❝You have ice powers?❞ Adam asked shocked.
Taelyn turned around, laughing as she looked back at her hand. She looked at him, confused. ❝What? You've never seen a girl with ice powers before?❞
Leo is an ordinary teenager who has moved into a hig...
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The motel room was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the air conditioner rattling against the old window. The world outside was still dark, the kind of deep night that stretched endlessly, where time seemed frozen between yesterday and tomorrow.
Taelyn sat cross-legged on the worn-out bed, her back pressed against the wooden headboard. The mattress dipped slightly where Adam lay beside her, his arms folded behind his head, breathing steady in deep sleep.
She wasn't sure how long she'd been awake. An hour? Maybe two? It didn't matter. Sleep wasn't coming. Not when her heart felt heavy with a worry she couldn't shake.
Chase had decided their next move. They were heading west, toward a safehouse he managed to find buried in one of Davenport's old files. But even with a plan in place, nothing felt certain. Not anymore.
The moonlight filtering through the thin curtains cast a soft glow over the room, illuminating Adam's face in the shadows. He looked peaceful—something she hadn't seen in a long time.
She let out a slow breath and reached for her hair, gathering it between her fingers and methodically braiding it. It was a nervous habit, something she did when her mind was too loud, when the world felt too big and too unstable. Her fingers worked through the strands in rhythmic motions, over and under, over and under, as if weaving them together could somehow hold everything else together, too.
The knot in her chest only tightened.
Something was wrong at home. She knew it. Davenport hadn't reached out, and Leo wasn't responding. The last time that had happened—
She swallowed hard, pushing the thought away. No. She couldn't think like that.
Adam stirred beside her, shifting slightly before letting out a low grumble. His brow furrowed as if even in sleep, he was fighting against something. She paused, watching him for a moment.
Then, his eyes cracked open. "Why are you still awake?" he murmured, voice thick with sleep.
Taelyn hesitated before shrugging. "Couldn't sleep."
Adam turned his head toward her, blinking groggily. "That's a first. Usually, you pass out before I do."
She gave a half-smile, continuing to twist her braid. "Guess I have a lot on my mind."
Adam pushed himself up onto his elbows, studying her. "You're worried about home." It wasn't a question.
She nodded, her fingers slowing. "I just... have a bad feeling, Adam. Like something big happened."
He sighed, running a hand through his messy hair. "Chase thinks we shouldn't check in yet. If they got hit and we reach out, we could be next."
"I know." Taelyn exhaled sharply, looking down at her hands. "It just feels wrong to do nothing."
