26.

I do not want to know you in danger

Caleb came running from the salt lake. He must have run the whole way because he was breathing heavily when he stopped in front of Connor. He was pale, soaked from the rain and shaking.

"What happened?", Connor asked and kneeled down in front of him to put his hands on his shoulders.

"They...they showed up all of the sudden", Caleb uttered between heavy breaths. "They wanted to know where some kind of shroud is. Grandfather sent me away and they wanted to catch me, but I just ran away and hoped to find you."

The boy's words confirmed all of Connor's apprehensions at once. He had felt that something was going to happen but to hear that he had been right was anything but satisfying.

"Who do mean with 'they'? Who were they?", Connor asked as calmly as possible although he already knew the answer. But he needed to be sure. He needed to know what was awaiting him.

"I don't know their names. Their boss was quite tall and had creepy, blue eyes and the man who always followed him like a dog was fat and cheesy. They had at least ten armed men with them."

Connor knew in an instant whom Caleb was talking about and when he looked over his shoulder at Lillian, who had stepped to them by now, he could read in her eyes that she thought the same. Gardner and Tibbet had found Noel and it certainly wasn't a friendly visit in the face of the armed men they had brought with them. But he hadn't expected anything else.

"Did they asked about us, too?", Lillian asked Caleb but he shook his head. So they were only after the Piece of Eden. Probably they didn't even know that Connor and Lillian were here, but the assassin found it hard to believe. But the biggest question was: How had the templars come to the idea to search for the Piece of Eden on Unst? The others and he had the Shard of Eden for that after all which Gardner had wanted to get into his hands. For exactly this purpose. So he must have found something else. Maybe...somebody told him. But to think about it was secondary for now. If the templars were still at Noel's, the old man's life was in danger.

"I will go back. You will follow me, but stay back. I do not want them to come close to you if they are still there." Connor was filled with grim determination when he gave these orders. He waited for Lillian's nod before rearranging the bow on his back and running off.

It was as if the morning in Lillian's arms had never existed. Every positive feeling her closeness had created was gone. Now he was just an assassin, only thinking about fighting the templars and preserving the life of innocents. It was his trained instinct that was steering him, making him run faster and faster without feeling exhaustion while his mind was calmly and precisely thinking about what was awaiting him and what it could force him to do. Connor hardly noticed how far he ran, although he never lost his attention for his environment. Eventually he noticed dark clouds of smoke, rising into the sky from Noel's farm and this sight made Connor run even faster. Anger seized him and his cold instinct was pushed aside when he remembered how his home had been set on fire once. He had lost his mother. What was awaiting him here?

Connor left a last hill behind himself and so he could look straight down to the farm. The stable already stood in flames and the wind carried the smoke, alongside the loud cracking of wood. Four men were standing by the house and one of them threw a torch right through the open door. It only took seconds until the wood caught fire and the flames burned higher and higher. Connor heard the men laughing and hatred seized him. They were laughing while destroying a livelihood and with that, somebody's life.

"You will lose it", he growled, took out his tomahawk and started to climb down the hill, controlled and tactically. They shouldn't see him because he wouldn't have a cover if they shot at him. So Connor headed straight for a cart close to the barn and took cover behind it. They fire's heat hit him and burned in his eyes. An oppressive feeling seized him, as always when he was so close to flames. He didn't know it different since he had witnessed his mother dying in such flames. But he didn't want to get distracted by it. He hadn't been able to do anything back then, now he could prevent others from sharing the same fate.

His hood pulled deep into his face, Connor sneaked closer to the burning barn. He kept looking at the four men who were gathering on the yard, looking grinning at what they had done.

"I think the boss will be pleased", one of them said.

"Shouldn't we leave then?" Another one.

