HAVEN ✓

Twenty-Five

That night, as we settle down for sleep, something keeps me from the nothingness of slumber. Every time I close my eyes, I see the Skinwalker's milky-white jaws stretched in a sinister smile. I see each bony vertebrae in its back. It is the stuff of nightmares, except I am awake.

I can still hear the rain gently pattering outside, the worst of the storm long gone. Sighing, I turn over on my pallet and look into the fire burning low in the fireplace. The rising embers are mesmerizing, and the soft glow is comforting. I can almost forget that I am an outsider in this environment.

Which makes me think; am I really so different? What dictates that I still don't belong? I've spent a week in the Outlands and learned some of the survival basics of its inhabitants. Is it my experience and memories from Herald that keeps me a foreigner?

I realize that I want to belong. I yearn to continue experiencing this other world undiscovered to me. But what would that mean for my life in Herald? Would they even let me back in? If not, it would force Markee and I to truly be outcasts. The thought makes my heart quicken, strangled with anxiety.

"Sophie?" Luke's voice snaps me out of my reverie. "What's wrong? You're breathing awfully fast."

I pivot to look at him. He is laying sideways, eyes on me as his head rests on his rucksack. The way his hair falls across his eyes makes my fingers itch to brush it aside; how dare it conceal those gorgeous green orbs.

"I'm okay," I croak. Clearing my throat, I clarify. "Just thinking. What if I'm stuck here? What if I can't get back into Herald?"

Luke's face is blank for a fraction of a moment before he turns to stare at the ceiling. "You don't have to worry about that. No one can keep you from where you belong."

I frown. "But what if they do? What if I can never go home?" At my words, Luke turns toward me. My eyes jump to his lips, pursed in an attempt to hide a small smile. "What? What's funny?"

"Nothing," he says, turning to bury his face in his arms.

I reach over and tug on his shirtsleeve. "Come on, what was that?"

His reply is muffled, and I laugh. He peeks out, the mirth in his eyes fueling my laughter.

"You could always have a place out here, you know," he finally says, and my laughter abruptly stops. "Sol seems quite protective of you. I'm sure you could live with her if you could not return to your home."

Does he really think I would be okay out here? Would his people accept me? "What If I don't want to live with Sol?"

Luke cracks a smile. "There are other villages. Or would you rather live in Keir?" I quickly shake my head no. That would be like living in a den of wolves. "I don't want to be a burden. It's difficult for Sol and your family already without another mouth to feed."

Leaning back to look at the ceiling once again, Luke takes in a breath. I watch his chest rise and fall for a few minutes. The actions are hypnotic, and it is not long before my eyelids become heavy. How easy it is to relax, to let my guard down with Luke. When I hear his voice next, I can hardly tell if I am dreaming or awake.

"You're not incapable. Wherever you end up, just know you are always welcome around me. Whether it be out in these woods, traveling between villages, or bunkering in Keir, you can stay with me."

"You mean it?" I mumble. Unable to quiet my fluttering heart, I reach out toward where he lay.

"I do."

My heart and my hand are filled with warmth, and although my eyes are closed, I know what his fingers feel like entwined with mine.

And it may be my favorite thing in this transitory world.