Chapter 7 #2
He hesitates, and his hand ruffles his hair, making it look even messier than it is. “I know the prince. He’ll send word to your mayor. If I ask, he will. He owes me.”
“How could the prince of Velegoria possibly owe you?” He must realize how absolutely preposterous that sounds.
“He just does. And then you’ll be back in your village the day of the third trial.”
I could go home. But wait…no, I can’t. I can never go back to Village 28. I can never go home.
Not after what I’ve done.
“What if…what if I did something else?” The words are heavy as they leave my lips, pained and angry all at once. “Something that makes it so I can never go back?”
My mind relives the moment my blade sunk into Brant’s thigh. The way he screamed. The way he bled.
He cocks his head. “What could you have possibly done that would be so—”
“I killed someone.” The words tumble out of me, ravaging my throat like tiny thorns, making me feel raw and exposed.
But I said it.
My admission of guilt. My confession.
I’m sure Norin has already told the Enforcers. Not only am I an evader, but I’m also a murderer.
And murderers don’t get to compete in the trials. At least, not the ones who are caught.
Jax purses his lips, his intense gaze never leaving mine, and I can already feel the tears that are desperate to slip from the corners of my eyes, as if my vow to never cry has been absolutely obliterated, leaving me with nothing but agonizing despair.
“One of the men who attacked you?” he says, and his jaw feathers.
“Yes.”
“Good.” His gaze doesn’t waver.
“Good?” My eyes widen. I couldn’t have possibly heard him right. Who would ever say good to such a thing?
“They attacked you, Serafina.” His eyes darken in a way that’s both terrifying and exhilarating.
Predatory and primal, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he growls with how angry he seems. “It was self-defense, and you will not be punished for that. I’m fucking glad you killed him.
I’m glad at least one of those bastards got what they deserved. ”
His knuckles crack as he works each finger, the action far more casual than his tone, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like him. A hidden storm in human form, quiet but deadly, calm but dangerous, and I hate how much I like it.
Shaking my head, needing to clear it, my mind settles on what he said. It was self-defense. Char told me that wouldn’t matter. But Jax is saying the opposite.
And I need to believe him.
I want to believe him.
I want to trust that what he’s saying is true, that this isn’t some cruel trick at my expense.
If only trust wasn’t such a difficult thing to feel. But there’s one thing I need to stop feeling. This guilt and overwhelming shame.
I killed someone.
I did.
But he attacked me. And now these feelings need to die. Right here and right now.
And they do.
My eyes lock on Jax, and I nod, a silent thank you, one he seems to understand.
I shake out my hands, my eyes now pinned on the sand, watching as the waves come dangerously close to where we stand.
“So I’m just supposed to…go with you?”
He steps toward me. We’re nearly toe to toe, which means I have to look up to meet his gaze, and I almost wish I hadn’t because my goodness, those eyes of his. Watching me so carefully, so intensely, like he’s desperate to learn every secret, every tiny hidden thing.
“That’s up to you.”
I swallow, and his gaze finds my throat before meeting mine again.
“Can I trust you?” My voice wavers because I feel foolish for asking. Who would ever answer “no” to such a question? Even if “no” was the truth?
“You can.”
I suck in a sharp breath and clutch the necklace my mother gave me.
What the hell. It’s not like I have many options. I can’t exactly go back home, at least not until they receive word from the royal family that I’m not an evader or a murderer.
And if I don’t go with him…then I’ll be completely alone out here. It doesn’t look like surviving by myself is going to be very easy. Char was supposed to be with me.
Char. My hand moves to my lips, to where his once rested.
Norin said he’s alive. He has to be alive. And in two moon cycles, on the day of the third trial, I’ll see him again.
“Okay,” I say. “But first, tell me why you were outside Village 28. What were you doing there?” It’s not normal for people to travel between the villages. Especially when those people are from the Imperial City.
He runs his hand through his hair again, and I wonder if it’s a nervous habit. “The prince ordered me to follow some of the rivers, see which ones had gone dry.” He looks away.
It may not be a lie, but I don’t think it’s the whole truth, either. I know it’s not, but I also know that pressing for answers won’t do me any good. And if I want any chance of seeing my parents again, seeing Char again, then I need to go with him.
“To the Imperial City?” he asks, eyeing me cautiously.
He holds out his hand, palm up. The move is slow, almost hesitant, like he needed to force himself to do it. His fingers shake, but only slightly.
I bite the inside of my cheek. Just trust him, Serafina. For once in your life, just allow yourself to feel safe.
Light wielders are supposed to possess a strong sense of right and wrong. They’re supposed to be kind. They’re supposed to be honest.
At least, that’s what I’m going to choose to believe.
I grab his hand, and he immediately tenses, his entire body going rigid at the contact. He holds his breath, and his throat bobs with a heavy swallow.
I try to pull away, not understanding his reaction, but then the muscles in his face visibly relax just before his lips quirk into a devastating smile, and damn it, it’s the most breathtaking thing I’ve ever seen.
But that smile disappears almost as quickly as it emerged.
“Hold on tight.” He gives my hand a firm yank, and I crash into a hard chest. A chest that smells like burnt wood with a hint of sage. His other arm wraps around my back, and I cling to his shoulder, to the fabric of his tunic, bracing myself for what’s to come.
The view of the ocean disappears.