"You've heard the boss. We shall wait for the boy's return. Furthermore this girl must be here somewhere. If she's here, we should welcome her with open arms, shouldn't we? Houses are not the only things I can set on fire." He uttered a filthy laugh the other men joined in and again Connor was seized by anger. They were talking about Caleb and Lillian, but how did they know that they were here and why didn't they lose a word about him? If they knew about Lillian, they certainly had to know about Connor as well. But this soon wasn't going to matter for them anyway. Connor grabbed into the pouch at his belt where he kept the smoke bombs and took out a bomb and the small tinder box. He ignited the short fuse and threw the bomb towards the men. It hit the ground, rolled a bit and was noticed by the surprised men before it exploded with a muffled sound and spread thick, white smoke. Connor ran, pulling out his tomahawk and hidden blade. With his eagle vision he was able to see the four enemies clearly in the smoke while they were coughing and swearing. They were still asking themselves what was going on when the first two of them fell to the ground. Warm blood ran over Connor's hand as the hidden blade cut through a throat while the tomahawk hit a chest. Connor forcefully pulled the axe out of the dying man's body and thrust it into another one's nape. The eyes of the last man standing were widened in panic as the smoke slowly vanished and he found himself in front of an angry assassin with blood robes and weapons. It was the one who had spoken so disrespectful about Lillian. He wanted to pull out his weapon but Connor thrust his arm with the blade forward and the cold steel cut through the muscles and tendons of the man's right arm. He screamed and sank to his knees in pain, but Connor grabbed him by his throat and pulled him upwards. His eyes were cold as ice when he looked at the whimpering man in front of him and his voice was likewise icy.

"Where is the old man who lives here?"

"I...he..he wanted to run off. We stopped him on the street and...interrogated him."

"Interrogated?" Connor spit this word out. He could imagine too well how this must have looked like.

"Y..yes...the boss wanted it." The man uttered another whimper which only made Connor screw up his face in disgust. "Please, spare me. I'll go right away."

"I think so", Connor growled. "But you and your friends certainly did not feel sympathy for an old man, as less as you would have for a boy and a woman. So why should I feel sympathy for you?"

With these words, he laid his other hand on the man's head and a loud crack sounded when he forcefully turned it and broke his neck. The man slumped down and Connor pushed him away.

The assassin closed his eyes for a moment to gather his thoughts. He was still filled with anger, but it shouldn't lead his actions. He had to concentrate on the more important things and that meant he had to find Noel. Without giving another look to the four bodies, Connor ran to the street. His gaze attentively slid into the distance, but he couldn't make out a sign of the templars and the four men had seemed to be the last on the farm. Connor followed the street, searching for Noel, when he detected a small puddle of blood. Then another blood-trace. It looked like somebody had tried to get away and he already knew who it had been. He was right.

The blood led him to some rocks where he finally found Noel. The old man's face was covered in small wounds and bruises. They beat him but not only that. Blood was seeping out of a wound on his shoulder and his breathing was shallow and irregular as Connor kneeled down beside him.

"Noel?"

He slowly opened his eyes and blinked several times until he seemed to recognize Connor. "Where is...Caleb?", he asked and each word appeared to be an agony to him.

"He is with Lillian and safe. Do not worry." Connor carefully put a hand on the old man's wound and leaned forward to have a closer look at it. It was a bullet wound and the bulled was still inside. By the looks of it, the wound wouldn't have been deadly if Connor had treated it in time, but Noel was old and already weakened by the beating they gave him and the blood loss was doing the rest. Connor instantly knew that there wasn't much he could do and Noel seemed to know it, too.

A trembling hand wrapped around Connor's wrist and he finally leaned closer to Noel to be able to understand his whispered words.

"Muness Castle. East from here. There is the Shroud. It's guarded by a small group. I used to be one of them myself." Noel was too weak to keep on talking, but it seemed like he desperately wanted to tell what he knew before he died and Connor didn't dare to stop him. "Their ancestors were assassins, but this is generations ago. One of these ancestors brought the Shroud here about two-hundred years ago so that it could cause no more fights. Muness Castle was abandoned thirty years ago and almost has been destroyed. Now it is the guard's hideout. But the templars are on their way. They should not get the Shroud. You need to stop them."

"I will. I will do everything to keep them from getting it."

Noel took a shaking breath and closed his eyes. His breathing weakened but when Connor thought the old man had already lost the fight, Noel looked at him again and his gaze was firm and insistent.

"Promise me you won't leave Caleb alone. He's alone now and I want him to get somewhere where he can grow up carefree."

Connor nodded. For him it was a matter of course that he wouldn't leave the boy alone. "He will be fine. You have my word."

Noel breathed out again, this time in relief. "Thank you", Connor heard him say, before the old man's breath finally died away.

"No. I thank you", Connor murmured and lowered his head. He felt deep respect for the man who had showed so much kindness to Lillian and him, although he had only checked their intentions. Connor was sorry that he couldn't give Noel a proper funeral, but although he should get after the templars as soon as possible, he took his time to gather some rocks and stones. He piled them up over Noel's body until he had created an acceptable, provisional grave. It was the least thing he could do.

