“I’ll tell her about it when I leave.”
She gives me a sad look. “You will?”
“It makes this place less safe. I need to know you’re well protected when I’m not around.”
After a few seconds, she gives me a smile and says, “Then I guess this is my only chance to go for a walk in the woods.”
I watch her climb through the gap and run down the slight incline into the woods.
I doubt her guardian would be okay with this little detour, but all I plan to do is look after my mate the best that I can.
If this pisses Lana off, well she’s already getting used to being pissed off at me.
“Wait for me,” I call out, before I climb through the gap.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Robin
I’m actually in the forest! My heart is racing as I take a step forward and look around. It’s like a little piece of heaven, right behind the academy’s cafeteria. All the plants and trees … a bird is singing somewhere close by, and there are bluebells growing in clusters right next to where I’m standing. It’s … wonderful.
I turn as Falcon comes running down the incline.
He slides a little in the mud, but he stops before he crashes into me.
“That was slightly steeper than I expected,” he admits, glancing back at the path we’ll have to climb back up when we’re done with our walk.
It’s mildly intimidating now that I’m looking up at the gap in the fence from down here, I guess.
“It’s not so bad. The drop looks much steeper from the gardens.”
He raises an eyebrow at me. “You’ve thought about climbingthatfence?”
“No!” I protest, though I can feel my face burning at the lie. “I mean, not really, but the gardens aren’t as nice as this. I’ve been wondering what it would be like to be out here for a while now.”
That makes him smile. “Well, now that we’re out here, what do you feel like doing?”
“You mentioned going for a walk. That might be nice.”
He nods slowly, before offering his hand.
It occurs to me that he’s virtually a stranger, and that we’re all alone out here, where Lana and her security guards won’t know how to find us if they discover we’re not where we said we’d be.
That should be enough to make me think twice about walking off into the woods with him.
But we’ve come this far, and I don’t want to turn back now, so I place my hand in his and let him lead the way through the trees.
It’s beautiful out here.
Peaceful, too, because I’m with someone who makes me feel safe.
I’m not sure I’m ready to believe we’re fated, and to fully accept everything that comes with that, but I’m more than happy to spend time with him.
The trees are so pretty, illuminated by streaks of golden sunlight from above.
I count four different types of wild-flowers as we take the path of least resistance through the thickening foliage. Then, we get to a small clearing, where the trees have grown in a circle, too close together to allow us to find a way forward.
“Looks like a dead end,” Falcon says, as he glances around the enclosed space.
