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Hale pulled the extra layer on with a little smile. And yes, maybe he drew the collar to his nose impulsively and sniffed it. There was only the vaguest hint of Harrison’s scent; otherwise it was just a clean cotton smell.
Stepping away from the flickering fire, Hale slowly walked out to the edge of their camp. He stood there, staring into the dark woods for several seconds, waiting for his vision to adjust to the darkness. The woods around them were quiet while the last sounds from within the tents were dying away. No more whispered conversations or rustling of clothing and sleeping bags. He thought he might have caught a couple of low gasps and a muffled moan, bringing a smirk to his lips. Why not? If they weren’t sure how numbered their days were, why not enjoy every second they had with the person that completed them?
Bracing a shoulder against a tree, Hale lifted his hand up and called on a small breeze. The wind came easily, twisting and wriggling between his fingers. Such an odd and unexpected gift. The wind always seemed so playful when he reached for it. Did it really have such a personality, or was that merely a reflection of his own emotions?
The wind didn’t scare him, though. His own darker emotions, on the other hand, had his mind shying away from the possibilities. He’d witnessed little flashes of it, the power connecting with his fear or rage to churn into something larger that threatened to slip from his control. Of course, it was equally surprising and strange that those slips always occurred in connection to Harrison.
Maybe it wasn’t so surprising. Out of all of them, Harrison was the only one who was purely human. He had no powers of his own to call on to keep him safe. The man was far too vulnerable to be wandering along with the Weavers and facing the pestilents. Not that he could ever utter those words to the man. No, he was there out of duty.
The goddesses had to have lost their collective minds to demand that Harrison accompany them on this quest. He should have just handed the Heart of the Earth over to Clay and returned home. That would have been the smartest thing for him. He’d be safe with his books and the other Guardians right now.
The wind picked up and whipped through the trees, rattling the bare branches together and rustling the material of the tents. Hale dragged in a deep breath and released it, calming his emotions and pushing on his power to settle the wind down. Coincidence? Or worse, was he the cause of the shifting weather?
A zipper sliding along the metal teeth scattered those questions in his mind, and he straightened. Turning to the camp while still trying to avoid looking toward the last of the dying firelight, he caught sight of Harrison coming out of their tent. He watched as Harrison closed the flap again and stood searching the area. A smile teased Hale’s lips. Harrison was looking for him.
Hale stepped away from the tree, some forest debris crunching under his sneakers. The other man’s eyes immediately snapped to him, and he quietly crossed the camp.
“I can’t sleep,” Harrison immediately announced in a hushed whisper. Hale had to bite his bottom lip against the urge to point out that Harrison hadn’t actually tried for very long. He didn’t know whether the man was worried about Hale being on guard duty alone or if he just thought Hale might need a little company to remain awake.
“You know I’ve got a sure-fire way to cure that,” Hale countered in a low voice.
“I’m not taking a sleeping pill,” Harrison grumbled.
He huffed a quiet laugh as he grabbed the man’s elbow. “No, this is all natural, I promise. Come with me.”
Harrison shuffled through the brush with him to the edge of the camp where there was a small break in the trees, offering an exquisite view of the night sky. Hale had spotted the clearing earlier when they were unloading the supplies from the vehicles and setting up the tents. He’d tucked that information away for later, though he’d never expected to be sharing this view with the man beside him.
“Look up,” Hale directed as he released Harrison’s elbow. He remained close to the taller man, watching his expression. Eyes widened, and those perfect lips parted in surprise and maybe a bit of wonder.
“Amazing,” he said breathlessly.
“Isn’t it? There’s not much light pollution out here, so we get an excellent view of the heavens.” Wrapping his right arm around Harrison’s shoulders, he slightly turned the man and pointed. “You see that string of bright stars right there attached to the square of four?”
“That’s the Big Dipper. Everyone can find that one in the night sky.”
