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“This shouldn’t be long, but stay where I can see you,” he said, as if this place wasn’t safe alone.
I was too eager to leave to stay in the cottage, but I left the door open so he’d be able to hear me if I screamed. So much for a picturesque land of dreams. More like a nightmare.
I glanced over, making sure I could see Kaden if I needed him. I didn’t know what Finn was saying, but even with their stoic expressions, I could sense bad news when I saw it.
A few seconds later Kaden was nodding and turning to join me.
“Everything okay?” I asked.
“Yes. It’s fine.”
It didn’t seem that way.
Chapter Five
We walked back through the same door we’d used to arrive. I’d only been half paying attention to where I was walking, expecting to be in the outpost, when I tripped forward into three feet of snow.
“Where the hell…” I looked around, trying to get to my feet, which were already freezing in the sandals I’d worn. My jeans were covered in snow, along with my thin blouse.
“Hank!” Kaden yelled, looking at the door that was flickering in and out of vision.
Hank’s bodiless voice rang out from somewhere in the ether.“Technical difficulties, sir! We’re working on it. Feel free to utilize the cabin. It’s one of our getaways.”
I’d been afraid of something like this. Well, not exactly this, but that they’d had something up their sleeves.
“Hank!” Kaden yelled.
“Sorry, can’t hear you well,” a soft, crackling voice replied.
“Why did you walk through?” Kaden said, turning to me.
“Why didyouwalk through?” It wasn’t like I was standing in the snow by myself.
“To get you.”
“Well, I didn’t tell you to follow me,” I said. I was beginning to shiver, and it felt like my toes were going to fall off.
There was a cabin fifty feet in front of us with a warm glow coming out of the windows, and smoke rising from the chimney.
“I think that’s the place,” I said, pointing toward the cabin. I didn’t wait for him to agree. It felt like my toes were going to turn black and break off if I stood here another moment. I began high-stepping it through the snow, toward the cabin, not caring if it wasn’t the right place. I’d bang on the door until someone answered, beg them for pity if needed.
Kaden swooped me up in his arms and continued walking toward the cabin.
“I can manage on my own,” I said, even though I wasn’t really looking forward to it. Still, he’d shown such an aversion to touching me, I didn’t need his pity.
“You have no shoes.”
Technically I did, but they were strappy sandals and it felt like the Arctic up here. Where had they dumped us?
He didn’t bother knocking on the door. It was unlocked, the place empty.
It was a single-room cabin, with a kitchen on one side, a living area in the center, and a bed tucked into a corner. The only privacy in the place appeared to be a small bathroom off the back.
He put me down on the sofa in front of the fireplace, which was already roaring. There was a stack of fresh logs beside it that looked like it would get us through the night, at least. I shook off my sandals, tucking myself underneath the throw blanket on the couch.
Kaden was walking around the place, making his way over to the kitchen area.
“What’s that amazing smell?” The savory scent was filling the place and making my mouth water.
