Bound By Honour (Book 1)

Chapter 17

They don't reach the building in time. Freezing cold water falls from the sky and within seconds they are both drenched from head to toe. Sparrow shrieks and then laughs as her feet pound solidly across the ground after Wolfe, his hand pulling her faster as the cold water trails down his spine. He slams the door open and pulls her in. His hand leaves hers and she wipes her face and pushes her sopping hair out of her eyes, trying not to note how her hand is slowly cooling down to match the rest of her body. The dark clouds outside smother the landscape and stop almost all traces of light. The training building remains in the dark, except for when the lightning strikes.

Sparrow hugs her arms to her; she can't stop the shivers from wracking her body. Wolfe searches the cupboards and finds a few candles and a box of matches. He sets them up away from the slitted, open windows across the floor and lights them. They flicker, almost as if they are unsure as whether they want to stay alight. He looks to Sparrow whose eyes centre in on the candles but she doesn't move. Her hair hangs limply down her back and her shoulders sticking to her clothes. It drips steadily onto the floor. Every part of her is dripping with water and he sees the goose bumps rising on her neck.

He turns his back to her and roots in the cupboard, knowing there should be at least one set of clothes to change in to. He opens a chest in the corner of the room and smiles with relief. He pulls out two tops and two pairs of trousers. He knew they would come in handy one day, he'd purposed them for if anyone got wounded and needed fresh clothes but they would be useful now. He also pulls out a blanket and stretches it out on the floor. Sparrow watches all of this and her eyes draw back to the sky outside.

"Are you going to make a run for it?" He asks and cannot keep the judgment out of his tone.

"I was considering it." She replies honestly then looks back to the clothes he holds out to her. "It's only rain."

"And lightning..." he pauses and glances outside where the rain has solidified and bounces against the ground, "and hail. We'll wait it out." He pushes the clothes into her arms and turns his back to her. "You will tell me when you've finished."

She considers just running but she knows that is the cowardly option. Wolfe isn't dangerous, there is no harm staying here with him. With a quick assessment that he really is going to face the other way she hurriedly removes the dripping clothes and pulls on the dry ones. Her shivers do not subside. "I'm finished."

He turns and nods, "Wrap the blanket around your shoulders." Her eyes narrow. "Please."

Slowly she sits down and pulls it around her and her head dips to her chest. Her eyes shutter closed. "Tell me when you're finished." He laughs and makes a sound of agreement.

She hears his movements, the sigh of relief as he removes the watery cotton shirt and pulls on a dry one. She hears the thud of his boots as they fall to the floor. He changes fairly quickly and she hears him sit down beside her. She opens her eyes and meets his lazy grin. "I didn't say anything." He teases and she rolls her eyes. The next shout of thunder rumbles directly overhead and Sparrow folds even further into herself. "You're afraid of thunder?" Wolfe asks his voice incredulous. She momentarily lifts her head to scowl at him. "It's ok to be afraid of thunder."

"I'm not afraid." She retorts but her actions disagree with her and she shivers once again when the thunder cracks above. She chews on her lower lip. "Maybe, I don't like thunder."

"Why not?" It's the curiosity in his voice that compels her to answer, nothing else.

"My sister used to tell me that there was a beast in the sky that was searching for little girls that didn't want to grow up to be ladies." She shakes her head and chuckles sadly. "She told me that one day he would find me and he'd take me away with him and make me into the lightning that would strike the sky. I would never get to see my family ever again, never talk to them, and laugh with them. I'd get a second to light up the night on stormy nights. I didn't mind the idea of being lightning but leaving my family. That was terrifying."