CHAPTER 24
K aelyn picked up her pace until she couldn’t distinguish between the beat of her boots pounding over the mossy ground and the beat of her heart. Her pants, still wet from the river and their long float downstream, clung to her legs. The shirt was damp, but her hair would take hours to dry in her braid.
At least the water had rinsed off most of the dirt and grime.
She glanced over her shoulder.
Saar still trailed her, his gait stilted from his injury, but he never once complained or asked her to slow. Respect for him swept through her like wildfire, and a lump formed in the back of her throat. She blew out a long exhale and continued toward their unusual haven.
A few minutes later, she crested a hill. A small, rickety cabin loomed in the distance. Moss covered its roof except for a few crumbled shingles near the corner. The front window was broken. A large piece of plywood, boarded from the inside, covered the shattered remains. The desolate place could use some tender loving care.
Saar approached, and the warmth of his presence settled over her.
She wanted to lean into him, soak up his strength, and as if he could read her mind, he wrapped his arm around her waist, encouraging her to rest against him.
“Are we here?” His low voice rumbled in his chest. The vibration travelled deep inside, warming her in places she didn’t want to think about.
She smiled. “Yep, this is the Gossum safe house.”
“Not much to look at, is it?” He shook his head. “My kind has searched for this place for years. How were you able to find it when we couldn’t?”
“Zedron, our illustrious god,” she tinged her voice with sarcasm, “has a veil over the cabin. The only reason you can see it now is because you’re with me.”
He tugged her closer against him. His bicep rubbed across her nipple, teasing her. The bud hardened in response. He leaned down, stubble on his cheek scraping against her neck with delicious friction. “So, you really plan on staying here?”
She squirmed in his embrace. “Why not? It’s the ideal hiding spot.”
“Ideal? Isn’t it overrun with Gossum?” His voice held a hint of apprehension.
“Does it look like Gossum have been here recently?”
He grunted, not convinced.
She turned to face him and peered into his eyes. “Now that they have the lake house, there’s no need for them to come here. This is the last place they will look for us.”
He searched her features, as if memorizing every detail.
Inside, her wicked traitor of a heart skipped a beat, liking his perusal.
A smile tugged at his lip, stretching the scar tight, but also forming that adorable dimple she was fast coming to love.
“Where you go, I go. Besides,” he glanced skyward, “the night will end soon. I must find shelter from the sun.”
She wrapped her fingers in his, the rightness of it strengthening the bond growing between them. “Come, then. Let’s see what kind of creature comforts they have in there.”
He eyed the place again, uncertainty in the creases around his eyes. “I don’t relish the idea of staying here, in Gossum territory.”
She drew him forward, and they took the overgrown path leading to the place. As they neared, the disrepair became more apparent. The boards near the broken window bulged, warped from countless raindrops. Nestled under the eaves was a bird’s nest. Bits of sticks and moss stuck out in all directions, but like the house, no one was home.
With tentative steps, she approached. Even over the musty aroma of mildew and decay, the astringent scent of Gossum permeated the place. The sound of metal scraping against metal rang in the air. She peered over her shoulder.
Saar’s mouth was drawn into a thin line. The muscles in his chest flexed as he held his sword. “Let me go first.”
“Why? Do you think I can’t handle myself with the Gossum? I saved you back there, didn’t I? I can do this.” She held her breath. This moment, right here, right now, would determine their destiny and dictate how their relationship, if that was what they could call it, would go. Her pulse raced, blood coursing through her veins.
At last, the tautness in his shoulders lessened. A playful smile tugged at his lips. “All right, sassy. After you, then.”
She exhaled, the tension easing from her in one long breath. “Thank you.”
His brow furrowed. “For what?”
“Trusting me.”
Amber flecks swirled in the depths of his blue eyes, and she’d never seen anything more beautiful. Before she got lost in them, she faced the door and nudged it open with her toe. The astringent scent intensified for a moment, then dissipated into the air.
Silence greeted them.
