Chapter 526: Deception
As the rest of the patrol filed away, the two guards beckoned us out of the alley. "Come along. With the demons so close, it’s not safe after dark, so stay close."
"The demons?" Jessia asked, her eyes wide with feigned fear. "Are they really going to attack?"
"That’s what we believe," Tom said, giving her a bright smile. "They haven’t spared a single city in their march yet, but don’t worry, little lady, we’ll take care of them."
She smiled back, fluttering her eyelids. "I didn’t know we had such tall, strong soldiers protecting us. I feel safer already."
I couldn’t help but suppress a groan, feeling the urge to roll my eyes. At least this charade had given me an excuse to lean on Luke. Not that I cared that it was Luke, specifically, but I didn’t have to carry myself around. If hearing her flirt with a few guards was the cost, then I’d happily pay it.
Despite my thoughts, however, I couldn’t help but hug Luke’s arm just a little tighter, resting my head on his shoulder. I felt so very tired and could think of little more than curling up with Fable. The warmth of Luke’s body was comforting, and I felt myself drifting, the darkness beckoning.
"Xiviyah..." Luke said softly so as not to attract the guards’ attention.
Blinking away the blur of exhaustion, I glanced up to see him staring at me awkwardly. With a start, I realized I’d gotten a little too close, my grip more intimate than I thought, and he was forced to support almost all of my weight. A flush warmed my cheeks, and I quickly stepped back, stumbling over a cobblestone ridge in my efforts to distance myself. I still let him support me a little, we had to keep some semblance of the ruse going, but I was careful not to let myself be lulled into security again.
For some reason, it was almost impossible for me to remain suspicious of Luke. I’d worked so hard in the last few months to learn to trust people, and he was exhibiting all the signs my friends had. Intellectually, I knew I couldn’t rely on him, that he would do anything to achieve his revenge, but I couldn’t truly believe it.