Chapter 17

Compelled by her brown-haired companion, Elizabeth entered the tent, each step carefully taken. She felt like her heart might burst out of her chest at any moment and took a deep breath to calm herself. Julian's hand settled on her shoulder, causing her to jump, startled. The brown-haired man looked at her apologetically but didn't retract his hand; instead, he slid his other hand around her waist to infuse her with courage.

Elizabeth walked up to Peter's bed; he was deeply asleep, so she walked around to his side and gently touched his arm to wake him.

"Peter, wake up," she said softly, moving him gently. "I need to talk to you; wake up," she said louder than she intended.

Peter opened his eyes slightly, trying to focus on his surroundings. He appeared drowsy and even let out a yawn. If Elizabeth hadn't been so desperate, she might have felt guilty for waking him up in the middle of the night, especially with his injuries. When he could finally see them clearly, P