Chapter 61
A tangled wall of undergrowth lined each side of the unnatural path, forming a gloomy corridor that reminded Tessa of how the Israelites must have felt as they escaped through the parted Red Sea. She had almost figured out the best way to brace herself using the door, the glove box, and both her legs when Noah hit the brakes again.
‘What’s happened now?’ she asked. He was propelling himself toward danger, that was all she could feel.
‘Nothing. I just don’t want to get there too soon,’ he whispered, sweat pouring down his angelic features.
‘What? What are you talking about? The sooner we get there the more chance we have of stopping them before they get anywhere near the cave. I thought that was the whole point of the short-cut.’
‘Exactly. If I get there too soon I’ll have to stop them from entering altogether.’ He gripped the steering wheel as if afraid it would fly away.
‘And, sorry, but why would that be a bad thing?’
As he turned to her, she could see the fury in his tortured eyes. ‘Because inside the cave, all the rules change.’
She recoiled, horrified, as she realised what he wanted. In the cave he would be much more likely to have full access to those incredible Words. He didn’t just want to send Jake away, he wanted revenge. No wonder he looked so conflicted: he was fighting his compulsion to protect Eden so that he would have better access to the power.
‘Noah, no. Please, we need to deal with this away from the cave. We can’t let Jake know where it is. It’s too dangerous. Don’t fight your compulsion. Your instincts know what they’re talking about, please listen to them!’
Kissing her hand, he captivated her with his loving gaze as he explained. ‘If we do that, and he tries to hurt you again, I can’t help you. Not well enough. I won’t risk you again, Tessa. If he comes at you this time, I will kill him.’ His tone was unyielding.
‘How? You once told me you can’t kill people. For good reason,’ she appealed. ‘You need to stay innocent. You need to be able to cross the Boundary. Please think about this.’
‘But I’m not innocent, Tess. I’m furious! That evil bastard nearly killed you and our son, and now he’s murdered my best friend. There are no thoughts or feelings inside me right now that could possibly be considered innocent. I’ve stood by uselessly for long enough. You said it yourself, I’ll do whatever it takes to protect the people I love.’