ever contemplate bending over the side of a boat.
I’ll just have to keep control of myself until we’re through the Gate.
‘Where the fuck have you been?’ Grey snarls, and I give him a smile.
‘What? I’m here on time,’ I say as I hop onboard the small boat and stow our bags in its dry bottom.
Grey comes next and holds his hand out to the Harbinger, who I notice now has her wrists bound behind her and more tightly than I secured them. I give Dane a look, which he pointedly ignores.
She looks afraid, but it’s not of us.
‘Get on the fucking boat,’ Dane snarls in her ear.
She hesitates again, and he pushes her hard, propelling her off the dock. Her terrified scream has my whole body tensing.
It takes everything in me not to react, but I think I only stop myself because Grey catches her. He hisses a curse as she squeals again – this time in pain, clapping his hand over her mouth and giving Dane a look.
‘Keep quiet, or you’ll spend your time with us gagged, Harbinger,’ he snarls.
He pushes her down into the bottom of the boat, and she stares down at the wood, not letting her eyes stray to the river at all. I notice her breathing is quick and shallow.
It’s the water, I realize. She’s petrified of it.
