Page 15 of Cimmerian

Jasper slid down the wall to sit next to me, cradling me in his embrace. “We’re going to wait until Merrick can go home, and then we’re going to find Lucy. We’re going to scour every book in every Goddamned library until we find something that will break you from your family’s obligations. I don’t care what it costs. I don’t care how long we have to search. Iwillprotect you, Ava. I’m not letting you go.”

I nodded, letting his heartbeat soothe me. At this moment, I wasn’t sure if there was anything else we could do. I couldn’t let Lucy get hurt for me -- out of anyone, she was the most innocent in all of this. “Merrick should come home with us.”

Jasper tightened his arms around me. “Yes. And I’ll call my buddy and see if we can stay in the new place a bit early. No one but he and I know about it, and I would feel better knowing you both were somewhere secure.”

The new apartment. Yeah. That made sense. But my heart was racing in a way I couldn’t explain or describe, and I suddenly wished it weren’t this situation forcing us into our new home. This move should be exciting, and happy, and everything I had dreamed about when I pictured Jasper’s and my life together. Not cloaked in secrecy and veiled in a darkness that weighed heavy on my soul. I chewed my lip. “I probably should give Mollie a heads up.”

Jasper pulled away slightly so he could look me in the eyes. “Are you sure that’s a wise idea? Right now the apartment is secure. I know you love Mollie, but the fewer people who know, the better.”

I sighed. “I know. But you and I are also both well aware if I disappear when I’m supposed to be home, she’ll sound every alarm in the Goddamn city.”

“Touché, Green,touché.” Jasper chuckled, and the sound was out of place in the empty hallway where we sat.

“Besides, maybe if we have a stable place then Betty can come home.” My fluffy cat had been living with Mollie while we jumped between each of our apartments.

“Oh, gee, can she?” Jasper didn’t bother to contain his sarcasm and I smacked him with the back of my hand.

“Be nice.”

“So you tell Mollie. But bare minimum please. Don’t tell her specifics and blame it on my work if you have to.”

I rolled my eyes. “Mollie will love that.”

Jasper pulled my chin up to look at him. “Mollie has no other option. And you’ll take Beau with you into town, okay?”

“Where will you be?”

He grinned, the kind of smile that sent electricity ricocheting throughout my entire body -- bond or no bond. “I’ll be setting up our new home.”

“Mmm…” I kissed him lightly on the lips, unable to stop myself when he looked so damn pleased. “This is more what I expected when you asked me to move in with you.”

“So I shouldn’t mention I’ll be going in to rig the place with booby traps and weapons?”

Despite myself, I laughed. Jasper had always had that effect on me, to lighten the mood even when the situation was dire, and the outcomes seemed bleak. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Go check on Merrick. I’ll make a few calls. You have your makhairas?”

I patted my sides. “Always.”

“And your phone?”

I grimaced. Months of training and danger, but I was still no better at keeping the damn thing charged.

Jasper raised a dark brow in my direction, and I wasn’t sure if he was trying not to laugh or was going to scold me. “Seriously?”

“In my defense, it wasn’t exactly like we were planning on having cell signal out in the forest.”

“Mhm…” He smirked at me. “A likely excuse.”

I rolled my eyes. “Go. Go do whatever it is you’re planning on doing, and I’ll head into town when Beau wakes up.”

Jasper stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk away. “I’ll see you at our house later tonight.”

Our house. I couldn’t lie -- I liked the way that sounded. Our house. Now we just needed to figure out a way to stay alive long enough to enjoy it.

Chapter Five

In the end, it wasn’t Beau who made the drive with me to meet Mollie. The lack of sleep had obviously caught up to him, and even after I went and did all but kick his door open, I could still hear the loud snoring coming from the window at Adrian’s house. Theopenwindow -- Beau didn’t fear a lot. No, in the end it was Merrick who sat in the passenger seat of my car, as dirt roads turned to gravel which became the small highway that would lead us to Merrillan. Mary had come in just after Merrick had woken up, deeming his arm satisfactorily healed, and releasing him from her care. He needed to take it easy for the rest of the day, but we both figured a drive shouldn’t be overly stressful. Definitely less stressful for all of us than if Jasper were to find out I had gone into town on my own.

I slowed my speed as we rolled into the small downtown. It seemed so different since the last time I had been there, but really had anything changed? The post office still needed a new coat of paint, the peeling grey wood so at odds with the friendly clerk I knew would be inside. The hardware shop, the grocery store, and the small florist who only ever seemed to be busy on Valentine’s Day and prom. Everything was the same as it had been when I’d driven here last, so why was I so at odds with my hometown?

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