But now, the inevitability of morning urged us back into the safety of the cabin.
Gael moved first, slipping through the door with his usual grace. I followed, a step behind, the chill of the night air still clinging to my skin.
Inside, the cabin felt warmer, cozier, though the scent of rain lingered.
Without a word, I helped Gael secure the windows, covering every crack and crevice that might allow sunlight to sneak in.
“See you in a few hours,” Gael murmured, tucking himself under the makeshift bed.
Before I even realized what I was doing, I leaned down and kissed him.
It was unthinking, instinctual. A brief press of my lips to his, soft and lingering.
When I pulled back, Gael’s expression was one of quiet satisfaction, his lips curving into the faintest smirk.
"That was unexpected but nice," he said, his voice low and warm.
Heat rushed to my face, and I flushed for no reason I could explain.
He looked pleased, so damn pleased, and then, just like that, he was gone. His body went still, lifeless, as sleep claimed him.
I stared at him for a moment longer, the contrast of his vulnerability against his usual strength tugging at something deep inside me.
Shaking myself, I stepped away. The cabin fell silent, save for the faint creak of the wooden floor beneath my feet.
I wasn’t sure how to pass the hours until Gael woke again.
Somehow, my hand found its way to my jacket pocket, pulling out the burner phone Declan had given me.
I turned it over in my palm, studying the small, unassuming device. It felt heavier than it should have.
Heavier than anything that size had a right to be. Why did I even keep this thing?
I let out a breath, my thumb brushing over the buttons. Eventually, I powered it on.
The screen lit up, and my heart stuttered as a single name appeared in the contacts: Donovan.
The sight of his name sent a pang through my chest, sharp and unrelenting.
I turned toward Gael’s still figure, irrationally worried he might suddenly wake and catch me red-handed.
The thought made me laugh, low and humorless. He wouldn’t wake, not until nightfall.
I stared at the phone again, my thumb hovering over the call button. Should I do it? Should I call Donovan?
He’d be worried about me; I knew that much.
And wasn’t that the entire reason I’d kept this phone, tucked away like some shameful secret?
Thinking about Finn’s disappearance made me swallow my pride and I pressed the call button. The line connected after two rings.
“Asher?” Donovan’s voice was uncertain, hesitant. It didn’t sound like him at all.
“Yeah, it’s me,” I said quietly.
“I kept waiting for you to call,” he said after a beat, his voice tight with something I couldn’t name. “Tell me Declan lied. That you’re not with…one of them.”
My throat tightened. “He’s not like the others, Donovan.”