Connor didn't know how much time he spent like this but when he finally bid farewell to Noel and went back to the farm, he hurried. On the streets were still the horses of the men and he took the reins of two of the animals, brought them as close to the farm as possible so that they weren't scared by the roaring fire and tied them. Now he only had to find Lillian and Caleb and tell them the news. Especially Caleb. They boy had lost everything. His grandfather, his home...

Again Connor couldn't feel anything else but anger when he approached the farm which was clouded in thick smoke. The house was still burning, but the roof had already collapsed, as well as the barn. The smoke burnt in his eyes but was luckily carried away by the wind. If it hadn't, Connor wouldn't have seen Lillian. She was sitting on the ground, clouded by smoke but she hectically crouched backwards into his direction. Connor was instantly seized by the fear that something could have happened to her and that she was injured. Why hadn't she stayed away anyway?

He ran the last metres towards her and when he grabbed her by her shoulders, she uttered an appalled scream and began hitting him, as if she believed he was an attacker. He shortly struggled with her arms until he could grab her wrists and held them firmly but gently so that he didn't hurt her.

"Lillian! Lillian, it is alright. It is me."

Trembling she stopped and her eyes were widened as she finally looked at Connor who pushed the hood off his head so that she could fully see him.

"What are you doing here? I told you to stay back." He didn't make the effort to hide the reproachful tone in his voice. She had got herself into danger because there still could have been men of the templars. He looked at her with a disapproving frown, but every kind of irritation was quickly forgotten when Lillian burst into tears. Her eyes kept moving to a spot in front of them and when Connor followed them, he found Walter Tibbet, only a few meters away. He hadn't noticed him because he was lying close to the bodies of the four men Connor had left behind. He was lying on his side, his eyes opened wide, a rapier stuck in his chest. Obviously he had got what he had deserved, too but Connor had a bad feeling when it became clear to him what it meant, if there hadn't been anyone else but Lillian.

"I killed him", she sobbed and confirmed his apprehension. "I just killed him and it was…too easy. It happened too quickly and…and I…" Her voice broke as she was shaken by sobs. Her face was twisted in desperation while this thought of taking somebody's life was torturing her. Connor wrapped his arms around her, pulled her against his chest and leaned his forehead against her head. He wanted to calm her, but he also wanted to shield her from Tibbet's sight. He couldn't imagine how she must feel. When he had killed a man for the first time, it had been necessary and over the years he had learned to cope with it. He knew his own motives and couldn't blame himself. But Lillian wasn't like him. She didn't live such a life and she shouldn't have to. It had to be the most terrible thing for her to kill someone, although this person would have harmed her instead. Maybe she didn't cry for Tibbet in person, but she was crying for her pure conscience and Connor began to feel angry with himself because he hadn't been able to spare her this experience and that he couldn't undo it. The only thing he could do was to calm her and to give her the feeling of safety. Because something like this should never happen to her again.

"It is alright", he said quietly as he felt her shiver while crying incessantly. "You had to defend yourself. There was nothing else you could do."

"But he's dead. I killed him."

He could hear the deep desperation in Lillian's voice. It sounded as if this fact was outweighing her own welfare.

"Now calm yourself", Connor said and put his hands on her shoulders to hold her a bit away from himself to look at her. Only now he noticed the small, bleeding wound in the hollow of her collarbone. He reached out a hand and carefully ran his thumb over it. It must have happened when somebody had pressed the tip of a blade against the thin skin there. It was out of the question who this person had been and if Tibbet would be still alive, Connor had let him pay for it immediately. He had threatened her twice now.

"The wound is not deep. It should stop bleeding soon", Connor said objectively while trying to hold back his anger. He didn't want to scare Lillian even more. "Do you have other wounds?"

Lillian shook her head silently, still crying. Gently Connor laid a hand against her pale cheek and stroked her tears away with his thumb.

"I am sorry that I have not been here sooner", he said quietly.

"Where have you been anyway?"

Connor pulled his hand back and looked into the direction where he had left Noel behind. To tell Lillian was going to be much easier than telling it the boy.

"With Noel. He fled from the house but was already wounded and did not come far."

"So he is…?"

