Page 77 of Shadow Weaver
Her smile was wry. “Archer’s sudden change of mind. His sudden invite for me to come here.” She looked me up and down. “I guess I was the buffer.”
I didn’t know what to say.
“I’ve known Hyde a long time. He’s a good person. He’s always done the right thing, but he’s also a passionate man, and he isn’t immune to temptation.” Her face hardened. “Stay away, Indigo. He’s not for you.” There was no malice in her tone. Just weariness.
I shouldn’t have come. He wasn’t mine. Could never be mine. I nodded. “I know.”
She brushed past me into the room.
The main doors burst open, and Kash came rushing in. His hair looked windswept, and his eyes were bright. They latched on to me. “Justice, where’s Payne?”
“What? He’s with patients.”
“Shit. The weaver council has sent enforcers to bring him in. They’re headed over here now.”
“What? Why?”
“Because of you.”
For a moment, my mind was blank, and then the reality of the situation registered. Payne had procreated when he was forbidden to, and he’d created a nightblood child. Of course, there would be consequences. My heart squeezed in panic.
I rushed into the sick room.
“Payne!”
He looked up with a warm smile. “Indigo. When did you get here?”
I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He tensed, stunned, and then his body relaxed, and he hugged me back.
It felt good. So bloody good and I didn’t want to let go. But he was in danger. I pulled away. “The weaver council has sent enforcers. You have to run.”
His eyes grew sad, and then he smiled softly. “There is nowhere to run, Indigo. I knew this was coming. I just hoped I’d have a little more time with you before it happened.”
“What? You knew they’d come to arrest you? Why did you stay? You could have run.”
He gave me aduhlook. “You think I was going to leave you and go? Every moment that we’ve spent together has been worth it. Don’t you forget that.”
There were raised voices in the foyer, and then two hulking figures appeared in the doorway followed by Brunner.
“Carter Payne,” one of the guys said. “We have a warrant for your arrest. Please come with us.”
I stepped in front of Payne. “You’ll have to go through me to get to him.”
The enforcers exchanged glances, thrown. They’d probably never been challenged before.
Payne laid a hand on my shoulder. “It’s all right. I’ll be all right. I have to go with them now. But I’ll be back. It will probably be a slap on the wrist.”
I looked up at him. “Really?”
“Mr. Payne …” There was warning in the enforcer’s tone.
“A moment, please,” Brunner snapped. “Give the man a minute.”
Payne cupped my face and kissed my forehead. “Really. And we still have our trip at the end of term.”
“Yeah, we do.” But then why didn’t I want to let him go?
“I want you to focus on your lessons. Get your powers under control and graduate to shadow knight. You have so much potential, Indigo. Don’t let anything hold you back. Promise me.”
