Page 36 of Watch Me Burn

Ihold out my hand. “That’s mine.”

He glances up at me. “What is it?”

He’ll know if I’m lying. Besides, it’s not like it isn’t obvious already… “A map.”

“Yes,” he says, his rough voice wry. “I can see that. This side shows you where the caves are.” He flips the map. “And this has gotta be the cave system. Or an older version of it, at any rate. What I should have said is what are you doing with this?”

Damn it. This would be so much easier if I could lie to him and he wouldn’t be able to know.

And, sure, I’ve technically been lying to him all along, letting him think I’m a human when I’m obviously not. But that was more about protecting my ass, and while he might’ve guessed something was off, he didn’t know for sure.

He knows now. That might be a good thing, though. I kinda like the idea that at least one other person inside of the sanctuary is aware that the witch hunters might be coming after me. Conall wants to protect us all?

Fine.

“Okay. You want the truth? Here goes. The reason I’m here, besides needing sanctuary, is because there’s supposed to be this crystal down in the caves. Fire opal. Bright orange and really powerful.”

“I’ve don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that down there,” interjects Conall.

“You’ve been in the caves?” He nods, and I say, “Oh. Well, you wouldn’t see it anyway. It’s a witch thing. That’s why I have

“Why isn’t the corpse helping you?”

I give him a look. “Her name is Elise, and like I said, it’s a witch thing. Why should she? It’s not like she can navigate the caves, either. It’s fine. I can do it.”

“She hasn’t been in the caves before. I have. I’ll come with you. I’ll help you find the opal you need.”

And be in close proximity with a man—a shifter—who makes my palms tingle?

“What? No. You don’t have to do that.”

“I don’t have to. I’m still gonna.”

Nope. Reaching out, I snatch the map from him. I only got it because he let me—I have no illusions otherwise—but it’s in my grasp now as I give him a tight smile. “I can take care of myself.”

“I don’t doubt that. You’re pretty dangerous, Red.”

I lift up my hand, pretending to blow out the tip of my finger even though my fire has been conspicuously missing since I realized the wolf was Conall. “And now you know better than to follow me around, Mr. Grump.”

His brow furrows. “Why do you keep calling me that? ‘Mr. Grump’?”

Seriously?

“Do you really have to ask?” I wonder. “I thought it was obvious.”

Considering he doesn’t ask again, maybe it is.

“I wouldn’t have had to follow you if you stayed at the sanctuary in the first place. Come on. Let’s go back. We’ll get supplies.”

I can’t help myself. “Clothes?”

He jerks his head. Yes. “We’ll make a plan. Tell the mayor where we’ll be. We can head out to the caves later.”

I brace my winter boots in the snow. “No.”

“Bridget.”

See? He does know my name. “If I go back, who says I’ll get the chance to go at all?”

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