Of Blood and Duty

Chapter Twenty Eight • Come With Me

-Loren-

Left without an explanation to why she had stormed of, although having had a pretty good idea who was the reason for it, Loren went back to bed. Not that he got any sleep after that. Ridden by guilt, he tossed and turned on the uncomfortable bedroll for hours on end before she came back.

She entered nearly soundlessly and had he not been staring directly at the door, he would not have detected her entrance.

Mae closed the door behind her without speaking a singlr word. Afterwards, she leaned her back against it with a forlorn look in her eyes.

What had she learnt while she was gone? Had he ruined her life by telling her what her father had said?

"Did you talk to him?" He asked carefully, waking her from her gloomy thoughts.

"What? No." She said shaking her head as she pushed herself off the door. "I just... I tried to." She hesitated. "But I couldn't."

"Tried what?"

"To learn more. I wanted to know if it was true - what you said." She explained quietly. "Not that I do not believe you, it's just-"

"He's your father." Loren filled in. "I understand, Mae."

"You shouldn't though." She argued against herself. "You should not have to be doubted, like you said. You have done nothing to hurt us and-"

He rose to his feet and walked over to her. Taking her face in his hands by her jaws, his thumbs gently stroking the lower corners of her mouth. "I am sorry for what I said, Mae." He repeated himself from earlier. "It is no excuse but I was so angry that Ulf is here... and then they took him away and you were... there. I am sorry you had to hear those things." He apologized while caressing her lower lip with his right thumb.

"Please stay." She whispered, catching him off guard. Those brown eyes he could never get enough of watched him with something he had never seen in them before; pleading vulnerability. Something new glistened in them. Something raw.

"What did you say?" He exclaimed quietly.

"Please stay." She repeated herself despite him kot expecting her to, all the while not moving her eyes away from him. When his hands were about to fall from her face she grabbed them and held them in place. Sensing his shock she waited patiently for him to find whatever words he was struggling to find.

"You know I cannot stay." He told her quietly. An indistinguishable anguish spreading in his chest when he saw her fall apart as she took in his words. He had been so happy about getting to know her and seeing her behind the hard exterior she always had on, but now it hurt. Seeing her like this was heartbreaking.

"Why not?" She nearly mouthed the words. Her eyes braveley holding his gaze even though he could see how hard she wanted to look away, to shut him and her feelings out.

"You know why." He whispered, brushing a strand of her raven hair away from her face. "I cannot stay here." He repeated himself.

They were both quiet for a moment before he was struck by an idea.

"Come with me." He offered. This caused her to laugh quietly. Not at him but at the thought of her leaving the Guild he could tell. "What did I say?" He wondered, not offended or annoyed. Just wondering.

"I can't go with you." She said quietly, eyeing the door as if someone could be eavesdropping.

"Why not?" He countered.

"Because I don't belong in your world." She argued quietly when looking back to him. Catching his blue eyes with her dark ones.

"Neither I in yours." He said the words even though they pained him greatly. Mae's eyes widened and quickly filled with sorrow at those words. "I need to be someplace else."