Page 43 of Flames

Because today, I have to make a choice. We know now that Sam is still alive. We think he’s trapped in the underworld, The Shadow King’s hell dimension, the demon realm. But we have no idea how to reach him or how to bring him back.

Tanner wants to jump again. It would mean drinking more of my blood, but that’s not what worries me. It’s what Kole told me about what it might do to Tanner if he keeps pushing himself.

So, it seems I have to decide… do I risk one boyfriend’s life to save another?

Kole hands me a mug of coffee. Our fingertips brush against one another, sending a pulse of electricity through my body. Part of me is still mad at him, but a bigger part knows there was no way I could stay mad any longer. I need him like I need oxygen.

I’m sipping my drink, staring into the flames that warm us, when I notice Mack move from his position by the cave’s entrance. He disappears quietly but purposefully.

After a few minutes, when he hasn’t returned, I put down my mug and follow him. He’s not in the cave behind the falls, so I step outside and follow the rocks until I’m standing to one side of the waterfall itself. A light mist sprays my face and arms. My hair is becoming damp.

I spot Mack in the distance, then Luther, then…

My breath solidifies in my chest. I can’t move, or think, or speak. My body starts to shake. Every muscle contracts.

“Sam...” I breathe his name. It is like honey on my tongue. Then I run. I didn’t even know I could run this fast, but I do. I hurtle toward him and fling myself into his arms without stopping to think about whether he’s injured or just plain imaginary.

When I stand back and take in his face, his eyes, his thick curly hair, I know he is real.

Luther and Mack are staring like they can’t believe it either. But he’s here. He’s really here.

I hook his arm around my shoulders and steady him as we walk slowly back toward the caves. We are at the entrance to the falls when Sam whispers, “How long have I been gone?”

“Only a few days,” I tell him, turning to look up into his deep dark eyes. “But it felt like a lifetime.”

Sam’s lips twitch. Not into a smile, more like a grimace. “For me too,” he says. “For me too.”

Inside, Kole is standing up as if he was expecting us. Tanner is lounging by the fire, drinking his coffee, and flicking through his phone. “Shit,” he says, eyebrows tweaking toward his hairline. “Looks like Annalise kept her side of the bargain. Nova’s blood tests were leaked. The SDB hasn’t commented yet, but surely this means Nova is off the hook? If people know she was human when she attacked Johnny, she’ll be off the hook, right?” He pauses and looks up.

When he sees Sam, he drops his phone. It clatters on the cold cave floor. He jumps up and backs toward the wall, clutching his head. “Fuck,” he breathes. “Fuck, fuck, fuck. No. Come back, Tanner. Come back.” He’s shaking his head, and his arms are trembling.

Kole strides toward him and grabs his shoulders. “Tanner, it’s okay. I see him too.”

Tanner blinks up at Kole, then glances at Sam. “You do? You really see him?”

“He’s here,” I say softly, bringing Sam closer. “I don’t know how you did it, Tanner, but you did it. You brought Sam home.”

* * *

Sam looks around the cave with wide eyes. He winces a little as he takes in the fire, then shakes his head. “I need air,” he says. “I can’t be in here. I need air.” Then he pushes past Mack and Luther, and stumbles back outside.

When I move to follow him, the others look like they’re going to come too, but I tell them, “Let me speak to him alone. We have no idea what he’s been through.”

“Alone? I don’t think that’s such a good plan, Nova.” Luther crosses his arms in front of his stomach. “At least one of us should be with you.”

I’m lingering by the entrance to the tunnel that leads to the front cave, itching to keep Sam in my sights because it feels too impossible that he’s back. “Why?” I frown.

“Because, exactly as you said, we don’t know what he’s been through,” Luther repeats my words back to me and suddenly I understand what he’s saying; we don’t know if Sam can be trusted.

I press my lips together and bite the inside of my cheek. “Alright.” I nod and beckon for Luther to follow me. He grabs a bottle of water, presumably for Sam, and stays close to my heels as I exit the caves.

Sam is back on the beach, leaning forward onto his thighs and taking deep gasps of air. Luther hands him the water, and he shakily unscrews the lid. He takes several large gulps, then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “Thank you,” he breathes. “I needed that.”

Gesturing to the overturned tree trunk, I walk Sam over to it and we sit down. Luther remains a few feet behind us like a bodyguard, leaning against an upright pine.

Over the falls, the sun is creeping higher into the sky. A small slash in the clouds exposes a whisper of pale blue that promises a brighter day ahead.

I am trying to keep my emotions locked inside; seeing Sam for the first time after twenty years apart was one thing. Seeing him now, after watching him slip away from me, is altogether different. There are so many things I want to say to him. I want to touch him, stroke him, make sure he’s real. I want to ask him what happened, what he saw, and if he’s okay. I want to ask him how he got here.