She spoke with Carter, her voice low enough that I couldn’t catch the words, before she headed in my direction.
I ducked behind the building again, plastering myself to the wall to become as small as possible. I would have disappeared if I could have managed it. I sure wished I had Ingram’s skills right about then.
The woman walked past me, not looking over, not seeming to notice me at all. Then again, from looking at her, I doubted I was worth her noticing.
The one thing I knew for sure, however, from the way energy flowed around her as she passed, hurt the worst.
The woman who had just left the place I was living, who had just walked out of the space I shared withmyespers, was a guide.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Carter
I rubbed at my temples even though I knew it wouldn’t do anything to resolve the headache that hounded me.
It had started about the moment I’d spotted Marleena in our trailer, after I’d gotten back from dinner in the main cafeteria. She’d been sitting there, on the couch, like someone had welcomed her in.
If she weren’t a guide, I would have probably dragged her out by her hair.
The audacity to come intomyspace like that?
It felt like an insult that I struggled to allow to pass. However, even I had my limits, and hurting a guide who hadn’t done anything worse went too far. It meant I’d simply kicked her out with a few stern words.
“Where is she?” Kenyon complained from his spot on the couch. “The training should have been over hours ago.”
His words made me think about something that had been mulling around in my head for the past hour. Sheshouldhave been back. I thought perhaps she was visiting a friend—she’d spent time with that Kaidan asshole—but she’d never stayed out so long after dark.
I’d ignored it, telling myself I wasn’t possessive or paranoid.
It was a fucking lie, but it made me feel a bit better when I said it to myself.
“Fuck this,” Ingram said, pulling out his cell and pressing a few buttons on the screen. After a moment with no answer, he frowned. “You don’t think…?”
“No one would dare touch her here,” I answered, but even I couldn’t say that for sure. People made stupid decisions all the time, after all. Plus, with the Guild still sniffing around…
I pulled out my own cell phone and dialed the number. When she didn’t answer, I dialed it again. Let her see just how long she could ignore me.
By the fourth call, she answered.
“What?”
“Where are you?”
“I’m out.”
“Where?” I pressed, tone having none of the jovial attitude I preferred to lead with.
“I don’t think I need to tell you that. You’re not my guardian.”
Might as well be…
“You know this place isn’t entirely safe. Come on, Blizzard, where are you? You need us to come escort you on home?” I knew my tone was mocking, that it was hardly the way to coax her to obey, but I couldn’t help it. Something about her rebellion annoyed me more than usual. Perhaps it was because she wasn’t here, safe, when she did it.
“I’m not coming back tonight.”
I noted that she didn’t call it home, seeming to make the choice on purpose. I also noted that I really didn’t fucking care forthat.
“And why is that?”
