Afterlife (Purgatory Series Part Three)

Chapter Eight: Lessons of the Past

Chapter Eight: Lessons of the Past

Traveling with Roran made everything about my journey more bearable. I was no longer bored or lonely. He had borrowed an SUV from the Aerie and we spent the rest of the drive to Bulgaria talking about our pasts and holding hands. I wanted to feel guilty about letting him tag along with me and possibly putting him in danger, but he didn't give me much time to dwell on it.

Eventually though, our conversation shifted to my training and that brought to mind Altair's advice. I cringed at the memory and tried to shove it to the back of my mind, but Roran spotted my discomfort.

"What?"

I tried to laugh it off. "Nothing. It's stupid."

"It's not nothing if you're uncomfortable and making that face. Tell me," he insisted, giving my fingers a gentle squeeze.

I shifted in my seat and pulled at my jacket sleeves. "It's just something Altair and I were talking about a few weeks ago. He's my trainer and I know I am supposed to listen to him, but I couldn't bring myself to do as he said."

Just as I suspected, at the mention of Altair Roran's smile disappeared and his eyebrows furrowed in a scowl.

"What did he say?" he asked, trying to disguise the irritation in his voice but failing.

"That I didn't need to be in a relationship with you while I have a mission to complete," I whispered in response.

A cynical laugh coughed up from Roran's chest and his eyes narrowed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"He just thinks it will be a distraction for me," I defended. "That I need to focus on my mission."

Roran sighed and pulled the car over to the shoulder of the road. Turning to look at me, I could see he was conflicted.

"Thea, what I'm about to say is probably going to hurt your feelings, but it needs to be said."

I stared at him in confusion and watched as he took a nervous breath.

"I made the mistake of thinking that way once," he began. "You remember, when you ended up in Rome looking for me? I was staying away from you because I thought you would be safer without me-that by being away from you I was somehow protecting you-but in the end the exact opposite happened. You were in more danger on your own. And the same is true for your time in purgatory without me. Moroi and Mara were able to manipulate you and it nearly killed us all."

I winced at the memory.

"Altair is wrong, Thea," he argued, stroking my messy hair back away from my eyes. "He hasn't been in a situation like what we've faced. He doesn't know what it's like. No one can accomplish what you're trying to do all alone."

For several seconds we sat in the silence as I processed what he was telling me. I understood where he was coming from and he wasn't wrong, but it was still risky. As if reading my mind, he continued.

"Look, will I probably get hurt sometime during this mission? Probably. Will it be because we're in a relationship? No. It will be because what we're trying to do is dangerous. The only way we will be able to survive this is to stay together. We're better together and you know it."

My throat was tight from emotion, so all I could do was nod. He was right. Every time I had gone off on my own things had taken a turn for the worse.

Roran smiled at me and started the car again. According to the GPS we were only five miles from Kosta's estate. My palms grew sweaty with nerves.

"Do you think he will try to kill me?" I croaked, wiping my hands on my pants. "Kosta? He's a vampire hunter after all. One of the best according to Helena."