space.
But where?
“I want to go outside the city walls,” she blurted.
Immediately the full heat of his attention focused on her.
“What?” he said, frowning as if he’d been asleep.
“Will you take me outside the city walls?” she asked again.
“Of course,” he said and swept her into his arms and leapt away into the night.
If Esme had thought they’d moved quickly over the rooftops of the town before, she had no idea what Gavin was capable of.
For a brief moment, she heard the crack of the man’s spine again in her mind.
Well, she knew some of the things he was capable of.
But now she was beginning to wonder.
From the press of the wind against her check, it didn’t feel like they were moving much slower than when he’d taken her into the air itself on that strange sled.
She should’ve thought this through better. Should’ve said something else.
Something reasonable.
But she’d wanted out of those damn walls so much, out of this city.
And something in her told her he’d wanted the same. Hated feeling trapped just like she did.
Still, she should have asked him to take her somewhere else.
That fact loomed in front of her, just like the quickly growing wooden wall that surrounded the city.
“Gavin,” she whispered, her lips so close to his throat they almost brushed his skin. “There’s not a gate here. You need to stop.”
She shouldn’t have worried.
“Hold on,” was all he said and she tightened her grip around his neck while he shifted her legs so that he was supporting her with one hand and then…
Lady, was this even possible?
He leapt halfway up the wall, his fingers buried deep into the wood.
She glanced at his hand.
Fingers weren’t quite right.
With another massive spring, Esme buried her face into his chest, then forced herself to look around.
They were almost to the top of the fortifications, either through luck or his own skill, they’d managed to not attract any attention.
And it hadn’t been a trick of the moonlight.
Those weren’t fingers jutting into the wood, pulling them upward.
Those were claws.
One more jump and they were sailing over the top.
His strong arms folded around her, crushing her to his chest as she braced for the impact.
It wasn’t until she heard the rustling of leaves around them that she realized they’d already landed, and were already at the edge of the forest.
He’d gotten them out of the city.
Now what was she going to do with him?
15
The world was a sea of red burning fire.
Except for one small silver spot.
I think we’ll go a little further into the woods, how’s that?
Her touch, cool on his arm
He swept the area for enemies. Threats.
Nothing showed itself but they were here, waiting for the chance to strike.
They always were.
Here’s far enough, the soft voice said.
Her voice.
A gentle hand stroked his cheek.
“I need you to snap out of this,” she said softly. “We need to talk.”
He pulled his gaze away from the shadows under the trees to watch her.
Esme tilted her head to the side. “We’re safe, do you know that?”
“No,” he rumbled. “We’re never safe. Not for long.”
“Why don’t you sit down so we can talk?” she said, tugging gently at his hand.
He crouched, still warily surveying their surroundings.
“This rage,” she said, moving behind him to run her fingers through his long hair.
He shivered at the pleasure of her touch.
“It seems like it could be a useful tool, if you didn’t let it control you.”
“Of course, it controls me,” he snarled. “It’s how I was built.”
The rage spiked again and she cried out behind him.
Springing up on one knee he whirled to face whatever had threatened her.
But there was no one else there.
Just her, and him.
“I had thought,” she said, hand pressed to her temple and one eye closed, “that if I could just teach you how to shield your emotions we’d be all right.” She grimaced. “It’s a little bit more complicated than that isn’t it?”
Gavin reached for her, then let his arms fall away, the rage siding into numbness.
He…. He’d hurt her.
“I told you,” he repeated. “They made us as weapons. All of us are different, all with skills and strengths.” His lips twisted. “At least, they gave the rest of the team actual skills. As a berserker, they just gave me the fire.”
She sat next to him, leaning her back against his side and he froze, afraid that the slightest movement she’d frighten, shift away.
“Maybe there’s more to it than that,” she said. “If it was meant to be a skill, maybe there’s a way you