Free Catching Red by Tara Quan Page B

for a moment’s bliss, her life wasn’t the only one at stake. “I have to leave soon. I need to know you’ll let me go. I want to kiss you. I want to do more than kiss you. But the future isn’t something I can change.”
    “And you can’t tell me where you’re going. You won’t promise to come back.” He sounded more curious than angry. “When the storm is over, you want me to just stand by and watch you walk away.”
    She nodded. The motion made the tips of their noses brush over each other.
    He lowered her to the ground. “No deal.”
    His statement took her by surprise. There was no reason for him to refuse her terms. In many ways, they were still strangers. Their pasts and futures were topics neither spoke of. They revealed nothing and promised nothing.
    Yet she knew he couldn’t stay still for more than a few moments at a time—some part of his body, most often his foot, always started moving. His eyes reminded her of violets when he sat by a fire, and its orange glow would make his hair turn the color of sunrise. He rubbed his palms together when she asked questions he wanted to avoid. He couldn’t sleep without complete darkness.
    It suddenly occurred to her she knew more about him than she cared to admit.
    “I don’t want to start this with a lie.” He sounded surprised by his own words. “You’re delusional if you think I’ll stand by and let you get yourself killed.”
    Because she wasn’t sure if she was speaking the truth, she lowered her gaze to the ground. “I’m capable of handling my own problems. I expect you not to interfere—”
    “Then you’re in for a disappointment.” His lips firmed into a straight line. “I was the one who stitched you back together. Whatever it is you think you’re doing, you’re in way over your head. There’s no way in hell you can convince me otherwise.”
    She reached for his hand. “If you come with me, all you’ll do is put your life in danger. This isn’t a place where you can hide or blend in. These aren’t people who’ll look kindly on m-outsiders. I need to go back alone.”
    He scowled. “For someone who almost died a week ago, you sure talk a good game. If what you say is true, then you might as well give up now.”
    His words stung in large part because they veered too close to the truth. She wasn’t confident the rebellion would manage to keep everyone alive. She didn’t even know if she’d be able to save her own mother. What awaited her at the end of this path could be her grandmother’s victory and countless deaths.
    But she didn’t have a choice. She was fighting for her home—for her family. The chances of success were irrelevant. There were people counting on her return. She needed to go back and finish what she started.
    “I’ve made my decision. My problem isn’t one you can solve. I have a plan, but it’s going to take time.” She had already told him too much. Even now, she risked him figuring out where she was heading. “When I leave, you can’t follow me. You can’t look for me. Once I accomplish what I need to do, I’ll go to the city and find you.”
    “Stop being so pigheaded,” he ground out. “I remember the shape you were in when we first met. You had bruises and cuts all over your body. People cause those kinds of injuries, not undead. Whomever you’re going back to, they’ve hurt you before, and they’ll hurt you again.”
    She fought for resolve. It was near impossible to refuse his help when all she wanted was more time by his side. “I’m tough. I can handle my own problems.”
    “I won’t let you.” His resolute expression chilled her to the bone. If he tracked her, there was a good chance he would find her.
    She let go of his hand and took a step back. The severed connection was almost a physical pain. “Then this can’t happen. I can’t let you get any more attached to me than you have.”
    He stared at her for a long moment before shaking his head. “It’s too late.”
    Her