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NOW IT was my turn to feel uncomfortable. “Did you tell him everything that happened after the hearing—what you saw in the travel glasses?” I cringed. “You didn’t tell him about our talk by the campfire when you asked me whether I could feel that way about you again, did you?”
Valcas placed his hand over mine, keeping it clamped onto his face. “I’d never spoken to Plaka about women or relationships before,” he whispered. “I wasn’t sure how to go about it. I didn’t tell him anything aside from where we’d been during our mission, the Uproar’s attacks—the events that led us here. And I told him that I would continue to protect you.”
“Did he buy that? I mean, could you tell whether he wanted you to be in a relationship with me... or not?”
“He didn’t forbid me to date you, if that’s what you’re asking, but I have a feeling that my reluctance to discuss the subject said more than words could have. I think he just wanted to know where we stand.”
I frowned. “Where do we stand?”
“I don’t know. I told you I’d prove myself to you and I’m still working on it. It’s up to you to tell me whether I’ve succeeded.”
He let go of my hand and pulled me in for a brief hug. “We don’t have to make any decisions right now.” He leaned in to kiss me lightly on the forehead. “Just promise me one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“If at any point you decide that I have absolutely no chance with you, tell me plainly, and I’ll stop trying.”
“But how would—?”
Valcas tapped his fingertips on my lips. “I want to hear the words from your mouth.”
I cocked my head to the side. “You’d give up, just like that?”
Valcas smiled. “What other choice would I have?”
My cheeks burned. Our conversation felt like a trap. I had no idea what I wanted; I hadn’t thought that far ahead. My father had been in my life for just one day and he was already somehow involved in my love life. Or was he? Did I have a love life?
I creased my forehead. Maybe I wasn’t the one my father was worried about.
I looked up at Valcas, knowing that I had just as much capacity—if not more—to hurt him as he had of hurting me, emotionally at least. Green eyes looked down at me, glistening beneath furrowed brows. Every version of him that I’d seen or met while researching his past looked at me in that moment, hopefully, waiting for my promise.
He’d given me the choice, and all he expected in return was my honesty. “That’s fair, I guess. I promise.”
His lips stretched into a grin. “Thank you. For now, I’m happy to know there’s still a chance.”
I blinked; I’d never imagined there’d be any chance between Valcas and me after I’d left his past self at the White Tower. I felt foolish, having failed to realize that the version I’d left behind at the White Tower had been with me all along. It was a lot to process, even more so with him staring at me like that.
“Okay, well. I’m going for another walk,” I said. “I’ll catch up with everyone later. Ray’s in good hands with my father, and you and Ivory have everything else under control...”
“Don’t think for one minute that we don’t need you, Calla.”
“I caused everyone a lot of trouble. No one needs that. Just look at Ray!”
Valcas shrugged. “He chose this mission in lieu of the other one that the TSTA had planned for him. You brought him no more danger than he’d brought himself by committing an infraction and being charged. You are not responsible for him.”
I sighed. “That doesn’t change how I feel.”
“I suppose not,” Valcas said quietly. “I’ll look forward to seeing you back at our camp. For what it’s worth, I hope Ray gets well soon. We’ll need all of our brains to come up with a way out of here, and Ray has a special type of brain that the rest of us don’t have.”
“You think there’s a way out of here?”
“Of course.”
I playfully squeezed his arm. “You’re not going to try to get out by using your World Builder talent, are you?”
Valcas’ laughter echoed through the tunnel. “I need a blank space to do that, Calla. Rocky caves and dark tunnels aren’t the type of canvas I need.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “Obviously.”
He smiled. “Obviously.”
“I’d like to hear more about your travel talent sometime. That would make a fantastic first-date conversation—you know, a real date... one that doesn’t involve being imprisoned or a promise of engagement.”
Valcas shook his head. “You’re never going to let me forget that, are you?”
“Nope,” I said, walking in the opposite direction of our camp.
“But there’s still hope for us,” he said. “You haven’t told me otherwise.”
“What?” I called back, still walking.
“There’s still hope,” he said, louder this time. “Hope for getting out of here and hope for us.”
“I hope you’re right!” My voice rang out, along with a peal of laughter. I winced at the edge of craziness in my own voice. We seriously needed to find a way out of the Falls.
“I hope so too!” Valcas yelled, his words echoing down the tunnel.
Yes, there was still hope.