Free Chaos Bound by Rebekah Turner Page B

build that?’
    ‘I'm a soldier, not a builder,’ Roman said defensively. He walked over to it. ‘This has been standing for ten years now.’ He clapped a hand against a stone. ‘Solid as the day I built it.’ The shelter gave a shudder and he leapt back in surprise. I laughed and Roman looked sheepish. ‘I usually just sleep in the open.’
    I drifted over to the small stream that wove through the field and crouched, letting my fingers tickle the icy cold water. ‘Why are we here, Regulator?’
    ‘I wanted to show you a safe place,’ he said. ‘A place you could come, if you needed to. It’s where I go when I feel the walls close in.’
    His words threaded a thin ribbon of worry through me. Since when did nephilim feel trapped? They were raised to obey the Grigori. No exceptions.
    When I stood, Roman was close. My body sensed how warm and inviting he was, and I took a breath, inching away. As if sensing my inner struggle to keep away from him, Roman’s face broke out into a smile.
    ‘I'll get a fire going so we can eat,’ he said.
    I rubbed my stomach. ‘Now you’re talking.’

Chapter 10
    I sucked my fingers, savouring the rich juice of cooked rabbit. Roman sat near me, prodding the fire with a stick. Yellow sparks leapt into the night as the wood crackled and popped.
    ‘Had enough to eat?’ Roman threw his stick into the fire and watched the flames devour it with an absent expression.
    ‘Yes.’ I leant back against a log, my hair catching on the rough bark. My eyes were heavy-lidded and I joined Roman in watching the fire dance.
    ‘Drink?’ Roman pulled a flask from a pocket and held it towards me.
    I eyed it warily. ‘What is it?’
    ‘Cinnamon schnapps.’
    I wasn’t a fan of any schnapps, but sometimes a drink was a drink. Sitting up, I accepted the flask, took a quick shot, and grimaced at the earthy, bitter taste. Screwing the lid back on, I tossed it back.
    ‘Tell me, Regulator.’ I kept upright, knowing if I leant back again, I was probably going to fall asleep. ‘Did you ever dream of doing something else with your life? You know, instead of hunting and killing heretics?’
    I waited to see if he’d respond with the anger I'd always attributed to nephilim. I knew I was baiting him, but in my sleepiness, I felt reckless.
    Roman gave me a resigned look. ‘I was born into this life. Bred by the Order. Raised to follow orders. Taught how to kill. I've never known anything else. It is the same with all nephilim. It’s the destiny we are all bound to.’
    I looked into his eyes, deep pools of shadow. There was a tension strung tight between us, one I couldn’t deny. My body hummed when I was close to him. I hadn’t felt it with the other nephilim, back at the Order. So what was so different about Roman? What would it feel like to have his body pressed up against mine? Those lips that rarely smiled pressing kisses down my neck? I wanted to meow at the scene playing out in my head, but decided that was probably the wrong signal to send at this point.
    I changed the subject. ‘What was the fuss about earlier? You have students now? When did this happen?’
    Roman sat a little straighter. ‘I resigned my Sergeant position. I am no longer part of the Hunter units.’
    My eyes widened. ‘Were you demoted?’
    ‘No. I applied for a position as an instructor to the young nephilim, teaching them how to handle their strength. The application was approved, and I resigned from my unit.’
    ‘Why?’ I asked.
    ‘The role of Sergeant is a distinguished one.’ Roman’s voice turned rough and halting. He was hiding something, but I didn’t understand what. ‘However, I decided I wanted to lead in a different sense. The nephilim who are coming of age need strong guidance. That’s something I can provide.’ He paused to lick his lips. ‘I understand the darkness they struggle with. I know I can help them.’
    ‘Kid wrangling sounds okay, I guess.’
    ‘Why don’t you trust Grigori