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Would he turn away from her like he did after that night? Like he did at the colony shelters? What if she bared her soul to him and he turned away again? Could she recover from that?
Trust me.
His earlier words wove through her mind, tempting her. There was a time she would have taken those words at face value, believing them without hesitation. That part of her was gone now. Crushed worse than she’d been that night. Trust had to be earned. She had a body full of metal pins to forever remind her of the painful lesson.
The sound of the rain pelting the ground mixed with the runoff from the rock above them, assaulting Seyla’s ears, disorienting her. It further amplified the silence between them. Darkness set in, shielding her from his intense focus. Another round of thunder and lightning made her jump. She felt Jax move closer and resisted the urge to follow his lead. Instead, she pressed her fingertips into the metal surrounding the stone in the necklace until the pain surpassed the hurt lodged in her soul.
People could hide evil intentions behind the kindest words. She couldn’t risk endangering the sanctuary because she trusted the wrong person again. Seyla chose her next words carefully. “Yeah, it means a lot to me. My…my mom said ‘it’s the light bouncing off the vast array of silicon dioxide spheres that causes the colors. The more obstacles in the light’s path, the more vivid and beautiful the colors of the opal are.’” The last few words drifted off her tongue on a whisper, thick with emotion.
Had she said too much?
“I have to agree.”
Did he? If so, perhaps he would finally understand. Seyla’s eyes strained to meet his in the thickening darkness. This was her chance. “That’s how I feel about the sanctuary animals. Their scars, their obstacles, only make them more beautiful, more majestic to me. That’s why I have to help them. They’ve enduredso much mistreatment, faced so many obstacles. Yet they have no choice but to trust in me because there’s nowhere else for them to go. I can’t let them down.”
Jax shifted away slightly. “What about the innocent people who could be hurt?”
Seyla grabbed onto his forearm. She almost let go when the muscles jumped beneath her fingers. “Not because of the animals, but because of an evil person using those animals for their own twisted agenda. Exploiting them. Again. These animals deserve to be protected, and I’m going to make sure they are. Whatever it takes.” She willed herself to let go of his arm, then regretted it the instant she did.
“Doing whatever it takes to have what you want might destroy another person’s life.”
Seyla searched Jax’s features in the darkness. Was that pain coating his words? The veiled accusation that she was selfish burned through her, coming close to suffocating any concern for the thread of hurt she detected in his voice. She pieced together several responses in her head, then opted for silence. She had to win him over, not lash out at him.Lord, help me show Jax how important the sanctuary is to these animals and to anyone in contact with them.
“I think it’s over.”
Seyla’s breathing halted. Had she prayed aloud? Frustration tore at her. Why couldn’t he see the need for a home for these beautiful creatures? How could he be so cold? “Why?” she whispered into the darkness.
“For starters, the thunder and lightning stopped. The rain is letting up, too.”
Jax’s words rumbled through her, a reminder of their proximity. “Oh. Yeah, of course.” Seyla exhaled, felt the ache in her ribcage from holding her breath for too long.
Thank you, Lord.
“Wait here.”
A sudden rush of cold air bathed Seyla’s side, signaling Jax’s exit. The sense of loss, the longing for him to return, unsettled her. The minutes stretched out until she finally scooted to the edge of their rock shelter and peered out into the darkness. Where did he go? Panic pressed down on her like a lead apron. What if he’d left to go get help after all?
The only thought worse than being lost in the woods in the dark was being lost in the woods in the dark alone.
A rustle close by jerked her muscles into action, shooting her body to the wall of dirt and rock at the back of the natural shelter. Seyla froze, willing whatever it was to go away. Her neck muscles tightened as the sound drew closer. A wall of blackness rushed at her without warning, knocking into her. She scrambled to get away.
“Seyla! It’s me!”
Relief filled her, followed by irritation. When Jax touched her arm, she knocked his hand away. “How about a little warning next time?” she snapped, straightening her dirt-smeared, torn and water-logged shirt to compose herself.
“Sorry.”
Somehow the apology didn’t ease her annoyance. Seyla let the word hang in the air.
He tugged at the collar of his shirt. “I have good news. Does that help?”
She shrugged.
“Alright. I determined which way is north. If we head in that direction, we’ll come to a stream that runs through the reserve and onto my uncle’s land. From there, I can get us out of the woods.”
Are you sure?”
“I know every inch of his property, even in the dark. We’ll have to be careful, though. After that storm, it’s possible thestream has flooded its banks. It can get pretty dangerous when that happens.”
