|
Her words gave him pause.
Peace. A concept he’d not had in longer than he cared to
remember.
“It is dangerous to be up
here, especially in the rain.”
Her response was a bark of
humorless laughter. “Kind of the point. You know, jumping
into a raging river and letting it decide my fate.”
Lightning moved from cloud
to cloud offering him a clearer view of her. Rain streaked
down her brown skin, her hair was plastered to her head, its
short length not offering her any respite.
Her worn and frayed
clothing clung to her figure. The occasional display of
light as it zigged and leaped across the sky didn’t hide the
shivers, which only increased as time went on.
Lian made a decision in
that moment. He wouldn’t let this woman follow through with
whatever asinine plan she was hatching in that cute,
wet—albeit distressed—head. He’d lived long enough to sense
when all wasn’t what it appeared on the surface. This woman
screamed that, and he was intrigued.
There wasn’t an ounce of
trust on her face. In fact, the fear had increased. He
wanted to make her feel better. Secure.
“Now, since we are both in
a dangerous situation, perhaps we could step down to safety
and get out of this weather?”
“You…you didn’t have to
step up in the first place.”
He wrapped one arm about
the slick metal, content he could reach her if she decided
to jump. She didn’t know of his speed. “Neither did you.”
Her entire expression
became solemn. “Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
Eyes grew frantic again.
“You don’t understand. Please, go away.”
“No. I told you, I’m not
leaving you. You come with me, tell me what the problem is
and I will see if I can help you.”
She moved, turning a
shoulder to him and sliding back. This time he saw blood.
His protective instincts rushed to the forefront.
“You’re bleeding.”
His words were unheeded
and he figured she knew she was bleeding. She finished
turning and faced the swollen river. On one shoulder he saw
a white disc. Slipping closer, he didn’t allow her any more
choice, just grabbed her. |
