Page 20 of Pieces of Halves

“Fourteen years. I was gifted to him on his twelfth birthday,” he answers, his tone light.

“Gifted?” My eyes snap to him, and my brows pinch together.

“Yes.” He remains calm. “Focus on the smell.” Reminding me, he turns his body to face me. I listen and close my eyes, the scent of wet earth overwhelming anything else. “I am a companion demon; I have to be attached to someone. The curious thing about Jacob is that the person who gifted me to him erased my memory,” he tells me.

That is odd. Someone went through a lot of trouble to gift Tengu to Jacob. I wonder if it was Jacob’s mother. If it was her, then why?

“Do you like being with Jacob?” I ask.

“He is a good boy,” Tengu answers.

The term of endearment makes me smile. The boy is a tall man with broad shoulders who, not too long ago, ripped out a few hearts, but I suppose compared to Tengu, Jacob is one.

I concentrate on the forest. It is some distance from us, but maybe I can challenge myself by being able to smell something other than dirt. No such luck. Opening my eyes, I sigh.

“You did well. Take a break.” There is softness and pride in his voice.

Tengu turns his head to the forest, so I follow his gaze. Jacob is marching out of the trees, towards the water, not once glancing at us. His shoulders are straight and tense, and his jaw is clenched. There are blood splatters on his face and shirt, and for the first time since I met him, he looks like he could rip anyone who looks at him funny to shreds.

With his hands in tight fists, he passes us. Worried, I watch him stomp towards the river. Reaching for the hem of his shirt,he pulls it off. He throws it on the ground, and my eyes go wide at the way his muscles tense and glide. His pants follow, leaving him in only his underwear.

Oh my…dear…saints.Shamelessly, I run my eyes over his body all the way down to his waist. Staring, I can barely breathe.

Marching into the water only waist deep, he scrubs his arms, chest, and face from the dark, red stains. I watch, and something nags at my chest. He looks dangerous, but something is screaming at me to go to him.

“He needs you as much as you need him,” Tengu whispers next to me. How could a man as powerful as him need someone like me? “Go to him, princess,” Tengu says and vanishes in a black cloud.

I want to go to him and ask him what happened. I want to be his strength. Who am I kidding? He does not need me.

The pull in my heart does not ease, pinching and squeezing. Sighing, I get up and dig through a bag to find a fresh shirt and some pants for him. The least I can do is bring him some clothing.

He needs you…Tengu’s words ring in my head. He has known Jacob since he was twelve, maybe he knows something I don’t.

With his clothing in my hands, I walk to the edge of the river. Jacob walks towards me, water dripping down his muscled chest and abdomen. My throat dries as I watch drops of liquid slide down his skin.

Blinking quickly to compose myself, I straighten my shoulders and look at him. He, on the other hand, avoids eye contact. Concerned at this strange behavior, I take a deep breath for courage and step in front of him to block his way.

He will not hurt me,I tell myself, but my heartbeat escalates.

“Are you okay?” I ask and look up at him, but he is staring somewhere behind me. My fingers shake, but I raise my hand and place it against his cheek, moving it to face me. “Jacob,” I whisper.

“Killing so much puts me in a bad mood.” He sighs, his muscles twitching under my hand.

“How many?” I ask and take a step closer.

He would never hurt me.

“Eight.” His answer is rigid.

Eight of my father’s men. None of them had ever done anything to me when Alexander, my uncle, was in charge. When my father came back, their demeanor towards me changed. They are just following orders, I know, but we all have a choice. They made theirs to chase me for my father.

“Thank you,” I whisper, and move closer to him.

My chest is touching his, and I worry I overstepped a boundary. Maybe he doesn’t want me this close. His shoulders slump, he exhales heavily, and drops his head into the crook of my neck. Unsure what to expect, I don’t dare move. He drapes his arms over my hips loosely and inhales.

He doesn’t say anything, just rests his head on my shoulder, breathing slowly, and holding me close. It feels strangely satisfying to be wanted like this – for support, not my body. I feel strong holding him like this.

Jacob is in the hotel room, intently going through his notes, looking through the maps, and making marks on them. Per the information we learned, his mother is back in Sarkup. She came back last year; the same time my father returned from Rasok, a small country he conquered from the water Fay. At this point, there is no denying that his mother is after my father.

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