She wanted to think he was talking about more than her powers, but such an idea was out of the question. Her father hated this man for some reason, and being near him put them both in danger.
"What happened?" He reached for her face, and she flinched away. "Your father does this?"
Yully touched her swollen eye and cheek self-consciously.
"Want me to kill him for you?"
She smiled and met Jule's gaze. He was serious.
"He's my father, Jule," she said. "He just has a hard time controlling his temper, and I don't pay him enough respect."
"You don't believe this is your fault."
"It is. I shouldn't have taken you the blanket, but I didn't want you to ..." Tears filled her eyes again, and she paused, embarrassed.
"You didn't want me to hurt like you do," he finished for her.
She nodded. "It's stupid, I know."
"No, it's incredible. Like you." His voice was soft, and she fought the urge to reach out to him.
"I've tried to run away so many times." She cleared her throat. "But when I do, whatever I am, I can't get far without terrifying the people around me. I always end up running back to Father. He doesn't even notice anymore when I disappear for a day or so, because he knows there's nowhere for me to go."
"He's not your biological father?"
"No. He adopted me when I was ten. I lived in foster homes stateside up until then. He brought me here. Tried to put me in school, but my strange gift frightened everyone. I learned what I know of the world from reading in his library, and I learned to fight."
"You fight very well."
She wiped her eyes and smiled. "I know. It's the only thing I do well."
His gaze was warm. The fever had left him, and while he looked pale beneath his cocoa skin, he was alert and his speech coherent. She knew she needed to leave him but couldn't find it in her to abandon the only place she'd ever felt safe. She tried not to flinch when he touched her cheek. His hands were rough and calloused, but his touch was light and opened the comforting flow of energy between them. She marveled at the combination of strength and gentleness. Jule was so much bigger than her father. He could do so much more damage.
Or he could protect her.