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“I don’t mind taking a break,” Oscar piped in.
They all turned to Riva. She pursed her lips and was silent.
“Somewhere covered,” she finally agreed. “If we can’t find one, then someone needs to stay awake.”
“I have tents,” Daria announced. “Three. I only needed one but assumed it would tear somewhere along the way, so I brought two more.”
Now they all gaped at her.
“What do you not have in there?” Oscar asked in admiration, fingering her backpack. Her cheeks turned pink.
“She has everything,” Charlie replied. “She is always prepared.”
To his surprise, he sounded annoyed and toned it down a bit, giving the floor to Daria. She sensed it and nodded.
“So, three tents. The first tent will be—”
“Me and you,” Charlie announced, giving no room for argument. Daria raised a brow but agreed.
“Second tent will be for the vampire and whoever guards him.”
“Me,” Oscar and Sona said at the same time.
Riva rolled her eyes. “You guys take the bastard. I will keep watch outside.”
“You guys decide,” Daria continued. “Whoever needs sleep the most will stay in the third tent, I suppose.”
Just like that, they were all in sync and trudging faster to beat sundown.
Chapter 6
They didn’t find a covered spot before the sun descended, but they did notice the sea rising towards them and decided to continue walking away. When they estimated a spot where the high tide wouldn’t reach them even hours later, they set up their tents and slid into their tasks smoothly, each one significantly tired but ready to pitch in. Daria took in Charlie’s worried expression when he entered and knew its source immediately.
“They won’t try to kill us in our sleep,” she said.
He shook his head. “I know they won’t. They can’t leave without our help, so they are essentially our hostages. Not that I think of them like that. I’m worried that the beach will become different at night. You never know with places like this.”
“I will know, and I can tell you right away. Does that ease you?”
At that, he stopped thinking too much and she knew his focus had shifted to her. The intensity of the scrutiny had her shying away, clearing her throat, and lying down on her side of the tent. It was cramped mostly because she had expected them to have separate ones, and she bit back a squeak of surprise when his body brushed her back as he lay down, too. Seconds later, a hand was on her waist, easing a blanket down on her.
“You are cold,” he declared. The hand didn’t leave, holding her in place while he kept his body away.
“You know I’m always cold.”
“Yes. But I didn’t realize how cold until earlier when we flew and…when we flew.”
“Right.”
She bit her tongue, unsure what to say when the conversation had her musing over far too many things: the feel of embracing him with all his heat, the way he held her when they landed on the beach. Every time he touched her, nudged her, and was in her bubble, protecting her from the other parties even when he wasn’t consciously aware of it.
“Get some sleep,” he said, voice a low rumble and on the verge of sleeping. Detecting something else, she rolled to face him.
“You sound ready to pass out.”
“Hmm.”
“That energy thing took its toll on you,” she guessed. “You should have told me earlier.”
