“The less you know, the better.”
I took a step toward him, and this time he didn’t move away. He reached for me as my fingers slid up to the hollow of his chest, tracing the medallion beneath his shirt. “I may already know more than you think.”
“You don’t. This goes much deeper than the Order of the Coffin and the Claw. You have no idea how dangerous these people are.” He took my forearms, gripping me so tightly for a moment that I winced. The pressure from his fingers eased, but the darkness in his eyes held me enthralled.
“You’re going after them,” I said. “That’s why you’re taking a leave of absence. You don’t want to be encumbered by a badge for what you’re about to do.”
“I’m not going after them,” he said in a strange voice. “I’m going to join them.”
I might have backed away from him then, but he held me fast.
My finger was still on the medallion. I wanted to trace the outline of the emblem until his thoughts opened up to me, until I could slip into his memories and find out what had happened. Find out how I could help him. Stop him. But his mind remained closed to me. Whether he’d done so consciously or not, he’d erected a wall to keep me out.
He drew me to him and I went easily into his arms. “This isn’t the end,” I said fiercely.
“No.” His gaze on me darkened. “I’m afraid it’s just the beginning.”