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I shook my head. “It was real. The wendigo wanted to turn me into one of those soldiers, had expected to, but when they felt your bond with me, they decided not to.”
He approached more slowly than the last time, as if once again worried about frightening me after that story. He cupped my cheek in his large hand. “I’m sorry you went through that, but I’m glad our bond saved you. I don’t know what I’d do if some other wendigo broke that, if they tried to claim you, to take you from me.”
I let myself melt at his words for a moment, enjoying that connection between us before forcing myself to tell him what I needed to. “That’s not all.”
He pulled back enough to stare down at me, waiting for me to go on.
“The wendigo they’re using there is a young girl with long black hair.”
He went impossibly still but didn’t interrupt me.
“She’s lived her entire short life in the North Tower.”
“You don’t mean…” He didn’t finish the thought.
I nodded, swallowing hard once before speaking. “She said she remembered someone calling her a name once—Lilianna.”
Kit yanked away from me, his face a mixture of pain and anger. “She was so close? All this time?”
I grabbed his arm, fear overtaking me at what he might do. I didn’t want him to go charging in, to try to do anything without thinking it through.
He peered down at where I touched him. I expected him to throw off my concern, to tell me it wasn’t my business. Instead, he set his hand over mine. “Don’t worry, I’m too old to react carelessly. She has been this close her entire life, and I never realized. A little more time to plan carefully won’t change anything.” He opened his mouth as if to ask something, then closed it again.
“Do you want me to tell you about her?”
He nodded, but before I could, he pulled me against his chest, wrapping his strong arms around me. “You know this isn’t over, right? I don’t care where you go, or how far you run, I won’t just give up on you. I wasn’t kidding. You aremine.”
I let myself rest against him, nodding instead of answering.
Kit pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then released me. “Okay, tell me about my daughter.”
* * * *
Brax
How was it that even now, wearing clothing that didn’t quite fit her and with no makeup, Hera could still manage to tempt me so much? I’d seen women all dolled up who had barely gotten an eyebrow raise from me, yet here Hera was, checking to make sure she had everything, not trying in the least, and she had me pathetically smitten.
She turned toward me as if she’d sensed my gaze. The way she smiled warmed me, especially since there weren’t many people who would smile when they saw me.
“Getting ready to go?” I asked.
She nodded, patting her hands down her sides as if to check for everything.
“I don’t like you going by yourself. I’m not good for a lot of things, but bodyguard is a readymade role for me. It pisses me off that I have to stay behind.”
She smiled wider, as if charmed by my pouting.“We can’t risk you or the others getting seen. I’m just going to pick up the last of the supplies for the next leg of our trip, because we can’t stay here any longer. Don’t worry,”she signed.
“How can I not worry? Sure, you weren’t mentioned in the news, but that doesn’t mean the Warden doesn’t have people looking for you.”
She frowned, and it took a moment for me to realize why. The moment I did, I jerked my gaze away, ashamed that I’d been so stupid as to make that mistake.
Her hands flew a second time, signing faster than the first.“You could understand me, couldn’t you?”
I let out a long sigh at my frustration with my own idiocy. I’d stupidly opened my mouth and admitted something I’d never planned on admitting. Still, with no good way to get out of it, I nodded and answered truthfully. “Yeah, I can.”
“For how long?”
“Not long. Couple weeks before we left?”
