Phantom Universe

Chapter 17: Binding

16 years old

Summer and Jaden huddle together inside one of the sleeping bags and share their warmth in the cold, damp cave. Summer slept the majority of the night, though she was aware whenever Gage and Cameron changed shifts for lookout throughout the night. She's come to realize that neither Gage nor Cameron have any intentions of hurting them—at least not right now. Though her heart is pretty sure Gage wasn't lying last night. Jaden snores softly next to her, while Summer peeks out of the sleeping bag to catch Gage's still form in the other one.

His blond hair is not the typical military high and tight. Besides being tousled with sleep, it's combed forward to reveal just enough length to be rebellious, yet short enough to not be sloppy. A few strands of hair fall dangerously close to his eyebrows and tickle his forehead. She wishes he was awake so she could dive into the heavenly green of his hypnotic eyes. His nose, with its little, imperfect bump, is slightly blushed from the cold air. Full lips curve into a smile as he dreams. She's curious of what, or who, it is that he's dreaming of. Startlingly, his eyes fly open, and Summer dives into the sleeping bag to cover her face. Jaden moans quietly, turns over, and falls quickly back to sleep. It's unbelievably embarrassing that she was just caught ogling Gage while he sleeps.

The only noise is the roaring waterfall covering the entrance, so she's not sure if he's fallen back to sleep or not. After several breathless moments, she glances over the edge of the sleeping bag and comes face to face with those chaotically beautiful eyes. For the first time in years, a scream almost escapes. Before she attempts to dig a hole out of the sleeping bag while scrambling away, Gage reaches out tenderly and runs his hand down her cheek. She freezes and finally takes in his expression—he's smiling but not menacing or evil-like. He's smiling like Landon would, though Gage's eyes have this fierce intensity to them that Landon's doesn't.

"Did you sleep well?" he barely whispers—lip reading necessary.

She shakes her head and holds her hand over his. Her cheek starts to warm under his palm.

"You're cold," he notes with a frown. His other palm encloses her face, and her cheeks are flaming—more with the emotions flowing through her than anything else.

Cameron comes into view and leans over his shoulder. "How is she today?"

"Not sure yet—she obviously didn't sleep well, and her temperature could be too low." His eyes don't leave Summer's as he accesses the situation. Her head pounds slightly from the head wound.

Cameron sighs, and if Summer isn't mistaken, she would say it's in concern. "I should probably check her out again and feed her some breakfast."

Jaden yawns loudly behind Summer. "What's going on?"

"We're hoping to call in transport today to bring us to the hospital," Cameron says. "If the lines are still static we'll have to walk. It'll take several days, and I'm afraid we're just not prepared for such a long trip in the wild."

Jaden stretches as she sits up and meets the cold air. "It's freezing in here." Her hands run up and down her arms. "Anyway, if we get stuck out there—'in the wild'—we'll be fine. Remember, I can hunt. My old master liked to hunt for sport and brought me along to do the dirty work."

"I don't think you understand—plus, hunting is illegal," Cameron argues. "It's dangerous out there, and we can't just hunt without permission. There are hunting seasons, and you must be trained beforehand. Only a handful of people are chosen to hunt—usually it's a talent that runs in the family. If you're caught without the proper permits you could be put on trial. Some have even been executed!"

The word startles Summer, but Gage's palm over her cheek prevents her from flinching away. Her breath catches in her throat. Executed. It's unsettling and upsetting to hear that.