Page 50 of Avaritia
“Of course. Did you not hear what I said earlier? The remnants of Meridia’s followers have been seeking me out. They’ve been watching you. I cannot abide by that. You aren’t safe here.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m safer here than in the human realm, Theon.” We were already heading down the stairs, one of his shadow limbs wrapped around my waist, holding on to me. “Wait, I think we should discuss this—”
“There’s nothing to discuss. You are not safe anywhere I am not, Verity. You are mine to protect.” He paused for a moment, evidently scenting my blood in the air and holding up my thumb for his concerned inspection.
“It’s fine, it’ll heal on its own,” I assured him, pulling my hand away. “You could leave me at the palace if you didn’t want me to stay here without you—”
“At the palace? Where Damen could steal you away at any moment?” Theon snorted. “Absolutely not.”
“Damen?” I repeated incredulously, contemplating socking Theon in the shadow limb on principle. “Are you serious, right now? Theon, I’m not interested in Damen, and Damen is not interested in me. You’re not thinking clearly.”
“You’re wrong. He wants you for himself—”
“He does not—”
“I’m not leaving you here,” Theon snapped, all but dragging me out the front door toward the entry room. Wilder kept pace with him, watching me nervously. At least someone else realized this was an idiotic idea.
“Wilder, go and fetch my mother. Bring her here to wait for our return. I don’t want her taking any more ill-advised trips into the human realm, thinking she’s being helpful.”
“Yes, Your Grace,” Wilder agreed, following us into the entry room and pulling the door shut behind us. We were immediately encased in darkness, and I felt, rather than saw, Wilder leave.
“Don’t do this,” I told Theon quietly.
The shadow limb around my waist flexed in response to my words. “You are my mate. I trust no one else with your safety.”
“Trust me with my safety. Trust that I want you, and only you. Theon, don’t let jealousy cloud your judgment—you know this isn’t a good idea.”
He’d done so well at respecting my wishes so far, even when I hadn’t realized he was doing it. But he wouldn’t be deterred.
Theon’s jealousy when it came to his brothers was so much worse than I realized, and now it was too late to do anything about it.
His mind was made up.
Chapter 16
My panic had made me irrational. I could see that now.
The canyon where I always exited into the human realm—a deserted spot by night that I’d never seen a Hunter in—was already far lighter than I anticipated it would be. Not so light that I couldn’t enter it, but the sun was rising, and fast.
If Rainy wasn’t close by, then I would have no choice but to turn around and go back.
My grip on Verity had vanished the moment we had stepped into the human realm and I had shifted into my ephemeral form, and I hated that I couldn’t hold on to her. While I couldn’t feel the strength of the wind, I could hear how loud it was.
“Theon,” Verity said nervously, drawing my attention. My olfactory system worked the same way in this realm, and Verity’s scent was loudly broadcasting her misery. “This isn’t a good idea.”
Her teeth were chattering with cold, arms wrapped tightly around her midsection. She’d only followed me a few steps out from beneath the dark, rocky overhang where I liked to enter to the human realm.
Fuck. I was screwing this all up. I couldn’t possibly move at my fastest speed in order to find Rainy with Verity here. I couldn’t even leave her here in this secluded spot, not when the elements were causing her harm.
“You’re right,” I said, hoping she could hear me the way my fellow Shades could when we were in this form. Verity’s eyes widened in surprise, so I guessed she had. “I… I was hasty. I’ll return to you to the shadow realm. Wilder should be back with my mother, you can stay with them—”
Before I could finish speaking, a particularly large gust of wind blew through the tunnel that the rock formations created, buffeting Verity’s slight figure.
That was all it took.
She was so fragile.
One hard gust of wind and she lost her footing, the steep, uneven ground working against her. I grabbed for her, my hands slipping right through her torso as she fell slowly backward, fighting with every muscle in her body to stay upright.