I look down at Gavin and he shakes his head. “No,” he says softly.
The mayor smiles, as if confused. “Beg pardon?”
Gavin stands, drawing himself to his considerable full height as he sets his shoulders. “I said, no. She’s not going alone.” His voice is strong, but I can tell from the way his throat is working that he’s not comfortable standing up to this man.
The mayor only continues to smile and looks at me. The ultimate decision is in my hands. If we don’t go, it’ll be my choice. My choice to continue putting myself, and Gavin’s family, in danger. I can’t let that happen.
Still, I shake my head. “That’s unacceptable. I won’t go without Gavin.”
The mayor shrugs. “Suit yourself. Request denied, then.”
“Mr. Mayor, I have been led to understand that you’re unable to guarantee the safety of your citizens outside the gates. Do you honestly expect me to go unescorted into a territory you yourself cannot control?”
“I have offered you my terms.” For whatever reason, he’s decided he’s back in control.
“Very well. I can see there’s no point in any further discussion. When you are prepared to grant my very reasonable request, we can continue. Until then, I’ll ask you to leave.” I stand, walk straight past the mayor, and open the door, waiting for him to go.
The angry red spots are back in his cheeks. I’ve pushed him too far, I can see that, but something in me won’t back down. I don’t even know where these words are coming from.
“Will you let them both go, if I go?” a voice says from behind me. I whirl around to see Asher staring at his father.
I turn just enough so I can see both the mayor and Asher.The mayor purses his lips and this time I can’t control the shudder. It’s so familiar; it makes the blood in my veins freeze. I just wish I could place where I’ve seen it before.
“You want to go to the city?” the mayor asks him.
Asher shakes his head. “No. Not really. But Evelyn needs to go and the only way that’s going to happen is if they get visas.”
“Why are you offering?” his father asks with narrowed eyes. Then he pauses. “Who is this girl to you?” Gavin lifts a brow as if he is wondering the same thing.
Asher only smiles. “You’ve been wanting me to go to the city for months now and I’ve refused.” He shrugs. “So, Pops, what’s it going to be? I’ll go to the city like you want, only I take Evie and Gavin, like I want. We’ll call it a gentleman’s agreement.”
The mayor narrows his eyes and it’s so quiet I can hear the splash of each wave as they pummel the shore even through the closed window.
Finally the mayor nods. His eyes sparkle and I’m reminded of a cat I saw the other day toying with a mouse it had caught. I have to wonder what he’s got up his sleeve. “Fine. But there are things I need you to do in the city when you get there. Do you understand?”
Asher makes a face, but nods. “Fine.”
“I’ll have Greta draw up the papers.” The mayor walks away, his dismissal obvious, but his easy approval unnerves me. He was so set on denying Gavin passage. Why would he be comfortable sending his son with us—an Outlander he obviously detests and the crazy newcomer? It doesn’t make any sense.
I keep these thoughts to myself. I’ll talk with Gavin about them later when Asher isn’t around to be offended.
But Gavin is obviously less concerned than I am about offending Asher. He turns to him and says, “We don’t need your help. We can figure out how to get into the city on our own.”
Asher steps right into Gavin’s face. “You don’t understand. The city is not going to let you in, even with your visa. No matter what you think. You’re an Outlander and without a sponsor you don’t get in. So get over it. You need me.”
To his credit, Gavin doesn’t even flinch, let alone back down. “I don’t want you doing me any favors.” His voice is infused with anger. He’s practically vibrating with it. I can feel the hum of his emotions from here.
Asher takes a step back, but I don’t think it’s because Gavin intimidates him. “I’m not doing it for you.” His eyes meet mine and I tilt my head in confusion. “I’m doing it for her. And it’s not a favor.” With that he turns around and starts to walk away. “We should leave first thing in the morning. Meet me outside the village gates at sunrise.”
Gavin’s soft snores beside me are oddly soothing. At least he’s sleeping. I have to admit, I’m a little jealous, but he didn’t sleep the night before, so I doubt he’d have been able to pull off another night without somehow figuring out a way to secure his eyes open.
But I’m restless. The more I lay awake staring at the ceiling, the more I want to jump up and pace the room like Gavin does. My heart feels like it’s going to pound out of my chest and even though I’m breathing, I feel like I’m suffocating. I keep wringing my hands to relieve the ache that isn’t there. My body needs to move, and move now. Or I’ll explode. I’m sure of it.
Carefully, so I don’t wake Gavin, I slide out from underneath the sheets and out of bed. He stirs and instantly I freeze. He only rubs a hand across his nose and rolls over so his back is to me. The T-shirt he fell asleep in pulls tight across his back, showcasing the muscles in his back and shoulders.
I stare. Who wouldn’t? But even though my whole body protests, I turn away and make my way to the door instead of crawling back in beside him and making him help me forget all my worries about tomorrow. He deserves to sleep.
Even so, I’m disappointed when the cool doorknob turns easily in my hand and the door opens without so much as a whisper. And not just because Gavin promised to keep me locked in, but because it means nothing is stopping me from continuing on my path to get out of the ever-shrinking room and get some fresh air down by the shoreline.
With the floor cool and smooth under my bare feet, I shuffle as quietly as I can down the hallway and out the back door, which I’ve learned doesn’t squeak like the front.
The sand is still warm from the day, but is soft, crunching softly as I walk. The water laps at the shore, making soft whooshing sounds. The instant I hear it, the tension in my body starts to ease. And when I see the ocean, the rest of it fades away.
Pulling my skirt tight against my body, I sit close enough to the waterline to let the water lap at my feet, but not enough to soak me if an errant wave decides to go a little further than normal. I lay down, crossing my arms underneath my head and staring at the stars. They’re almost the best part here. They’re just so beautiful and free. I feel wistful just looking at them.
My mind wanders as I lay there, and before long I feel myself drowsing. I know I should get up and walk back into the house before I do manage to fall asleep—Gavin could wake up and if I’m not there, who knows what he’d do?—but I can’t summon the energy.
Without warning the hair on the back of my neck tingles and I know I’m not alone. But I don’t get up. I know who it is. There’s only one person who can make my nerves jangle like a whole fistful of bells.
Gavin.
When I feel him stare down at me, I open my eyes, finding myself peering into the most gorgeous gray ones. They’re worried at the moment, as they are most of the time, but I give him a shy smile and the relief in his eyes is almost instantaneous.
“Hey,” he says.
“Hi.”
“Scared me. I didn’t know where you’d gone. Why didn’t you wake me up?”