Connor nodded. "He just died. They injured him badly to learn what they wanted to know. He told them but…he could also tell me where the Shroud is." He lowered his eyes to his hands but he could see from the corner of his eyes that Lillian was looking at him.

"So we have to get there, too. Gardner certainly is on his way."

He nodded again. "I tied two horses by the street. We should leave soon, although I do not like to take you and the boy with me. But I guess you will not be safe enough anywhere."

Lillian closed her eyes and took a shaking breath. "I just found Ale. He's also…we have to tell Caleb. But I don't know…" Her voice broke again but Connor knew what she wanted to say. She didn't know how to tell the boy that he had just lost his grandfather and his best friend. But Connor didn't believe anyway, that there was a right way to tell somebody about such a loss. There were no words for it.

"Where is he?", he asked and Lillian opened her eyes and nodded into the direction where Connor had from, too. He stood up, helped Lillian onto her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist when he noticed that her legs were weak. Silently they went back the way Lillian had come from, until Caleb leaped from behind a rock as he heard their approach. His eyes were opened wide when he stared at them and his gaze flitted back and forth between Lillian and Connor.

"Where is grandfather? And where is Ale?"

Connor pulled his arm away from Lillian's waist and kneeled down in front of the boy to look into his eyes, whose gaze became even more afraid. Connor could see that Caleb was already fearing what the assassin was going to tell him. Connor didn't think long about how to tell him. He found it wrong to avoid the bitter truth. So he spoke directly, calmly and without hesitation.

"They are dead, Caleb." He put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I am sorry, I…could not help them."

It was hard to admit it. Now Caleb had made almost the same experience like him and he wished he could have protect him from it. But it was too late and he could only try to stay by the boy's side and also to keep his promise to Noel.

Caleb only stared at Connor disbelievingly at first, but the pain was already visible on his face. His eyes filled up with tears and he sobbed, when he wrapped his arms around Connor's neck. Connor embraced the boy immediately and stroked his blonde hair. He knew that there was nothing he could do to take away Caleb's pain, but he knew exactly how the boy felt. He didn't say anything while the boy clung to him and cried. Finally he felt a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"We should go", Lillian said quietly. "Caleb, we will follow the men who did this and they are going for it. I promise."

Connor turned his eyes to her and looked at her seriously. She had basically said what he was thinking but she had experienced the templars' cruelty and she knew how dangerous they were. But that they had to follow Gardner was out of the question.

"You will stay back", Connor made clear and pulled away from the embrace to look at Caleb as well. "I promise they are not getting away unpunished. But if you come with me, you will have to stay in the background. These men are dangerous."

Caleb ran his sleeve over his tear stained face and nodded. "But what about Cherry?", he asked huskily and Connor looked at the small mare.

"She is tough. She will be fine alone. We cannot take her with us."

The boy's nod was reluctant but Connor saw no other choice. Cherry wouldn't be able to keep up with the other horses and would only be a hindrance. She was able to survive alone, like her wild relatives. They freed the little mare from her harness and Caleb wrapped his arms around her neck one last time, before slapping her croup. She seemed to understand and neighed quietly before turning around and running away. They only looked after her shortly before Connor led Lillian and Caleb to the horses he had left behind on the street. He paid attention to made a detour so that the boy didn't have to see the burning farm. Connor mounted one of the horses, Lillian the other one, Caleb behind her. The boy was entirely silent and hardly recognizable, understandable after his loss.

During the ride to Muness Castle Connor told what Noel had entrusted him with before his death. Lillian listened to him attentively, like Caleb who was sitting silently behind her. He had wrapped his arms around Lillian's waist and had leaned his head against her back and soon it looked like he had fallen asleep. But Lillian and Connor had hardly stopped talking, he moved and asked quietly: "Lillian?"

"Yes, little one?" Lillian looked at him over her shoulder, but his eyes were turned to the street's edge.

"If this Shroud is so special, do you think it could bring grandfather and Ale back?"

Lillian was silent at first and Connor could see that she was struggling with an answer. Caleb's hope was understandable, but basically nobody could say if the legends about the Shroud were really true. It would be wrong to give Caleb a promise that couldn't be kept for sure and luckily Lillian seemed to think this, too. She sighed deeply and put a hand on Caleb's arm.

"I don't know", she said honestly. "We don't even know if the Shroud really exists and if it is able to do what people say. It could only be a legend. But if it really exists…I can't answer your question. Maybe it's possible, but you shouldn't have too much hope."

