Even in Darkness She Chose to Rise (Tatiana and Jasper) novel Chapter 427

Even in Darkness, She Chose to Rise

Chapter 427 A Switch in Roles

“Tatiana, swap with me. It’s my watch now. You rest.”

He shifted, preparing to move toward the cave entrance to take her spot, but she didn’t budge.

His heart sank. “Tatiana?”

Finished

He reached out, and the moment his hand brushed her shoulder, even through the thin fabric, he felt a searing heat. His expression darkened instantly. “Tatiana? You’re burning up!”

Tatiana finally reacted. She had been enduring a peak of agony in her head and had momentarily slipped into unconsciousness.

“Jasper? You’re awake… stay alert… I’ll just sleep for a bit, and I’ll be fine.” She shook her head with effort. trying to clear the fog, but her mind only grew more muddled.

Jasper’s face was grim. “Your clothes are soaked. Why didn’t you say anything?”

Only now did he realize her clothes were drenched. Because they were dark and they had been preoccupied with evading pursuit, he hadn’t noticed. The nighttime humidity in the jungle was heavy; wrapped in wet clothes, her fever had spiked.

Developing a fever in this environment was life–threatening. She knew it too, and she gritted her teeth in frustration. “I’m fine. I just need a moment.”

“Take them off.”

She instinctively clutched her shirt.

“You can’t keep wearing them; the fever will only get worse. Take them off and wear mine.”

His gear was waterproof. Aside from his leather jacket, the t–shirt underneath was dry. He pulled it off and tossed it to her. “Put it on.”

She hesitated. Jasper gripped her wrist, his eyes burning with a steady, stubborn insistence. “Tatiana, if you don’t want to die here, you do this. You’re sick, and there are people hunting us. Unless you want to rely entirely on my protection, you know this is the only logical move.”

She took a deep breath and finally yielded. “Turn… turn around.”

Jasper acted the gentleman. He turned his back to her, staring straight ahead at the cave wall.

Though he couldn’t see, his ears were sharp. In the absolute silence of the wilderness, every tiny sound was magnified. The rustle of fabric, the catch in her breath, and her labored breathing from the fever–it felt like ants crawling over his heart, sharp and maddening. Beneath his calm exterior was a volcano long overdue for an eruption.

Tatiana struggled out of her wet clothes and pulled on his shirt. It held his body heat. It didn’t have the scent of sweat she expected, but rather a distinct, masculine aroma that was hers alone–not overpowering, but dominant. It forced memories to the surface that she didn’t want to face. She pushed them down, tucking the oversized shirt into her pants to keep the insects out.

20:44 Fri, Jan 9

Chapter 427 A Switch in Roles

She handed him back his leather jacket. “Put this on. If you get sick too, we’re finished.”

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Firished

She wasn’t naive enough to think she could escape alone. The enemy’s numbers were unknown and they were armed; she had no chance on her own. Jasper threw the jacket back on.

“Get some sleep.”

She couldn’t hold out any longer. She nodded and closed her eyes. She thought the stress would keep her awake, but exhaustion hit her like a wave, and she drifted into a deep sleep almost instantly.

Jasper watched her as she slept, his gaze unreadable.

Time ticked by.

As the first gray light of dawn touched the horizon, Tatiana opened her eyes to feel a hand resting gently against her forehead.

“The fever broke.”

She sat up with difficulty, shaking her head. She felt much clearer. “Is it morning?”

“Mm. We need to move. Are you up for it?”

“Yes. I’m okay.” Her head wasn’t throbbing, which was a mercy. Her fever was gone, and she could move.

She grabbed her bow and arrows, and the two of them crept out of the cave. The woods were shrouded in a thick, low–hanging mist, making visibility poor. They moved with extreme caution, fearing a misplaced step.

Then, they heard it–a faint, rustling sound.

They froze. Tatiana’s face paled. “They’re close. A lot of them. More than yesterday.”

It seemed they had truly stirred the hornet’s nest. The organization had dispatched a larger force to hunt them down. They shared a look of grim determination.

Then, with perfect synchronicity, they began to move. Hiding forever would only lead to them being cornered. It was time to strike back.

The search teams had spent the night scouring the area, and they had finally found a trail. The lead captain let out a cold, cruel laugh. “A bunch of useless idiots, getting yourselves killed by a couple of rats! Absolute failures!”

“Captain, the target is highly skilled, and they know the terrain…”

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