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“I’m…” her voice trailed off, and I could almost picture her biting her bottom lip in indecision.She was hesitant to reveal her location to me, and the revelation filled me with self-loathing.When she spoke up again, her voice was stronger, more assured.
She had decided to keep trusting me.
“I’m here,” she cried out, shuffling increasing as she moved to meet me halfway.
When she came into my sight, I groaned, and Tori stopped dead at the sound, one hand braced on a tree trunk and her knees bent slightly as though preparing to flee again.I held my hands up between us in surrender as I had seen her do before.
“I’m sorry.I’m sorry.The sound was just a reaction to seeing you hurt.”
“I’m not hurt.”Her lie was revealed as she took another step and flinched when the many grazes and cuts on her legs dragged across yet another harsh bush.“It’s nothing.”With apparent effort, she wiped her expression clear, concern returning when she looked at my leg.“Are you okay?I didn’t hurt you too badly, did I?”
When we reached each other, I handed Tori’s spear to her, and she eyed the end, dark with my blood, before hesitantly accepting the weapon.“You hurt me just enough.”
I was a danger to her, but there were other dangers on this island she couldn’t protect herself from.Despite a part of the logical part of my mind, the part that hadn’t been taken over with my feelings for Tori, telling me to leave, I didn’t want to.I simply needed to do better.Tori needed me to protect her, to keep her safe, and I couldn’t do that when I couldn’t think straight.
Tori’s cheeks flared pink as I watched her, and she rubbed an elbow as she tore her gaze from mine, her lips moving with unasked questions.
“Talk to me, Tori.”
“It’s just…” she trailed off, the color on her cheeks intensifying.“Aw, hell.”Tori lifted her head to look at me, her expression flat.“You were getting worse as the day went on, and I can’t help but wonder if it wasn’t me who made it worse for you.”
My brows drew together.“What are you talking about?”
“Maybe it was the asha, their song or something…”
She must’ve realized how ridiculous her statement was the second the words left her lips, for she looked at the ground again, muttering curses under her breath.Tori really was jealous of them or even the prospect I could be attracted to them.This wasn’t about me but her trying to find out how much connection I had with other females.
No matter how many times I told her there were no other females for me, it apparently wasn’t enough.
My lip lifted into a silent snarl.I grabbed her upper arm and began marching back the way we’d come.“Come with me.”
“Where are we going?”
“Back to the asha so I can prove to you they do nothing for me.”
Tori pulled against my grip, and when she tried to stop walking, her heels dragged along in the soil.“No, Vitri, please.You don’t have to.I shouldn’t have said anything.It was a stupid question.”When I ignored her, she struggled anew, attempting to pry my fingers off her arm.“This is a waste of time, Vitri.It’s not important.”
Spinning to face her, Tori ran into my chest, looking up at me as I wrapped my vines around her, holding her close.“You don’t understand, do you?Theonly onewho makes me lose control is you.Theonly oneI care about keeping safe isyou.If we have to walk this entire trip a hundred times over for me to prove that to you, I will.”
We stared at each other for a long while, Tori’s pupils darting back and forth as she studied my face.After a while, her shoulders dropped, and she sagged into my touch, resting her cheek against my chest.
“I believe you,” she whispered, tracing small circles around my vines with the fingers on her free hand.“I promise I believe you.We don’t need to walk all the way back to the asha.Please, Vitri, let’s keep moving forward.”
I stared at her and with a nod, I unwrapped her arms from around me, turned her around, and nudged her in the direction we were walking to find her friends.“This way.”
Chapter Twenty
VITRI
Pulling Tori to a stop as the last of the light disappeared behind the tree line, she sank gratefully to the ground, removing her shoes and massaging her feet.I had kept her walking longer than I should have, but once again, after the visit to the asha when Tori had shown a streak of jealousy overme,I had almost lost control again.So close after regaining the control, the way Tori had been unable to hide her possessiveness overmealmost pushed me over the edge.
I needed to do better.I owed her that.The frightened look in Tori’s eyes haunted my memories.
I must do better.
“Stay here,” I commanded Tori, who threw me a look halfway between defiance and concern before I crashed through the undergrowth to gather some food.There would be no hunting tonight as I don’t think I could summon the concentration to do it.Efficiently, I found a selection of foods we could eat raw, returned to where we were making camp for the night, and dropped the bundle on the ground in front of Tori.She lowered her water bag, finishing her mouthful and wiping her lips with the back of her hand before glaring at me.I knew I was throwing my weight around like I was having a tantrum, but the fog was taking over my mind again, and I was rallying my strength to keep myself coherent long enough until we could fall asleep.
I’m sure I would feel better in the morning.
