Lord of the Night

Chapter 56: Keeping You Safe

The next time the warpers returned, two remained vacant after the remaining humans had boarded. When a young Guardian escorted my father to one of the remaining warpers, I exhaled in relief—and then turned away. I wanted him safe, but I didn't want to speak to him again.

Seeking out Fraschkit, I pointed at Isalio and then at the only empty warper. She hissed through her teeth but nodded.

I started toward Isalio. When I reached him, his eyes flicked open for the first time in the last hour, and when I crouched beside him, his eyebrows shot up.

"What are you doing?" His voice was sharp and accusatory. He might have sounded dangerous if not for his hoarseness—and his inability to get off the ground.

I probably should have explained the conversation that had taken place while he was unconscious—the reason the Guardians had decided the High Prince held a high value for our team. But something else slipped out instead.

"Keeping you safe," I said, and I scooped him into my arms.

He squirmed a little, and his throat clicked, trying to summon an adequate protest. I pressed him tighter against my chest, and his protest faded. He sagged into me with a shaky sigh, eyes sliding shut. As his face relaxed into a barely conscious haze, a realization squeezed my chest. Even if he now needed a logical reason for everything he did, he had never let go of his deepest childhood desire.

This is what you wanted. My hand reached up of its own accord, stroking the silky black locks at the nape of his neck. This is all you ever wanted.

Unfortunately, someone else entered the empty warper just before I reached it: Andradkut. Seeing Isalio in my arms, he grabbed the handle of the warper as if to dismount—then eyed the darkening sky and froze in place.

Gone was his combative overconfidence. Now he looked like a lost little boy.

I paused too, trapped by indecision. I was furious at Andradkut for doing something so rash and stupid, more so for hurting someone I cared about, and even more so because I understood exactly why he had felt compelled to do as he had done. But the boy's eyes were hooded—haunted. He didn't need a lecture right now. He needed to go somewhere safe and get a good night's sleep.

However, Isalio needed that too, and only one empty warper remained.

Fraschkit strode toward us. "Andradkut will keep an eye on the Demon," she said, loud enough for both me and Andradkut to hear. "He'll ensure the Demon is not harmed and does not harm anyone else. Right, Andradkut?"

"Yes, Leader," he said weakly.

Fraschkit's eyes cut toward me, brows raised.

I didn't like her solution, but I couldn't come up with anything better. Plus, strangely, I trusted Andradkut not to harm Isalio again. Maybe it was because I related to the boy too much. I understood his earlier determination, but I also understood how shaken he was now. No matter how much he hated the Prince for killing his parents, he couldn't deny that this Demon had just saved his life.

So I simply tipped my head at Fraschkit. "As you wish."

I buckled Isalio into the back seat of the warper, and he slumped against the side, face smearing against the window.

Squeezing his knee, I murmured, "Isalio, can you hear me?"

"Mmm."

"You'll stay with Andradkut, ok?" I shot the teen a stern glance. "He won't hurt you."

"Mmm."

I frowned. "I'll join you soon." I hope. "You'll be alright until then, yes?"

"Mmhmm."