She placed her palm on the handle of her mace for good measure then stepped through the doorway, Saar right on her heels.
Shadows filled the small space, pierced only by the moonlight filtering through the window over the grimy and marred kitchen counter. The only pieces of furniture were an old wooden table and a single kitchen chair. One of the rungs was gone from its back and it reminded her of a mouth with a missing tooth.
Scattered across the warped wooden floor were the remnants of a clock, bits and pieces strewn about in disarray. Stacked in the corner were several opened boxes. Empty Smirnoff bottles stood like miniature soldiers in rows, as if ready for a different kind of battle.
Saar growled, the sound low and predatory. “Disgusting.”
“We’re not in a position to be choosy.” She strode further into the cabin.
Stepping around her, he sheathed his sword. “There’s another room.”
So caught up in the bottles, she hadn’t noticed the open doorway just off the kitchen. She followed him.
A bedroom, except the ragged mattress in the corner looked anything but cozy. She curled her lip, and a growl rumbled in her throat. Who knew what had slept there. There was no other furniture, but a large fireplace graced one wall with a pile of ash in the grate.
Saar’s attention drew to her. He held up a finger. “I’ll be right back.”
With a quick turn, he departed the room. His boots echoed off the old wooden floor and out the door.
She exhaled and laid her mace against the wall. Now that they were done running, she had a moment to think. The silence in the room beat against her psyche. How did she end up here? Two lost souls adrift on a temporary island, alone, together. No place to run, no place to hide.
Bile rose, burning the back of her throat. Where would they go from here? That was a good question, one she couldn’t answer.
Her stomach growled, and a wave of nausea accompanied her frustration. Food. They needed to eat, especially Saar to help speed his recovery. With a goal in mind and something to focus on other than their situation or her uncle, she returned to the cabin’s main room.
The drab kitchen offered a ray of hope. Gossum didn’t eat food. Maybe, just maybe, the previous owners had left something behind. She gripped the grime-encrusted handle on the top cupboard and yanked. The door opened with a loud squeak.
Dust sifted to the counter, dislodged after years of collection. Inside, nothing but empty shelves.
A heavy weight settled onto her shoulders. She shrugged it off and continued to the next cabinet. Same result—empty. Faster and faster, she opened the cupboards, searching…hoping…
At last, in the cabinet under the unused and broken sink, she found what she’d longed to find. Two cans sat in the back corner of the bottom shelf. Her chest expanded. She yanked the tins from their hiding spot and placed them on the countertop.
A stifled laugh bubbled from deep inside. Both cans were the same, beef stew. Perfect.
Footsteps echoed on the porch, and she turned in time to catch Saar enter through the doorway. He carried a large bundle of ferns, their green fronds adding a bit of color to the drab surroundings.
“I thought you might like this better than the old mattress.” A small smile tugged at his lip, causing the dimple to form.
Her chest constricted. Despite his injuries, he’d picked the plants to make her feel comfortable. The cracks in the walls around her heart widened, crumbling at his unselfish deed. No one had done something so nice for her since Noden.
He hefted the load into the bedroom. When he returned, he headed for the door once again. She placed her hand on his arm, stopping him. Lines formed around his eyes, concern etched in the deep groove between his brows. “What is it?”
His care for her warmed her heart, and she smiled to ease his worry. “Are you hungry? I found some food.”
Beautiful gold flecks mixed with the blue in his eyes. “Food? You found food?”
She played on his attempt to lighten the mood and pointed to the counter. “Yes, you have two choices, stew or stew. Which would you prefer?”
A smirk tugged at his lip. “Well, I guess I’ll have stew, then.”
She picked up one of the cans. “Perfect.”
He grabbed the hilt of his sword. “I can open them for you, unless, of course, you found a can opener somewhere.”
With a quick flick of her index finger, she extended her claw. “No need. This will do the trick.”
His gentle chuckle entwined around her soul.
Happiness at just being with him warmed her on the inside. If only it could last.