Just like he had when Adalwolf came to kill them.
Hailey turned her back on him, pressing one hand to her forehead and clutching her shirt next to her belly with the other.
Asher moved so he stood directly behind her. Very gently, he grazed his fingers down her arm from her shoulder to her elbow.
“There was no way to rescue her.”
“You told me she didn’t suffer.” Her voice barely rose above a whisper, and Asher sighed.
“Forgive me, please. Cobon shielded her mind. Holly experienced no pain.”
“You lied to me.”
“I sought only to protect you.”
“Did you?” she asked absently. Then she shook her head. None of this mattered right now. “Does Cobon want you to kill me tomorrow?”
Asher stroked her hair. “Yes,” he breathed.
“Are you going to?” she demanded, her heart racing.
Asher nodded. “If I don’t do this, Cobon will, Hailey, I cannot stop him,” he implored.
“How do you know this will work, Asher? What if the same thing happens? What if it fails and the others are there? How do you know you won’t kill me permanently?”
Asher knit his brow together and drew a great breath.
“Because I would die before I hurt you,” he said slowly, and as the words left his mouth, his expression darkened, as if he’d just awakened to an undesirable realization.
“But itwillhurt me.” Her voice rose barely above a whisper as she imagined having her soul pulled. An image of Jaycen, bloodied and writing in agony on the floor of her dorm room forced a gasp, and when she spoke again, her voice wavered. “Will you…shield my mind from it? Like Cobon did for Holly?”
Misty-eyed, Asher shook his head, and Hailey pressed her arms to her belly, clutching her shirt in fists as she hugged herself tight. “Cobon has much experience in manipulating human minds. I’m afraid it’s a skill I’ve never honed.”
“And what if I hurt you?” She shook her head, swallowing hard. “Cobon thought Holly killed Adalwolf. Now he thinks I did. You guys have no idea what happened that night, do you?”
“You killed Adalwolf, Hailey. There was nobody else in the room. You and Holly and—” He cut himself off and turned away.
“You just don’t know, do you?”
He said nothing.
“Well, what if you touch my soul, and it kills you?”
Asher spun to face her, pressing his forehead against hers, closing his eyes. “Then you’ll be safe,” he declared. “From all of us.”
There was no place Hailey could feel safe, no place she could hide. Asher couldn’t protect her, but Cobon at least respected him. And even though Asher planned to kill her the next day himself, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in his arms and feel safe. Even if it only lasted a couple hours. That night, she dozed only once, only briefly and woke with a start, relieved to find herself still lying in Asher’s bed, tucked in his powerful arms. He squeezed her tight, his chest pressed against her back.
“You were in a nightmare,” he murmured. “I was just coming to rescue you.”
“Oh,” she breathed, trying to bring her heart rate down.
She snuggled in his embrace.
“That’s sweet,” she said, “but you would’ve been rescuing me from yourself.”
He didn’t respond.
“I’m really scared, Asher. I don’t want you to kill me, even if it is only temporary.” Her heart pounded just thinking about it, and she squeezed his arms so they pressed tight against her hollow chest.
