Vivienne Von Vexx's Arc

Chapter 18 of 21

The next night Vivienne crossed the bridge wrapped in a long black shawl. The soft folds hid the burn scars down her arm. She did not want the hunter to see what saving him had cost her. The fire was already burning high when she arrived. She sat on the far side of the flames. The heat marked a line she would not cross. Inside her chest the hunger pulled hard at the sound of his pulse. She had come close to slipping the last time. She would not sit close enough to slip again. The hunter lifted his wrist. A leather cord circled it, tied with small knots. He showed her a fresh knot near the others. "One for tonight," he said. "I keep counting. I keep coming back." Her throat ached. She gripped the edge of the shawl and kept her seat. They talked across the fire until the sky began to gray. She did not move closer. He did not ask her to. When she stood to leave, she knew the answer to the question that had been eating her. She could do this. She could love him and not kill him, if the fire stayed between them. The rule was set. The meetings would continue.