Chapter 568: Blind Trust
The whole world stilled, the screams and rampaging mana falling into the background. Only Luke remained, his hand tilting my chin toward him, his eyes capturing me in their dark depths. I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. All I could feel was the warmth of his hand on my cheek.
"Protect her?" Jessia’s snort snapped me back to reality. "You won’t get much chance to do that, Luke. That mage is probably angry enough to tear the scales off a dragon."
He winced, his gaze drawn to the chaos unfolding within the city walls. "I suppose that’s true, but at least I know where you are."
As his hand slipped from my cheek, a wave of dizziness washed over me. I stumbled back a step, legs quivering, and gasped for breath. My hand rose to my chest, pressing against the rapid pulse of my heart. After a moment, it rose to my cheek, tracing the faint, tingling warmth his touch had left behind.
"Just... stay safe. Please," he whispered.
Elise grasped my hand, lacing her fingers with mine. "We’ll make sure she doesn’t wander off. Now stop ogling and get going. You have to fight that mage still, remember?
Still glaring at him, she pulled me away from the apostle. I followed her lead listlessly, nearly walking right into Fable before realizing he was there. Elise waited for me to sink into his fur before releasing my hand, shifting ever so slightly to interpose herself between Luke and us.
Luke gazed at me a moment longer, not seeming to have noticed her, before blinking with a start. He coughed lightly, rubbing his chin, before nodding. "I leave her in your care."
He turned and, with a flourish, summoned his sword and staff. Black tendrils of curse magic rose around him like mist, sending a chill down my spine and causing me to shrink against Fable.
As he turned to go, my hand darted out to clutch at his sleeve. Elise gasped, staring at me, and Luke’s brow furrowed. Heat flooded my cheeks, and I quickly released him, hiding my hand behind my back.
"S-sorry," I squeaked, wilting beneath their curious gazes. Fable’s tail rose to curl around me, pulling me against him.