“That hardly makes me unique around here.”
I stepped closer. “Barlen—”
“She suspects me already,” he interrupted softly. “You should know that before deciding whether to trust me. It won’t be long before I’m sent to the dungeon…or worse.”
The honesty in the statement hit harder than reassurance would have.
“Then why help me?”
His jaw tightened briefly. “Because if my end is approaching anyway, I might as well do something worthwhile before it arrives.”
“No.” The word left my mouth sharper than I intended. “Don’t talk like that.”
He looked startled.
“You don’t get to decide your ending before it happens,” I continued quietly. “Especially if it’s at the hands of the Priestess.”
Something flickered across his face so quickly I almost missed it.
Hope.
I sensed it was tiny and fragile, but there it was.
“You sound like someone else,” he murmured.
“Who?”
His expression shuttered almost immediately. “No one.”
I pulled the cloak around my shoulders while keeping my voice low. “If we do this, you’re coming back with me.”
His brows rose. “Maeve—”
“I’m serious.” I pointed at him. “No mysterious sacrifice nonsense. No staying behind dramatically while telling me to go on without you. I have enough emotionally repressed people in my life already.”
A startled laugh escaped him before he quickly swallowed it back down.
“I’ll do my best,” he said.
“That sounded suspiciously noncommittal.”
“It’s the most commitment I’ve offered anyone in years.”
I tightened the cloak around myself. “So how bad is this going to be?”
His expression turned grim again immediately. “Worse once we leave the compound.”
“Awesome. That’s exactly the type of pep talk I was looking for.” I grinned at the furry goblin.
“Oh, sorry. I thought you wanted honesty.” He shrugged. “Anyway, the compound at least has rules.” He moved toward the door and pressed his ear against it briefly before glancing back at me.
“Okay.”
“Shadowick beyond the compound’s walls…” His mouth tightened. “It listens.”
Goosebumps rose instantly along my arms. “Listens to what?”
“You’ll see.”
