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He didn’t know if perhaps it would be better to leave her behind.
He didn’t know. He didn’t care. And he wasn’t thinking clearly.
The only thing he knew was that Helen was obviously unwell, and he needed to do something about it.
He threw her onto the saddle and swung up behind her, holding her close to his body, and nudged the horse into a gallop.
“Breathe,” he whispered behind Helen’s ear. “We are out of harm’s way.” He didn’t know whether the Shadows would follow them. They probably would.
How soon?
He couldn’t tell. So he needed to keep as much distance as he could between himself and their pursuers.
“Where are we going?” Helen whispered, weakly leaning against him.
Ian grimaced. There was only one place where he could go and be protected. He tightened his arm around her and let out a deep breath. “Home. We are going home.”
* * *
Helen awakened and had to concentrate in order to figure out where she was. Her body was stiff and aching, her limbs were cold, and she felt confused and groggy.
Oh, no.
She knew what that meant. The sickness had found her again.
The first thought that invaded her mind was that at least she’d spent her time before this being happy, enjoying her life, taking risks, just as she’d promised herself.
The earth beneath her moved and swayed from side to side, and the loud sounds of horse hooves boomed around her. Raindrops hit her skin, and her wet clothing clung to her form.
That’s when she remembered where she was.
She leaned back against the wall of warmth behind her. Immediately his arms, hard as steel, tightened around her, not letting her fall.
“We’re almost there,” Ian whispered in her ear, his breath warming her freezing flesh.
She wanted to feel his breath against her skin once more. Everywhere.
Not in a salacious way. At the moment, her thoughts were concentrated on survival. And right now, he was the only thing keeping her warm. He was the only thing that kept her upright. Without him, she would have fallen off the horse already.
His thighs bracketed hers, his body acted as a support to her aching back.
Where were they?
Helen squinted in the dark, her vision blurry. But out of the blur, she could make out a little cottage in the middle of an empty field.
“Is this where we are going?” she asked, her voice hoarse. She had to clear her throat.
“Yes. For tonight.”
Helen closed her eyes again. “What is this place?”
“A safe house.”
A safe house? “Didn’t you say we were going home?” Is that what he meant by home?
“We are. But home is a few days’ journey away.”
A few days?
