I offered Levi a grateful smile before whispering hoarsely, “Thank you, Julian.”
“For what?” Julian tightened his hold on me as if he were afraid I would disappear if he let go.
“It was you, wasn’t it? You kept her safe. Kept us both safe. Sparrow is alive because of you.” The truth swelled in my heart, at what Julian must have gone through.
Because of me.
For me.
For Sparrow.
Reaching up, I cupped his jaw, stroking my thumb across his lips. A surprising yet familiar emotion churned in my belly at the connection.
Julian tipped further into my touch but remained silent for a long time; eventually he murmured, “But I failed you both in the end.”
Chapter 5
The Isles of Sacerdos
Griffin
Present Day – Catastro Sea
Griffin leaned against the cool metal wall just outside of Raven’s room in the passageway. The door was propped open enough for him to watch what was happening inside, but not enough to be seen. He didn’t want to intrude as she fell apart in Julian’s arms.
One day it will be me who holds her like that. Who she seeks in her time of need.
He had a plan, one that would ultimately keep her safe, but that would also put a large target on his back. One that would incite her rage.
Griffin clenched his fists before flexing his fingers out.
I don’t want to share her.
It had been hammered into him for years that you fought for who you loved. That the strongest man would win.
The winner would be the one to claim his Sacred Cherished.
Unfortunately,his father hadn't been the strongest.
A flash of crippling deep grief and agony weighed down Griffin's feet, his motley of emotions layering up until there was no room for them inside him.
And so he breathed them out, forcing them to escape the confines of his body. There was no time for rash decisions made off of his own rage. He breathed in and out a few times until a putrid scent infiltrated his grievances. “Oleks.”
“She is not your possession,” Oleks said.
“Not yet.”
A siren blared around them causing Griffin to push off the wall and towards Raven’s room. He knew it was coming—knew that while they may have been able to bypass the people of Vanravara, there was no hope when it came to the Isles of Sacerdos. They had an hour, tops, before they were stopped…and inspected.
Pushing open the door, just as the noise dispersed, he ignored both Levi and Julian, focusing on Raven. “You need to listen to me. I don’t have time to explain, but we are going to be boarded soon. There is no way around it, and if you don’t agree with everything I say, if you don’t follow my lead, they will take you, Raven.”
“Who?” Julian’s voice sharpened with his outrage. “They cannot have her.”
Griffin cut his eyes to the man; he had mixed emotions when it came to theHost. But overlaying them all was the deep respect that he had managed to pull this off, even if he thought the man was an idiot.
“I imagine this world out here has a different set of rules. A different game that none of us have played. Except you.” Levi’s steady deep voice broke through the tension.
“There are,” Griffin agreed. “And I have played them. The priests from Sacerdos will board our vessel, they will attempt to take her. Because she is a Sacred Cherished. We cannot allow that to happen. As you are all wanted men, you must stay out of sight.”
