Wings

2: I Kept Running For A Soft Place To Fall

"What about your family?" I ask. "Maybe you could hide with them somehow."

He laughs bitterly. "Yeah...I can't really talk to my family."

An awkward silence pervades the air. I don't really know what to do for him. I guess I could take him to another village, but that would take ages, especially by foot. Judging by his initial reaction to my wings, I doubt he would be comfortable with me flying him.

"I still owe you," Will reminds me. "Have you thought about what I can do to repay you?"

I don't know why he's so hung up on repaying me. I'm pretty sure most people would be charging me right now, ready to fight to the death if it means they get a chance at the king's reward. I don't really know what to tell him; he won't believe me if I tell him about the responsibilities of a Guardian—he won't even believe that I'm not a monster, probably. He also doesn't really have anything he could give me—and to be honest, I'm more just worried about getting him somewhere safe where I don't have to stay awake all night making sure he doesn't freeze.

Also, the sooner I find a warm place for him to stay, the sooner I can stop worrying that he's going to pull out a knife and try to get that reward.

"Could I stay with you until I figure things out?" Will asks, and heat spreads up my neck. What the hell? Isn't he scared of me? He thinks I'm a serial killing monster! Does he have no survival instincts at all?

I want to say no. I can't sleep while he's around—if I sleep, I might wake up and find him dead from hypothermia, or he might try to murder me while I'm vulnerable. If he stays with me, something is bound to go wrong.

But we don't really have another option yet, either. If I tell him no, I'm betraying the agreement between humans and Guardians. I've learned the perils of failing to uphold the agreement—so instead of telling Will that this is an awful idea, I force a nod.

"Yes, you may stay with me until we find another solution," I agree. "I have to leave the clearing, though. We'll need food for the day. And a safer place to sleep—somewhere that hunters and the Royal Guard won't find me. Are you comfortable with leaving the clearing?"

He doesn't exactly look thrilled at the idea—he throws a nervous glance at the fire. I guess I can't really blame him for being nervous about having to leave the safe camp he's created—after all, that fire is kind of the only reason he's alive right now. It's natural that he wouldn't want to stray far from it.

"We'll take materials to build another fire somewhere safer," I assure him. "I won't let you freeze to death."

His Adam's apple bobs up and down once, but then he nods stiffly and picks up the knife and the flint that currently sat next to the pile of tinder I'd gathered. He holds onto them tightly, like a lifeline, and I'm really not sure how I feel about him having control over the knife. I swallow my concerns and turn on my heel.

"Follow me," I tell him. "We're going to need more food now that there's two of us."

Will trails me, still sneaking glances at my wings every time he thinks I'm not looking. They're tense on my back, pulled in tight and pressing into my body—my heart thuds with apprehension. He has my knife, and he's behind me, and he keeps throwing looks at my wings. That's a recipe for betrayal. My only saving grace is that he walks like an elephant—he's loud enough that I'll be able to know the second he tries to take that knife to my wings. I just can't get distracted.

Finding food in the winter is harder than any other time of year, so it's unfortunate that this whole thing had to happen now instead of in summer, when there would have been plenty of food for the both of us. I manage to find some juniper berries, and I collect them in a leather pouch that hangs from my waist. I have to hope Will isn't a picky or heavy eater—we can't exactly have a large five-course meal right now, and his options are very limited.