Chapter 37

37

Farryn

Up and down the hallway, I paced. Night had fallen, and my mind seemed to be consumed by the thought of Van Croix venturing into those woods alone with that thing. I’d battled the guilt of having left him, only to come to the understanding that I’d be useless against the strange and unusual beasts of this world. Compounding that guilt was the added stress of not having alerted anyone else in the house, per his request, and that if he happened to be severely hurt, or dead, I’d be the one to blame.

Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

I needed to tell someone. Even if it was just Anya. At least she would know of someone who could help him, if needed.

At the sound of a creaking door, I raced to the bannister that overlooked the foyer, and my stomach eased when I watched him stride into view. On his way to wherever he was headed, he halted mid-step and met my ridiculously eager gaze. A look of surprise gleamed in his eye, the unspoken concern undoubtedly written all over my face. Cheeks heated with a flush of embarrassment, I backed myself toward my room.

Yes, I wanted him to return safely and intact.

I just hadn’t anticipated how much I’d needed to see him walk through that door until right then.