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The night deepened around us as we delved further into our work. The task was daunting, but not insurmountable—not with Hayze by my side. And as I looked across at him, lit by the soft glow of his laptop screen, I didn’t need to imagine strength or resolve; it was all there in his steady gaze and unwavering presence.
This was where I needed to be—fighting for something good with someone who believed in me just as fiercely as I believed in our cause.
CHAPTER 19
Hayze
The glow from the laptop screen cast a pallid light across Arlet’s face, carving deep shadows beneath her eyes. She had been staring at the article for hours, as if by sheer will she could make it disappear from the digital universe. I stood at the edge of the room, watching her fingers hover over the keyboard before they retreated once more.
“Arlet,” I broke the silence, my voice a low rumble in the small cabin. “This fear clinging to you—it’s like mist on the river at dawn. It’s natural, but it doesn’t have to define your day.”
She glanced up; her gaze flickering with that fire I admired. “I’m not defined by fear, Hayze. But I can’t ignore it either.” Her hand gestured towards the screen. “This article—it’s like a beacon for trouble.”
I moved closer; the floorboards creaking softly under my weight. “Then we snuff it out. We do what must be done.”
Her laugh was a soft chime in the tense air. “And what? I become someone new again? Find another corner of the world to hide in?”
“You’ll never be alone in this,” I replied firmly. I leaned against the wall, folding my arms across my chest. “Wherever you go, whatever name you choose, I’m with you.”
She closed the laptop with a soft click and turned to face me fully. Her eyes searched mine, as if looking for a sign of hesitation or doubt.
“You’d really do that? Just uproot your life again... for me?”
“There is no ‘uprooting,’ Arlet.” My voice held a quiet conviction as I stepped closer to her. “My life is wherever my duty lies. And right now, that’s with you.”
She rose from her chair, her movements deliberate and slow as she crossed the distance between us. Her hand reached out, fingers tracing the hard lines of my bronze skin.
“I don’t want to run anymore, Hayze.” Her voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought I could start fresh here... make a real difference between looking over my shoulder every second.”
I took her hand in mine, feeling the warmth of her skin against my cool metallic surface. “Then we stand our ground.”
The determination in her eyes matched mine as she nodded slowly. “But what if this article isn’t just an article? What if they’re already here?”
“Then we face it together,” I assured her, my grip tightening around her fingers in silent promise.
We stood there for a moment longer before she pulled away slightly, taking a deep breath as if drawing strength from the air itself.
“We’ll wait,” she decided at last. “See if this storm passes or if we need to brace ourselves against it.”
“And while we wait?” I asked.
She gave me a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but held enough warmth to push back some of the chill in the room.
“While we wait,” she echoed, moving back to sit down at her desk once more, “we keep fighting for what we believe in. We don’t let fear—or some faceless article—stop us.”
I watched her reopen the laptop and start typing with renewed purpose—a response or perhaps a rallying cry to those who would listen. Whatever it was, I knew one thing for certain: Arlet Rune was no one’s prey; she was a force unto herself.
And as her sentinel, her shadow guard, I would follow her into any storm that came our way. In the end, her safety was the priority, but her determined and courageous spirit also played a role.
That was something worth protecting at all costs.
“Let’s head out for more training. I think you need it,” I suggested.
I watched her move—fluid and focused, like a river carving its path through stone. Arlet had taken to the training with a ferocity that matched the wildness of the forest surrounding us. We were deep in the woods, a place where I could teach herwithout prying eyes or the constraints of walls and ceilings. The natural world was my ally, and now it would become hers.
“Again,” I instructed, stepping back to give her room. “But this time, use your environment. The ground beneath you, the surrounding air—they’re tools, not just scenery.”
Arlet nodded, a light sheen of sweat on her brow as she reset her stance. Her eyes darted around, taking in the uneven terrain, the branches overhead, the rustle of leaves that whispered secrets only I could fully understand. With a sharp exhale, she lunged forward.
