Page 16 of Shadow Master
He nodded. “There was never a need for weavers or any other breed.”
“Indigo!” Kash approached at a light jog. He smiled at Lloyd. “Hey. I’d like to stay and fight,” he said. “I can do it.”
I looked to Lloyd. “You were training him, what do you think?”
Lloyd raked Kash over. “I think he has promise.”
“Fine.” I nodded curtly at Kash. “You can stay.”
A slight frown marred his forehead. “Thanks.”
Lloyd crossed his arms. “Anything else, cadet?”
Kash looked to me again.
He was waiting for me to claim him. To bring him into the fold, but I couldn’t do this. Not now. Not when there was so much other stuff to be worrying about. Not when Brady was in danger.
I sighed. “I’ll find you later.”
He took a step back, then stopped and shook his head. “No.”
Lloyd balked. “No?”
Kash ignored Lloyd. “You never got the chance to tell Brady about us, did you?”
“I told him. He knew, and he didn’t care. He was happy to share. He took me as his mate anyway, and I … I failed him. I let them take him.” My chest tightened, and it was suddenly difficult to breathe. “I can’t do this, us, right now. I have to focus on getting him back.”
“And you think having me around will get in the way of that?” Kash asked.
“Kash, I can’t give you what you want right now, okay?”
“And what the fuck is it you think I want?” Anger stained his tone. “You think I want sex? You think I want your time? What?”
I met his gaze, confused. “I don’t know.”
He exhaled sharply. “Dammit, Justice, I just want to be here for you. I want to help, support, whatever it takes to fix this shit and get Brady back. Whatever it takes to put the light back into your eyes.”
His words chipped at my resolve.
“He has a point,” Lloyd said.
Shit, I’d forgotten he was there.
He raised his hands in a just-saying gesture. “Fine, I’ll leave you to it.” He turned and walked away.
Kash stepped closer and cupped my shoulders. “Don’t push me away. I can help. I can be here. I don’t need anything from you, Indigo, I just want to be here for you.”
I closed my eyes and stepped into his embrace. He hugged me to him and rested his chin on the top of my head.
“I promise you, we’ll get Brady back,” he said softly. “Whatever it takes.”
He couldn’t come with me. The world on the other side of the mist would kill him. But still, when he said it the way he did, I believed him.
* * *
It waslate by the time I made it to the Academy to speak to Latrou about the weaver training. She didn’t put up a fight. The woman was amazing. She knew what needed to be done and roped in Helseth and another weaver from headquarters to help. The training for the weavers would begin in the morning.
I’d hoped to bump into Hyde while there, but he wasn’t around, and neither was Orion. So, I headed back to the mist and the fortress grounds.
