7 Salt & Garland #3
“Whoa. I’ve got you.” His voice is low, controlled, but there’s an edge to it now.
His arm hooks under my knees, the other braced firmly across my back. He lifts me like I weigh nothing.
“What—hey!” Dakota protests somewhere behind us. “What happened?”
“Move.” The word isn’t loud, but everyone obeys it instantly. My head drops against his shoulder. The world blurs past—storefront lights, voices, footsteps.
His scent cuts through the perfume choking the air.
Clean and familiar.
The mall doors slide open and cold night air crashes over us. My lungs finally pull in a real breath. Then another.
Jace keeps walking until we’re far enough away from the crowd that the noise fades. He lowers me onto a bench near the entrance but doesn’t let go completely. One hand stays firm on my back.
“Easy,” he murmurs.
My fingers clutch the front of his shirt without me realizing it. The fabric bunches in my fists.
I focus on that instead of the memory trying to claw its way up my throat.
“Iz.” His voice is soft. “Look at me.”
It takes a second, but I lift my head. His eyes scan my face like he’s searching for injuries.
“What happened?” he asks quietly.
I shake my head too fast. “Nothing.”
His jaw tightens.“You don’t almost pass out over nothing.”
The mall doors open behind us and laughter spills outside.
My shoulders tense instantly. Jace notices.
Of course he does.
His body shifts slightly closer, blocking my line of sight from the entrance without making a big show of it.
“What was it?” he asks.
I swallow. “Perfume.”
The word feels small compared to the wave of panic it brought with it.
Jace goes still. His gaze flicks briefly toward the mall doors. Then back to me. Something dark flashes across his face. Then, he exhales slowly, like he’s forcing something down. His thumb brushes lightly over my wrist.
“You’re alright,” he says quietly.
My grip tightens on his shirt again.
Embarrassment burns under my skin.
“Sorry.”
“For what?”
“For… this.” I gesture vaguely to my shaking hands.
Jace frowns. “Iz.”
His voice drops lower. “Don’t apologize for needing air. ”
The warmth of his hands grounds me. His presence does something strange to the panic still clawing at my chest.
It eases. Just a little.
I lean forward before I can overthink it, pressing my forehead lightly against his shoulder. For a moment, he freezes.
Then one arm wraps around me, pulling me closer.
The mall noise fades behind us.
“I was wearing perfume that night. I didn’t think anything of it when I was trying them with Maeve. And he…” I can’t go on.
“It’s ok,” he murmurs.
He doesn’t rush me. His hand keeps moving slowly along my back, grounding.
After a moment, he speaks, voice low. “I know that face.”
I stiffen slightly. “What face?”
“The one you had in the hallway.” His thumb brushes absentmindedly over the back of my hand. “Like the floor just dropped out from under you.”
I swallow. “You don’t know that.”
He huffs quietly. “I do.”
I lean back just enough to look at him. His expression, serious.
“I’ve seen it before,” he says. “Different reasons. Same look.”
My stomach twists. Jace’s gaze drops briefly to the ground before coming back to me.
“For what it’s worth,” he says, cautious. “I’m sorry.”
The words catch me off guard. “For what?”
His jaw tightens slightly. “For everything we did to you when you got here.” His voice is calm, but there’s weight behind it. “The games. The pictures. Trying to break you.”
I blink.
“You were just following Gideon’s orders,” I say quietly.
“That doesn’t make it right.” His fingers tighten slightly around mine.
“I was used to it,” he continues. “You grow up in that world long enough, you stop questioning it. Orders come down, you follow them. Doesn’t matter who gets hurt along the way.”
The bitterness in his voice is subtle, but it’s there.
“Gideon calls it loyalty,” Jace says. His gaze flicks toward the mall behind us before settling back on me. “Really it’s just another leash.”
The words hang between us.
“You didn’t seem very leashed,” I murmur.
One corner of his mouth lifts faintly. “That’s because I didn’t realize it was there. Until you showed up.”
I frown slightly. “Me?”
“You didn’t bend,” he says simply. “Didn’t break. Didn’t play along with the hierarchy everyone else worships.” A quiet breath leaves him. “You challenged me. You made me look at it differently.”
The admission sounds like it costs him something.
“So… thanks for that.”
I stare at him. “You’re thanking me for ruining your perfectly obedient life?”
Jace’s mouth twitches. “Something like that.”
The silence is heavy but it isn’t uncomfortable.
Finally, he nudges my knee lightly. “You feeling better?”
“Yeah.” I nod slowly.
His gaze searches my face one more time, making sure. Then he stands and offers me his hand. “Good.”
I slip my hand into his. He pulls me to my feet but doesn’t let go right away.
“Next time,” he says quietly, “you don’t have to pretend you’re fine.” His eyes hold mine.“You’ve got people now.”
His grip tightens slightly. “Me included.”
And something warm settles in my chest that has nothing to do with the cold night air.