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he’d decided to starve to death. None of his brothers would kill him and free him from the prison his body had created. He was paralyzed, and all the Sanguinar around were pouring all of their energy into trying to heal him. Nothing had worked, and he’d become nothing but a drain on the people he loved.
    Joseph, his leader, had refused to let him meet an honorable death, so Torr had taken the decision out of his hands. No one could force him to eat. It was the only thing he had left that he controlled.
    And then Grace had come to him, so sweetly coaxing, offering to remove one item of clothing for every bite he took. The temptation had been more than he could resist. She’d fed him and made him hunger all at the same time.
    He’d found his honor before she’d stripped herself bare, but it had been a close call. Even now he could remember just how she looked with only her bra covering her full breasts. His body had been unable to respond at the time, but it was more than able now. He had to clasp his hands in front of his groin to keep her from seeing what she did to him.
    She didn’t raise her voice. There was no heat in her tone, but that made it no less final. “I’m going with you. We all follow Brenya’s orders here. Even you. And she ordered me to show you where I saw the Hunters.”
    “And if I refuse?”
    “Then I’ll just have to find a way to change your mind.”
    Just as she had with him starving himself.
    If she started taking off clothes now, he was sure he wouldn’t be enough of a man to stop her. He’d wanted her for too long, and having her close again was almost too good to believe. Touching her—taking her—would definitely go a long way toward convincing him that this was all real and not some beautiful dream.
    Torr cleared his throat to keep a squeak from his voice. “Are you saying I should just give in?”
    “I’m saying I’ll meet you by the well after you’re finished eating. Don’t leave without me.”
    Clearly her mind was made up. And he was supposed to earn her trust somehow. He couldn’t do that from a distance, so Grace would go with him. But as soon as she showed him where to find the Hunters, he was bringing her right back. No way was he putting his sweet Grace in danger for one second longer than necessary.
    •   •   •
    Grace led Torr through the woods, relieved that his body was now covered. At least that’s what she tried to tell herself.
    Not that what she’d been able to find could really count as him being covered. She’d had to cut the sleeves off of a loose shirt that one of the larger women wore. After she sliced open the front to make room for the width of his shoulders and ribs, the shirt was more of a vest. It did nothing to hide his arms and little to hide his chest. Every time he walked, the edges parted, revealing that tantalizing image of the tree and the flashing, iridescent necklace.
    “What is that picture you wear?” she finally asked as she led the way to the area where she’d been collecting herbs yesterday.
    “It’s called a lifemark.”
    “Why that name?”
    “Partly because I was born with it, though it used to look a lot different. It’s grown as I’ve aged.”
    “It changed by itself?”
    “Yes.” The way he said it made it sound like he didn’t want to explain.
    His hesitance only made her more curious. “What’s it for?”
    “A reminder.”
    “Of?”
    “The passage of time. How precious every day is. My duty to use each one of those days to fulfill my vows.”
    “What vows?”
    “You certainly are full of questions.”
    “It’s going to take us a while to get back to where I saw the trail. We have to pass the time somehow.”
    “Not a fan of silence?” he asked.
    “It has its place. So do questions. What vows do your lifemark remind you to fulfill?”
    “To protect humans and guard the Gate to Athanasia.”
    “That’s where Brenya came from. And the women who come here to have their children.”
    She