The boy sniffled quietly. "So I'm going to be alone?"

Lillian gave Connor a short look which he returned. For him it was out of the question that Caleb wouldn't stay alone. Not after what he had promised to Noel. Once again Lillian had the same unspoken opinion. She shortly squeezed the boy's arm around her waist and said in a gentle voice: "We are not going to leave you alone. I promise."

Caleb sniffled again and murmured: "You know, I don't find you so bad. I would even marry you, if nobody else doesn't want to."

Lillian grinned about these words and Connor smirked to himself, too. Obviously Caleb hadn't lost his cheeky tongue. Maybe a good sign.

"That's too kind of you. We can talk about it in ten years. But then I will expect a proper proposal, alright?"

A smirk flitted across Caleb's face. "With a ring and so on?"

"With ring, genuflection and a song."

Caleb screwed up his face. "Sounds very extravagant."

"I could go without the song." Lillian chuckled while Caleb frowned and finally nodded slowly.

"I will think about it."

"Fine." Shaking her head and smirking, Lillian turned her eyes forward again. At least she had managed to give the boy a distraction. Even if it was only a simple joke. Connor turned his eyes away from her and saw that they were coming closer to Muness Castle. Noel had mentioned that the castle was almost destroyed. There were only the ruins of the basement and the roof was completely missing. It was small, had about the size of a normal house and nothing indicated that a group was hiding a treasure here. Connor could also see no sign of the templars' presence. Only a single rider.

Lillian and Connor stopped their horses and looked tensely at the ruin. The person was unrecognizable, but when they steered there horse into their direction, Connor pulled out his tomahawk and drove his own horse on. Whoever it was shouldn't come closer to Lillian and Caleb and he was glad that Lillian made no effort to follow him. He approached the rider in full gallop, ready to strike them off their horse. But it wasn't necessary when he recognized the other person. Connor stopped his horse immediately when they reached each other and looked the rider over in distrust. It was Lester.

"I did not expect to meet you here", Connor said slowly. "What are you doing here? How do you know about this place?"

"I think we don't have enough time to explain. Is Lillian still with you?"

Connor nodded hesitantly. He didn't like this obvious evasion of his question. Lester's behavior when they had separated hadn't been to his liking at all and he wanted his brother to explain himself. But Connor held his questions back for now, turned into the direction he had come from and gave Lillian the signal to follow. She rode to them in a quick trot and her surprise was noticeable when she recognized Lester. Her joy as well.

"Lester? How did you come here?" She stopped her horse beside Connor and looked the other assassin over curiously. Connor knew that she had been worried about him and obviously she didn't fell as distrustful as him. But at least she asked the same questions and this time Lester seemed to think it was the right time to speak out the truth.

"Well, after I had left you, I wandered over the island and accidentally ended up here. The guardians arrested me at first, but when I promised them to leave Unst, they let me go. I wanted to return to you, but something held me back. I came back here and saw the templars entering the castle. It was only a short while ago. I just wanted to leave to get you and make sure of Connor's support."

Connor had turned his eyes to Muness Castle the whole time and tried to guess where exactly in this small place the guardians and the templars could be. He didn't know if he could believe Lester. The grandmaster had been so bent on getting the Shroud: How had the guardians changed his mind so quickly? And why hadn't he done anything against the templars?

"How many?", he asked shortly and didn't react to Lester's words on purpose.

"About six men and Gardner. There are only three guardians."

"And you did not decide to help them?" Connor made no effort to hide his reproach which made Lester frown in annoyance.

"I've never doubted your decisions either, brother."

Connor uttered an indignant snort, but before he could reply something, Lillian had raised both hands and turned the two assassins' attention to herself.

"I don't think you should fight while the templars could already have the Shroud in their hands. You should work together and not against each other."

Connor only pressed his lips together while Lester nodded and when he proposed to ride to the castle, Connor agreed. In the end, Lillian was right.

When they finally reached Muness Castle, there were the tied horses the only sign of the templars' presence. The rubble-covered courtyard and the close environment were deserted, but still Connor was ready to react in case of an ambush.

"And where is this hideout?", he asked while they dismounted their horses and had a look around. Lester didn't answer but led them inside the ruin until he stopped in front of an inconspicuous trapdoor.

