Page 121 of A Baron of Bonds
Rev stepped in front of me, his back turned to the fae. “Do you know what you’re asking of me?”
My heart raced at the low timbre of his voice, spoken slowly, quietly, almost as if he hadn’t spoken at all and the words came through our bond only.
I swallowed my nerves and straightened my spine. “I do. And I’m sorry, but I still make this choice knowing. I make it for Pompeii. I make it for Viridis and the future we share training conduits together.” I reached out to touch his chest. “I make it for us.”
I gave him a weak smile, his anger and worry unchanging on his face as I stepped around him. “Moira, please tell the Growers we will meet them outside of the Fortress doors at first light. We’ll lead them to Viridis and get this over with.”
She nodded, placing her trust in me and turned back to the assembly. I waited for her to finish her speech, glancing back to Revich once to see he stood behind me, hands shoved in his pockets, his jaw flexing as he stared at me. His eyes were dark. Black. All of the iris void of color and for a moment, just one moment, I hesitated again.
I trusted him. I trusted him with my life, because what he said, I knew to be true. If he lost me again, he wouldn’t survive it, and yet I asked him to risk it with me.
I choked down the guilt heavy and solid in my stomach. Theremustbe answers in Viridis. There must be a book we could use to find the cure, and though I knew many of them were ruined, I held the hand of hope that what we needed, Viridis would provide as it had before it was taken.
Moira finished and I watched the Growers, my eyes flicking to each one to show them I was not afraid. I wanted them to see that I believed this could work. That I held faith in them as well.
The leader gave what I assumed to be a nod, the movement jerky, head lowering and rising oddly.
“They’ll be there.” Moira’s eyes flicked behind me and her face fell.
I spoke before she could voice her own concern. “Not you, too, Moira. I need your support here.”
“Clairannia and Figuerah would not give it.”
I almost laughed, surprised at her insight. “But you?”
“I don’t like putting all my trust in him.” Her eyes flicked back to Revich.
“Then put your trust in me.”
She nodded, fluttered to me, and knocked her forehead on mine.
The Growers backed away slowly, disappearing into the circle of trees just as quietly as they came.
Moira bared her teeth in a smile. “I’ll see you at dawn.” She turned and followed them into the forest.
I rolled my shoulders, ready for the fight ahead of me and turned.
His dark eyes bored into mine, and I could no longer ignore the pain he held. The disappointment, the fear, the anger that hung heavy in the air around us.
We stood there, facing each other, yet another moment in time that seemed to still in our wordless conversations.
I finally spoke, “I can’t do this with you feeling like that. I can’t put everything into this task with what you’re feeling right now.”
“You’d have me lie, then?” he challenged.
“I’d have you trust me. I’d have you trust yourself.” I stepped closer, my chest at his. I longed for him to touch me as he always did when we shared so much of the same space in this world. “Please, Rev.” I blinked back tears. “I can’t do this without you.”
His body tensed. “Is there nothing I can say? Nothing I can do? Give me any other option and I’ll take it. Ask anything of me but this and I’ll do it. You want a library filled with life and books? I’ll make one. You want a copse of birch trees and silk benches to read on? I’ll grow them. I’ll build them for you.”
I slid my hands over his chest, his body responding immediately as he pulled on my waist. “You know that’s not what this is about. You know our best bet at saving Pompeii is there.” I lowered my head, taking a breath. “This is a choice. This is a risk, Rev, and I am asking you to take it with me and save our friend’s life.”
“We don’t even know what book we need.” He gripped my waist tighter. “There must be other things we can try. There must be medicus conduits we can bring.”
“We don’t have time.”
“We haven’t heard from Clairannia.”
“All of the medicus conduits of Hyrithia could not cure the Black Fever, so what makes you think one medicus conduit has the answer?”
