Page 209 of Ashborne: Defiance

‘Voski, Grace is coming.’

My eyes widened. ‘What? What did you—’

I turned to face him, instinctively reaching out, stretching, searching—and instead finding her.

Another blow to my heart that stole my breath. She was near. She was here.

‘How? How did she find me?’

Before he could answer, movement between the trees caught my gaze. I stood there, half-hunched against the pain in my chest, watching as a small, golden, furious woman appeared, dressed in leathers, though the jacket was unbuttoned to reveal the white linen shirt underneath and she had that cloak thrown over her shoulders.

The moment our eyes locked, hers narrowed and bile rose in my throat.

‘Kham? Kham, what’s happened?’

But he didn’t answer.

“Grace,” I croaked as she reached me. “What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”

Her lips peeled back from her teeth and her hand shot out.

The crack of her palm on my cheek echoed over the trees, and startled a pair of birds over our heads. A second too late, I flinched, then grabbed for my cheek and straightened, gaping.

“You didn’t tell me. Why didn’t you tell me?!” she hissed.

“I… what—what are you—”

“You said I could trust you!”

My heart flipped. “You can!”

“You said you’d tell me the truth—you told me to listen!”

“I do! You should!”

Her hands balled up at her sides and she screwed her eyes shut as she screamed. “You said you would help!”

“Grace, I am! Aren’t I? What happened—”

“Why do you deny me? What did I ever do? Why did you leave me ignorant? Why didn’t you tell me we were mates?”

My jaw dropped.

She opened her eyes, and there were tears there—which pierced my heart as surely as any arrow.

“Grace,” I breathed.

“No. No! Don’t pity me. Don’t be sorry for me. Answer my question!”

“I…”

“I followed you. I admired you. I wanted you! And you made me feel stupid! Like a child! You despised me from the moment we met.”

“I never despised—”

“I thought I was crazy! I thought there was something wrong with me!”

Oh, God. I slumped. “Grace, there is nothing wrong with you.”