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Light filtered through the darkness, an unfamiliar sensation that made me think of dawn. Was that Juriah? Was that his energy? Or maybe his two friends were sheltering us. Or maybe they were calling their main angel dude. I couldn’t figure it out, and I wasn’t exactly committed to untying the knots that had formed in my mind. Something about Juriah made me feel okay with not being okay.
How the hell was that possible?
“Breathe, Macy,” Juriah instructed, and I found myself obeying him. “Just keep breathing. We’re going to get you out of here.”
How? Why? But there didn’t seem time to ask those questions as I finally felt the sweet freedom of being away from the Baneridge jerks.
My elders would become a thing of the past. Those selfish pricks, who made laws centering their own experiences instead of considering the children of the future, would die off—and I would be none the wiser about it. Rick would move on to another victim. Percy would probably chase me down until his hands were bloody.
But I’d be long gone by the time he got everyone together to hunt me down. That was Juriah’s promise. That was the intent of his two friends as well. I didn’t know for sure, and it wasn’t logical at all, but I could feel it in my heart. The scent of azaleas surrounded me as time stood still, as every bit of energy in the world swelled in our presence.
By his touch alone, I knew things would get better. I couldn’t prove it, but that didn’t matter. I was safe here. I was safe with him. And maybe for once I could actually live my life. Doubt crowded in around the hope I felt in my heart, taking me right back to the shadowy existence of my previous life with a tormenting thought:
So long as this guy will let me.
Chapter 9 - Juriah
Obsidian waves spilled around Macy’s shoulders as she lowered her gaze. I wanted to lift her chin and hold her sight once more. I wanted to reassure her that she would never have to worry about being in danger in my presence again.
Yet as I had just experienced, my skills were lacking. I hadn’t been as committed to training for combat since I had entered this world. Izdor and Galanthia wanted me to accompany them on their excursions, and we were supposed to travel the world. Milan and Nice were on the map along with plenty of other popular locations.
For me to disregard the injustice of this world while partaking in its pleasures was a great crime I would need to amend. Women like Macy were being sold in underground markets and then tossed into private rooms to be used as personal pleasure toys. That was not something I would abide by.
Especially when it came to Macy.
Ever since I’d laid eyes on her, my heart had sworn to protect her. My mind couldn’t make sense of the emotional jumble inside me, the one that seemingly fought a war of its own with the rest of my body. My actions didn’t quite make sense. My friends also questioned my reactions, my gut responses.
Her rescue had been the result of my intuition. Yet I had almost fatally failed to protect her.
My fingers curled into my palms.What is wrong with me?
“Juriah,” Izdor said gently while touching my shoulder. A moment later, I had joined him a few feet away from Macy. She was still within our sight—and within my reach. “What’s the next step, my friend?”
Galanthia adjusted her whip on her belt. “We should skip town.”
My heart sank. “But we just got here.”
“Wolfcreek has been the best place for us so far,” Izdor stated. “The Silverdawn pack has been nothing but kind. No offense, Galanthia, but I disagree.”
She nodded respectfully. “That is true, my friend.”
“I’m sure if we speak to Raven, we can arrange for the young wolf to be hidden,” I reasoned. “We need to get back to Silverdawn territory. We’ll have more protection there.”
“We can’t put them in danger,” Galanthia argued. “They’ve been far too kind, as Izdor has just observed.”
I glanced at Macy who was still staring at the ground. She hadn’t moved an inch. “Galanthia might be right about that, Izzy. We don’t want to offend our host.”
“That’s the point of being in the Silverdawn pack,” Izdor said firmly. “They want to protect us. Raven is one ofus, if you recall.”
“I do recall, Izzy. We just spoke to them hours ago.”
His nod felt more annoyed than agreeable. “She won’t let us fall. We have to go talk to her about this.”
“Izdor may be onto something,” I pointed out.
To which Galanthia scoffed. “You’ve been choosing the middle ground since the start.”
I growled. “I’ve been doing everything I can to protect her.”
