“Yes.”
She could walk by herself now. She put a little distance between them. “I don’t understand. Why would you risk it?”
Han studied her. His scar was on the other side of his face. From this aspect, with the starlight to soften his harsh features, he looked almost handsome. “It’s been a long night, Lilette. I have watched many, many men—none of them soldiers—die. I don’t have any more to give.”
By now, they had reached the wall. He looked down the length of it. “How did you intend to get back over?”
“I didn’t.”
His gaze lit on her and he shoved his helmet back on his head. “Wait here while I get some rope.”
Her hand shot out, capturing his arm. “We don’t need it.”
He paused and looked back at her.
Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the ground inside the harem. When she found what she wanted, she sang softly. A vine snaked into sight and crawled down the wall.
When she looked up, Han was staring at her, something akin to anger in his eyes. “I thought you’d forgotten the language.”
“I remembered.”
He looked around, then slipped out of cover and gave the vine a hard tug. “This should hold.” He quickly tied the end to a tree.
She glared at the wall. This was going to hurt. But before she could move to climb it, Han stepped in front of her, his strong hands encompassing her waist. “Wrap your arms around my neck, and your legs around my waist.”
Her arms tucked around her ribs, she automatically stepped back. “What?”
He looked up one side of the wall and down the other. They were exposed here. “Hurry.” Han meant to carry her over the wall. “I can do it,” she said.
He raised an eyebrow. “This climb would take more strength than you had before you were injured.”
“No. Ko would never forgive me if something happened to you.”
He made a low sound in his throat. “I’m not keen on the idea either, but do you see another option?”
Lilette slowly shook her head.
“Then come on.”
She pursed her lips. Wrapping her arms and legs around his body sounded far too intimate.
His expression hardened. “Am I really so repulsive to you?”
“You don’t repulse me.” Gripping his shoulders, she tried to hop up with one foot.
Han rolled his eyes and lifted her. She wrapped her legs and arms around him. Beneath the armor, his body was all muscle, hard everywhere she was soft. She had the sudden urge to explore his chest with her fingertips. She pushed away the thought, glad it was dark enough he couldn’t see the blush spreading across her face.
He gripped her legs behind the knees and lifted her higher onto his stomach. “Lock your feet and wrists and hold on.” He grabbed the vine and started climbing.
She couldn’t believe he was strong enough to heft both of their weight. She glanced over his shoulder to the ground far below. A feeling of helplessness washed over her. Her well-being was completely in his hands. If he slipped—if her vine couldn’t take both their weight—she would fall.
Closing her eyes, Lilette pressed her forehead into his shoulder and concentrated on the steady tensing and relaxing of his muscles, the narrowness of his waist, his chest expanding with each breath.
Han heaved them onto the wall’s roof. She scrambled to the other side of the peak and leaned against it, her breath coming fast. “We should—”
He clapped a hand over her mouth. Startled, she began to pull away, but he drew her into his arms. Heat crept up her body. “Han . . .”
“Shh,” he whispered in her ear. “I can hear them.” He released her enough to peer over the raised roof.
And then she heard them too. “The vine.” She reached for it, intending to tug it out of sight.
He pulled her back into his arms. “Movement and sound draw attention. The vine stays.”
She heard the steady rhythm of the guards advancing toward them. She could feel Han’s heart pounding through her clothes. Eventually, the steps grew softer as they marched away. Lilette let out the air in her lungs.
Han looked down. “You’re not going to make that by yourself.”
She huffed. “Down is easier than up.”
He sighed and gripped the vine. “Come on. It’ll be faster this way. I’ll cut it down after I’m safely back on my side.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he wrapped her in his arms and swung over the side. She had to grab him and hold on to keep from falling. Her heart pounding with fear, she pressed her face against his chest and concentrated on breathing.
“You can let go now.”
Startled, she opened her eyes to discover they’d reached the ground. “I almost fell,” she whispered. She dropped out of his arms, gasping when her injured leg took her weight. She hopped, one leg cocked.