Page 102 of Beyond The Maples
Suddenly I'm hoisted off my feet and swung to the side of the road. I start to scream at Tane, but his hand flies over my mouth as he backs us into an alcove on the side of the nearest building. My eyes fly wide as he presses me into the building so his front is flattening me against the cool brick. I struggle on instinct, but his finger comes up to his lips, motioning for me to be quiet.
I listen, and for a second, I can't hear anything above my pounding heart. Butthen I hear it.
Officers.
Tane loosens his hold, arms boxing me in against the building as he realizes I've understood and won't fight him.
A group of four, maybe five, soldiers enters the empty street. Their unified steps thumping on the dirt-packed concrete. Peeking over Tane's shoulder, I try to see what's happening. I can't make out the voices clearly, but I can see the soldiers' shadows. Why are they in uniform? Are they armed?
Tane's grip on me tightens again, silently begging me to hold still. The soldiers peer in through windows of the houses and businesses, shining flashlights inside.
What the... They wouldn't be issued flashlights unless they were on a fairly important assignment. What could they possibly be looking for, that they couldn't just patrol for in the daylight?
Two soldiers come toward the building we're pressed beside, and Tane uses his entire body like a human shield, melding himself to me. Dark eyes lock with mine, and I forget momentarily where we are, or why.
Nearby a yell has me tensing. There are more soldiers than I'd thought, and my heart rate picks up as I realize our position. Who I'm with, and where, and how that looks even if we're doing nothing wrong. Tane notices the pause in my breath, and he moves his hand slowly to the base of my neck. His palm flattens against my chest, fingers pressing slightly. He leans in, the comforting weight of his hand defusing my panic, allowing me to exhale gently as I focus on it. My eyes flutter closed. After several deep breaths, I open my eyes, feeling his own gaze burning into me. His face softens slightly, that look alone could melt me.
His hand comes up, cupping my face, he gently sweeps his calloused thumb over my cheek. My body hums. His eyes widen, and he looks almost surprised by his own actions. I hear the soldiers' footsteps move further away, but we stay locked in place. I tell myself it's just aprecaution. Just to make sure they're gone.
Tane shifts, and snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me in slightly. His eyes bounce around my face. We're so close I can feel his breath fanning over my cheeks, and my body relaxes further into him.
Gods,this man.
His eyes dart to my lips, and I almost beg him to kiss me.
And then, just as the thought burrows into my brain, he's stepping back, posture stiff. His hands fall heavy to his sides, fists clenching.
I tip my head back and start to laugh. It's more hoarse than usual, but I blame that on the alcohol. He scowls at me.
"I have questions, Sunshine."
He rolls his eyes but doesn't turn to leave.
"Why is the big, bad Lieutenant hiding from his subordinates in the middle of the night? Don't they answer to you?"
"Soldiers do, officers don't, and I'd rather no one knows what I do with my spare time," he says casually. He stretches his once clenched fists wide a few times before shoving them in his pockets.
"What were you doing out by yourself? Besides following me around."
"The same thing as you, I suspect. Just out to make new friends." He shrugs, mouth twitching. My eyes narrow. Does he know I was looking for information? I think of our assignment, and how Tane hasn't spoken to me since… how I still haven't been reprimanded for it.
He steps closer to me again, and I swallow.
"What else is it you'd really like to know, little menace?" He drawls.
"Why didn't you turn me in? After our assignment. I all but confessed, and yet you took the blame. Why?"
"Because, despite what you've heard, I still live by a code."
"Does that code include killing innocent people?" I spit back, exhausted. I'm tired of the games, and the half-truths, and the tiptoeing around everything.
"Define "innocent", Treow." He breathes out the words, and now he's the one who looks exhausted. That should make me feel guilty about badgeringhim; I should crack a joke and make light of the situation, make him feel better and move on. But... Tane doesn't need me to light up the dark. He can handle it.
"Innocent means... people who would, under normal circumstances, do the right thing, even if our world has forced them to do the opposite. Innocent means desperate people who have no other choice but to steal, and cheat, and break laws in order to survive, even if that means people like you will throw them in cells, interrogate them in the name of our holy Council, and string them up along church walls like fuckingdecorations. Innocent means something different now than it used to, I think."
I search his face. Normally, this is the part where I regret my harsh words and want to hide behind niceties to soften the blow.
The corners of Tane's eyes crinkle as the ghost of a smile passes across his face. Something else washes over him, something I can't quite place in the moonlight. He looks impossibly handsome with his guard down.