"Only a few people know that a system of tunnels and caves was driven into the mountain during the castle's construction. It already served as a hideout for the guardians while the castle was still inhabited. Now that it is deserted, it is even more ideal."

"Visible for everyone, but still invisible", Lillian murmured and Lester nodded while reaching for the iron ring to open the door. He twisted it, pulled and slowly opened the door. His other hand rested on his rapier and Connor held his tomahawk ready, too. Both would react immediately if their enemies were already waiting down there. But everything remained silent for now and Connor looked down the narrow stone staircase, leading into the darkness. Without saying a word, Connor went forward and started climbing down the stairs. Lillian was close behind him, Caleb behind her and Lester was the last to close the trapdoor behind them again. As soon as daylight had been locked out, it would be pitch black around them if there weren't the torches at the end of the staircase, leading the way. It was cold and the air was filled with a musty smell. Connor didn't like to be literally trapped underground, expecting his enemies behind the next corner. The staircase ended right in front of a narrow corridor, leading into two directions. There was neither a good overview because of the light conditions, nor enough space to fight. This was also a disadvantage for the enemies, but they had nobody they wanted to protect. Connor started to question if it had been a good idea to take Lillian and Caleb here. But in the end he neither know where they would be safer. Now he had to concentrate even more and find their enemies before they detected them. He used his eagle vision for that, but the two corridors in the closer surroundings seemed to be empty. It was completely silent, too.

"Do you know where they are?", Connor asked Lester in a quiet voice that still echoed from the walls. They had to be careful not to be too loud.

"The chamber where they are keeping the Shroud is down this corridor." Lester pointed at the tunnel that was leading straight forward. "You have to walk quite a bit, but there are no junctions which could lead you into the wrong directions."

"You have already been where the Shroud is?"

It was Lillian who asked this question. She had wrapped her arms around her chest and seemed to feel uncomfortable down here. Lester only glanced at her shortly, before staring into the corridor again and answering.

"I didn't see it, but I listened to what they said and it has to be there."

Lillian frowned but nodded slowly. She seemed to be wondering about Lester, too. Connor neither knew what to think about his brother's behavior, but in the end they were only this: Brothers in terms of the creed. Lester had also dedicated his life to the fight against the templars and the protection of the innocent. Furthermore Lester had all reasons to hate the order after the brotherhood had nearly been destroyed in this part of the country. Connor relied on it and decided not to waste his time with doubts. Instead he made some steps into the corridor Lester had pointed at and tried to detect enemies with his eagle vision again. But as much as he didn't hear any conspicuous sound, there were no auras in the corridor. He returned to the others and pointed at the other corridor with his tomahawk.

"Do you know where it is leading to?"

"To the quarters, as far as I know."

Connor nodded. He had made a decision. "I will go to the chamber and deal with the templars. You will bring Lillian and the boy to safety. Then you will come after me."

Lester nodded, but it was Lillian who contradicted this plan. "You can't go there alone!"

Her concern was written into her face but Connor wasn't going to change his mind. He had made a promise to Noel. The promise to secure the Shroud and to watch over Caleb. He couldn't do both at the same time and because Lester reasonably knew his way around here, he trusted him to find a safe place for Lillian and Caleb. Connor couldn't and didn't want them to come too close to the templars. He didn't want to imagine what could happen if Lillian met Gardner. Although he had been in fever, Connor clearly remembered how the templar had hit and insulted her, after she had sneaked into the prison to safe Connor. He had threatened to hang her. So what would he do to her if she got into his hands now?

I do not want to know you in danger. I could not forgive myself, he thought as he stepped to Lillian, put a hand on her shoulder and let it slide down her arm to take her hand.

"We do not know what is awaiting us there and that is why I would prefer you and Caleb to hide somewhere until I come and get you. Gardner could already hold the Shroud in his hands and we cannot waste any more time. But I will not let you walk around here alone either, as long as you are not safe. Please, Lillian. Listen to me."

He knew that this wasn't her strength. Her will was too strong for that and also now she pressed her lips together and appeared like she wanted to contradict. But then a sigh escaped her lips and she looked down at her hand that was gently squeezed by Connor. Then she nodded. Connor took a sigh of relief and ran his thumb over the back of her hand, before letting her go. He wished he could stay with her.

"Be careful", he said, before he shortly nodded at Lester and walked into the corridor. With quick steps but as silent as possible.