He nodded again, his brow hard with determination. “We will protect you.”
“You sound pretty confident,” she said.
He raised his eyebrow. “You doubt me?”
“I doubt everyone. What makes you any different?”
“I am Kantenan. My word is my bond.”
“And your intention? What do you get out of doing this?”
“Protecting you.”
“There's gotta be more than that.”
“Why do you think that?”
“Because there's always an ulterior motive.”
“Yet you signed up to be a bride of a stranger on another world. That seems very trusting.”
She didn’t like where he was going.
So she was going to avoid the implications. Best to jump into another direction. “Why are you here, anyway?”
“Making sure that you are safe and secure,” he replied.
“It’s a kind gesture to think of me, but I’m fine. After all, I can’t even go anywhere,” she said, waving her hand.
“I meant you, as in your entire group.”
Talk about taking his words the wrong way. Her cheeks got warm, thinking about how dumb she must have sounded.
Grr.
She hated sounding like an idiot.
She crossed her arms, pushing forward. “So you’re just, what, walking up and down the hallways? Guarding us while we rest?”
“Obviously my presence here is warranted. You’re out and about, possibly exposing yourself?—”
“Please,” she said, and gestured down the way. “To who? To what?”
The hallway was deserted, as it had been. The two of them were the only ones out there.
“You said yourself, you bring the death.”
“I did say that,” she muttered. “But even death has to have a target.”
He raised his eyebrow. “Let me walk you back to your residence.”
“Just let me wander around.”
“It would be best if you were back at your residence?—”
“I don’t?—”
“Adryel?” came a female voice.
