She’s not the only one. No matter how strong that hook is that’s drawing me to her, we can’t erase our past. The way we met. The things I’ve done.
“I’m sorry.” The apology doesn’t feel like enough. Nothing feels like it’ll ever be enough. “I didn’t know about the sacrifices.”
No one knows what happens to the Given. The lies have been woven deep within the fabric of our society, and it’s only sinceWren revealed the truth of the gods-blessed to me that I’ve been able to pick them out.
I’ve always known King Andreas to be a cruel man—the scars on my back are a testament to that—but it wasn’t until I learned what was being done to the Marked Ones that I realized how heinous he truly was.
Thank all the gods, Wren ran from her fate. If she hadn’t, she would’ve been killed, and we never would’ve gotten the chance to meet.
I shudder as a vision of her lying on the cold stone floor of a temple, her throat slit and blood pouring from the wound flashes through my mind. Bile rises in my throat as I try to force the thought away, but it takes all my concentration. Taking advantage of the moment, Wren takes several more stumbling steps back. Suns save me, but I have to clench my fists to stop myself from reaching out for her.
After a few moments, she sighs. “I believe that you didn’t know about the Given. I mean, I didn’t, either. Not until I saw...” She hugs her arms around her stomach and trembles. “But Gabriel, I... I don’t know what to say. Who to trust.” Her eyes fall, and she shakes her head dejectedly. “I’m just... alone.”
Her agony is a living, breathing creature. I want to soothe her pain, but I don’t think I can say anything to help.
“I have something for you.” Stepping away from Wren, I dig through Chaos’s saddlebags until I find what I’m looking for and return to her side. “These are for you.” I hold out a bundle of clothes.
Wren eyes it for a long moment, not making any move to touch them, so I add, “You may not trust me, but we’re on the same side. I’m trying to help.”
It’s all I can do—all I can think about. Ever since Wren’s magic flared and sky-colored flames licked her hands, she’s been the only thing on my mind.
Everything I’ve done since has been for her.
When she reaches out and takes my offering, I let out a breath. I’m not sure why it’s so important that she knows I’m here to help, but right now, it’s the only thing I care about.
As she unravels the bundle of clothes Maia sent and walks to the back of the cave, I head over to Mist. Crouching before my familiar to give Wren privacy, I make a vow: I will gain Wren’s trust if it’s the last thing I do.
7
A STRANGE AWARENESS
WREN
Running might be the worst thing I’ve ever experienced, but riding isn’t much higher on the list.
The moons are hiding behind clouds, and snowflakes are falling lazily all around us. Perhaps if I’d been inside, watching the snow fall from the comfort of a seat in front of the fire, I’d think it was picturesque.
But from where I’m sitting, perched on a horse with the Hunter at my back, it’s another sign that winter is setting in. A reminder that the weather will get much worse before it gets better. My bottom and legs went numb long ago, and the discomfort has made for a very long night.
Even worse is the fact that there isn’t enough room on this steed for both me and Gabriel to sit without touching. Every jostle sends me into him; every bend makes it impossible to forget how muscular his thighs are or how warm he is compared to me.
The first night I’d been too lost in my grief to care much about his presence behind me, but that’s no longer the case. Each time he brushes against me, flames course through me, making sure I’m constantly aware of just how close we are.
In short, sharing a horse with the Hunter is torturous.
Gabriel’s arms cage me in as he handles the reins with the practiced skill of someone who has been riding for most of his life. I’d be jealous, but I’m too busy trying to survive.
When I woke earlier, before the suns set, I felt broken. Tired. Filled with heartache and grief.
The awful truth, the one that I came to realize yesterday, was that leaving my sisters was the right thing to do. Being around me is risky, that much is clear. Danger follows me no matter where I go. But even though I’ve come to accept that truth, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. As if he knows I need to process everything, Gabriel has been quiet today, giving me time to think. It’s exactly what I need, and the fact that he seemed to know that instinctively confuses me.
I’m not sure what to do about the Hunter. Earlier, he helped me onto the horse, his hands spanning my hips. He lifted me with ease, and I could’ve sworn his fingers lingered longer than necessary before he pulled them away. He left a flash of heat in his wake as he swung into the saddle behind me.
Since then, I’ve been stuck in my head for hours, staring blankly into the darkness?—
Wait.
Are those shadows different than the rest?
