In the Shadows

Chapter 14: The Cabin

The journey from the ambush site had taken more out of them than either Azriel or Skye wanted to admit. The adrenaline had carried them for a while, but now, as they trudged through the dense forest, the weight of their exhaustion became impossible to ignore. When they finally stumbled upon a small, secluded cabin nestled between the trees, it felt like a miracle.

The cabin was old, its wood weathered and covered in patches of moss. It was clearly abandoned, but sturdy enough to offer a night's rest. Azriel pushed the door open, his muscles aching with every movement. Inside, the space was simple, with a single cot in one corner and a small stone hearth on the other side.

"Not exactly luxury," he muttered, glancing around, "but it'll keep us out of the cold."

Skye followed him inside, looking around with a similar mixture of relief and weariness. She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing at the tension in her shoulders as she took in their temporary shelter. "It'll do," she replied, though her voice held a hint of gratitude. She moved to the hearth, examining the remnants of wood and kindling.

Azriel wordlessly joined her, kneeling beside the fireplace as he struck a match to the dried wood. The flames crackled to life, filling the cabin with a soft, warm light. Shadows danced along the walls, casting a flickering glow over Skye's face as she sat across from him.

They were silent for a while, simply watching the fire, its warmth soothing the aches from the day's battle. Azriel let his gaze wander to her, tracing the curve of her profile, the way her lashes brushed her cheeks as she stared into the flames, lost in thought. He felt a strange sense of peace settle over him, the tension in his shoulders easing for the first time in days.

After a while, Skye broke the silence. "Thank you," she said softly, not looking at him. "For... for getting us out of there. For keeping me safe."

Azriel's gaze shifted, and he met her eyes, which now held a vulnerability he hadn't seen before. "It's my job," he replied, his tone gruff, though he knew it was more than that. He'd acted on instinct, yes, but there had been something deeper driving him, something he wasn't ready to confront just yet.

Skye looked down, tracing her fingers over a knot in the wood floor. "It seems you take your job very seriously." Her voice held a hint of amusement, but beneath it, he heard the echo of her own confusion, her own struggle to understand the tension that simmered between them.

"I do," Azriel replied, his voice low. He hesitated, then added, "But this... feels different." The words slipped out before he could stop them, and he immediately regretted it. He wasn't supposed to feel this way, wasn't supposed to let himself get so close. But with Skye, it was as if those barriers he'd carefully constructed over the years were slowly crumbling, one by one.

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face, as if trying to read the thoughts he kept hidden. "Different how?" she asked, her tone tentative, as if afraid of his answer.

Azriel held her gaze, the words caught in his throat. He wanted to tell her everything, to admit the way she haunted his thoughts, the way he couldn't seem to pull himself away. But instead, he looked away, the silence stretching between them like a chasm.

Skye sighed softly, a hint of frustration flickering across her face. She moved closer, closing the distance between them until they were mere inches apart. He could feel the heat radiating from her, her presence filling the space around him. She reached out, her fingers grazing his hand, a tentative touch that sent a jolt through him.

"Azriel," she whispered, her voice barely more than a breath. Her eyes held a question, one that hung heavy in the air between them.

For a moment, Azriel felt himself leaning toward her, the pull between them irresistible, magnetic. His hand moved to her cheek, his fingers tracing the line of her jaw, his heart pounding as he drew her closer. His gaze dropped to her lips, and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his skin, could see the way her lashes fluttered as she closed her eyes.