Page 40 of Tender Thorns
“That doesn’t make sense.”
“It will when I explain everything.”
“Feel free to do that anytime,” I encourage. He stands there, looking at me with a blank expression. “I suppose now is not that time?” My tone is utterly flat.
“Correct.”
I spin around, sending my hair flying out behind me in an arc, and stomp toward the direction I think my room is in. Gentle hands grip my shoulders and steer me the other way.
“You could have just told me you didn’t trust me. You didn’t have to sic someone on me.”
“I will never ask for permission to protect you. I would build a wall of bodies in front of you if I thought it would keep you from harm.”
I snarl under my breath, aggravated that his words make it seem like he’s caring for me when he’s probably just trying to control me like everyone else.
“How was he watching me? With a looking glass like downstairs?” I’m not foolish enough to think that was a regular mirror on the wall, not after I found the one my father used to watch me when I thought I was alone.
“No, he never would have gotten to you fast enough if that were the case.” Ziv guides me by my shoulders again when I make another wrong turn.
“So what, he was stationed outside my door?” I whisper after we pass someone in the hall who seems far too old to be a novice.
“No!” There’s an air of finality spoken into the single syllable word I pick up on, even in my anger. He doesn’t want to discuss this now, but I can’t let it go. I feel betrayed.
“All you had to do was tell me. I wouldn’t have put up a stink about it. It’s not like I’m under an illusion about who is in powerhere, but you could have at least had the courtesy to warn me I wasn’t alone when I thought I was.”
Ziv grabs my arm and spins me around to face him. It’s only then I realize I’ve allowed my hurt to make me rash. It’s not wise to piss off people much stronger than you are. “Sorry,” I murmur before he even opens his thinly pinched mouth.
His nostrils flare once as he exhales heavily, and I flinch away when he lifts his hand. When no hit lands on my face or anywhere else, I peel my eyes open to see him staring down at me with his palm hovering over my cheek. Ever so tenderly, he cups the side of my face. “I wouldn’t—” He seems to struggle for his next words. “Never to hurt you, little flower,” he promises.
“Only to train me?” I question, knowing how far he’s willing to push when we’re in the arena training.
Ziv shuts his eyes on a slow blink but nods. “Anything to make sure you are strong enough to come back to me.”
“You could have told me.”
“I will next time.”
“Are you leaving again?” A different kind of panic wells up in my chest, and I think he can sense it because he steps up, bringing us closer together.
“No, but there are other things I’ve been keeping from you,” he admits.
I take an abrupt step backwards. His warm cherry scent clouds my head when he’s too close, and I need all my wits about me now. “What things?”
“I’ll tell you,” he hedges, not giving any details on what or when he might tell me.
“Not now?” Why do I feel like maybe I don’t want to know what those things are?
“Not now, we need to be alone for that,” he confirms.
I peer around his body, which is blocking my path, then over my shoulder. “Aren’t we alone right now?”
“Never assume.”
I roll my lips in, keeping any additional words and questions to myself for the time being. Without prompting, I resume walking, completely at a loss for where I am or where we’re going. Story of my life.
ZIV
All it takes is a swipe of my hand for the protection I placed over my door to drop. I’ll need to see if Briar can create the rune and disarm it, but that will have to wait. As much as I feel the need to train her and prepare her for what’s to come, I can’t ignore her more pressing needs, and she needs to know what’s going on. I could sense the fear and dread swirling in her thoughts when she realized I left the demon to watch over her. I know he didn’t hurt her, so there must be another reason for her anxiety.
