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Wilder went to her, wrapping his arms around her without hesitation. ‘You’re safe.’

But when she looked at him, her eyes were still filled with terror.

‘I’msafe,’ he assured her.

She looked small and vulnerable on her bedroll, her chest still rising and falling in quick succession. Gods, it killed him to see her like that. He hated that he was the source of her anguish.

Gently, he pushed her back down and pulled the blanket up over her, averting his gaze from the thin material of her nightshirt. ‘Rest now.’

It took a long while for Thea’s breathing to steady, and all the while Wilder sat by her, his thumb stroking the back of her hand in reassuring circles.

Friends. They werefriends. And friends were there for one another. Friends comforted each other. But the thunderous beat in his chest and the urge to breathe in her scent betrayed him.

He didn’t care. He brought her trembling body to his, hoping that his warmth would help steady her. He’d deal with the consequences of theirfriendshipin the morning, but for now – for now he just wanted to be there for her.

And so Wilder held his apprentice through the night.

* * *

When Wilder woke to the watery rays of dawn and the low mist across the plains, Thea wasn’t beside him. She hadn’t gone far, though; she was there, a few yards away, going through her morning drills, drills he’d specified.

Her brows were knitted together in concentration, her eyes fierce with determination as she moved through each exercise with a refined precision that Wilder had never seen before in a Guardian. She never flinched, never hesitated, never gave up, and Wilder couldn’t help the swell of pride in his chest at that. But he noted the haunted look in her eyes, and the shadows beneath them. Whatever terrors had dragged her from her sleep last night were still with her now. Wilder wished there was something he could do to help her.

Luckily, there was.

That morning, he trained with her, correcting her form, showing her the best way to protect the more vulnerable parts of her body from strikes that might catch her off guard. For once, Thea didn’t ask questions, didn’t try to rile him up as they worked. She simply listened and implemented what he said.

It was unnerving.

She was quiet over breakfast as well, pushing her porridge around in her bowl without actually eating it. Distracted, she stood, as though she meant to pack up.

Not a chance. Wilder wasn’t having any of that. ‘I meant what I said when I first got back to Thezmarr,’ he said.

Thea looked up, as though surprised to find him there. ‘What?’

‘That you need to look after yourself. To keep yourself healthy.’

‘I am —’

‘You’re not eating enough.’ Wilder reached across to the pot over the embers and spooned another scoop of porridge into the bowl she’d left on the ground. ‘We’re not leaving till you eat that.’

‘You can’t be serious.’

‘Oh, I’m deadly serious.’

Thea stared at him for a moment. ‘You’re insufferable.’

Wilder matched her stare, hardening his expression. ‘This is the least of it. Eat up. I don’t want to be here all day.’

He held in his sigh of relief as Thea sat back down with a huff and began to eat again.

* * *

As the days passed, Wilder realised that the woman riding beside him was not the same shieldbearer who had once travelled with him to and from Harenth, sneaking glances at him, studying the way he moved. Gods, back then she had tested his patience to no end with her stream of questions and her eagerness.

She’d worn him down, though, and eventually, she’d found a weak spot in his armour. She’d seen him – therealhim.

And what she’d seen hadn’t scared her. Instead, Thea had given him a gift… She’d shared herself with him. She’d found her place under his skin and in his heart, and there she’d stayed, despite whatever vows they’d made.