Page 66 of The Hidden Falling
He moves a little closer, his eyes on me as I turn the figure over in my hands. His scent wraps around me and I want to keep it to myself, lather my skin with it so it’s always with me.
“Have you ever loved someone so much, with all that you are? So much that you would do anything you could to protect them?” I ask, turning toward him. I watch him swallow, looking at the carving in my hand before his eyes come back to mine. “I don’t mean just saying you would, I mean youwould.You would sell your soul, stain it, abuse it and hurt it beyond repair. Just to keep those you love safe?“ He watches me intently before finally looking away.
“I did at one time,” he says quietly, shocking me that he told me something personal. Who was it? And why not anymore? Did he have a mate? I clear my throat over the jealous growl I want to release.
I give him a small smile, looking down at the carving of Kade before handing it to him. He takes it from me hesitantly, our fingers grazing as his eyes ask a question he doesn’t voice aloud. I take a breath and prepare to ask him something I know he will probably deny. But I have to try, I see no other way.
“You have part of my world in your hands,” I whisper, watching as his fingers squeeze tightly around the carving, looking it over. “I will do whatever it takes to protect it. Ihavedone whatever it takes to protect it.“ I pause to swallow my pride. “Will you help me protect it?” I ask him, my enemy, and maybe the only one who can help. I know something is wrong, I can feel it in the air, and I don’t know if I can keep everyone safe on my own from whatever is coming. He also has me in a chokehold. He can hold Eridian over my head, and I will do anything he demands to keep it safe. It’s why I’m going to the Highers without question, we’re outnumbered. We can’t just keep them here as prisoners, I don’t think we have the strength behind us to even consider it. They are Elites, trained and deadly. We are just average. I thought about every way I could to try and get them to listen,himto listen. This is my last resort… damn near begging.
“You want my help?” he asks, his eyes flicking up to mine. But surprisingly, there is no smugness there. I nod. “What do I get in return if I don’t tell them?” My hands shake at his question, but I continue on.
“I will gladly accept more people into Eridian, without a fight, if you and I can assure that the original pack members are safe here. I will make sure it’s a peaceful transition with the members already here. They can help build new homes and teach them the land, and we can make sure they live together peacefully. That is something only I can do smoothly. It will be a disaster if anyone else attempts it. They can be safe here, away from danger, away from the Rogures. There is so much more room in the forest for them to create a life without damaging what’s thriving inside of it.” I take a breath before straightening my spine. “My problem is not sharing Eridian, Darius. It’s sharing it with the wrong people. The kind of people who hide beneath their flesh of lies and strike behind closed doors, revealing who they really are to those that are in no position to get away from the monster beneath the surface.”
He twists the carving of Kade over in his hands, feeling the smooth edges that took time and care to make. He tosses it in the air, and I hold my breath before releasing it when he catches it. He says nothing for so long that I feel he’s just going to shrug off my suggestion. But then he speaks.
“Do you know these people? Hidden monsters?”
I look at him closely, wondering if I said so, he would feel something about that. The Elites are meant to be protectors of all of Vrohkaria, but I’m a speck on the map of life, my ability to breathe is no more important than others, we are all equal. We all end up in the dirt.
“Maybe,” I whisper, not exactly telling him yes or no. I look away when his stare feels too close, too forceful in his search for the truth.
“I will take you to the Highers for trial to set your punishment for what you did in The Deadlands. That won’t change.”
My shoulders slump. He won’t help me. “I know,” I tell him, biting my lip as it trembles.
“However,” he begins, and my eyes go back to him. “Those fucking eyes,” he mumbles. “I will keep this place quiet if your pack will welcome others and help those that need sanctuary to live peacefully away from the rogures. It will helpful as I don’t have time to fuck around here dealing with those issues. Instead, I can continue to look for a way to stop the rogures while protecting those that need it by bringing them here. I will make sure those that come here are not dangerous, but you will have no say in how many there will be.” I blink a few times when his words register. “Make no mistake though, little wolf, I might have agreed to this, but you are still under my paw.”
“You really won’t tell the Highers about Eridian and take them to Fenrikar?” I breathe, my chest blooming with hope.
“No,” he says gruffly.
“Why?” I ask.
“They couldn’t give a shit about the victims of the rogures while they sent me here on this goose chase, and I can’t help them and take care of the rogures. There are only so many of us.” I search his eyes for any sign of deception, but all I see is truth.
I let out a shaky breath, looking down to avoid his eyes as I try to keep my body from dropping in sheer relief. He’s actually going to keep them hidden, they will be safe. When my reaction is more controlled, I look back up and hold my arm out to him. He looks at it for a moment before lifting his own and clasping mine in his, forearm to forearm. He grunts, and I shiver as those tingles start up again.
“Do you vow it?” I ask him.
“I vow it.”
“I agree to the conditions of the deal before Zahariss,” I say in a rush, hardly believing this is happening.
“I agree to the conditions of the deal before Cazier,” he vows, making me look at him curiously. I thought he would vow it on Vrohkaria, like everyone else does with the Highers vow, but it seems the Highers have pissed him off before he came here.
“It’s a vow before your Gods, not mine,” he shrugs, answering my unvoiced question. I nod and he gives my forearm a gently squeeze before releasing me. Ignoring the loss of that connection, I move toward my bed.
I lay down, finding a comfortable position facing the entrance and covering myself with the light furs. My body relaxes for the first time since I received the letter from Edward, exhaustion finally catching up with me as Runa curls up inside of me. My lids are just closing when I’m sure I still see Darius at my wall of carvings, looking intently at one of them before my eyes shut altogether and blissful sleep takes me away.
Running, running, running. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I head through the woods, my small legs moving as fast as they can to get back home. Tears drip from my face, and I choke back a sob, my hair flying around me as the small stones and sticks dig into my bare feet.
A twig snaps behind me, and I whimper. I push off a tree as I pass it, willing myself to go faster, to get away. A demented growl sounds behind me, and I begin to shake from the fear that they are going to get me. They’re going to catch up to me, and they scare me. I didn’t mean to hear anything. I didn’t know they were in our woods.
“Get back here, now!”
I start crying harder when their shouts get louder. I want my mommy and daddy. I want to go home. I want–
A blur ahead of me and off to the side has me nearly tripping over my feet. A huge, dark wolf comes out of the trees. It has a strange tail, almost like there are two of them. It’s the largest wolf I have ever seen, and its head turns toward me, its gaze focused on me before it turns toward the way I came. It starts prowling in that direction, ignoring me as it passes by and I let out a frightened squeal. It growls deeply from somewhere behind me, and I panic, not daring to look back.
