Chapter 31 –
The night was a blur of silver moonlight and black water.
The current ripped at us the moment we hit the river, dragging us sideways, spinning us out of control. Valerie barely had time to gasp before icy water slammed into her face, stealing the air from her lungs. Somewhere ahead, Jace's voice cut through the roar."Hold on to me!"
She kicked hard, searching for him, but the river spun her under again. Darkness swallowed her, cold and heavy, until strong arms yanked her up. Jace's face was half-hidden by wet hair, eyes burning with focus.
Behind them, Keal and Ethan fought to keep Lena's head above water. Valerie's father gripped her mother's hand as if nothing else in the world mattered. The current shoved them all toward jagged rocks, but Jace pulled Valerie close, angling them toward a narrow gap between boulders.
"Now!" he shouted, and together they pushed through.
Water exploded around them. They tumbled into a calmer bend of the river, gasping, coughing, clinging to each other in the dark. Keal's voice echoed from somewhere behind—"We're all here!"—and relief washed over them in shaky breaths.
By the time they reached the muddy bank, everyone collapsed in silence. Clothes clung to skin, the night air biting cold. Valerie lay back against the ground, staring at the slice of moon above the treetops. Her pulse still hadn't slowed.
Hours passed before the chill drove them to find shelter in a half-collapsed wooden cabin tucked beneath the trees. The others huddled together near the remnants of an old fireplace. Jace stayed beside Valerie, his arm draped over her as if to keep her from disappearing again.
The quiet between them was loaded—less with words, more with everything that hadn't been said in the chaos. His thumb traced her cheek, brushing away a strand of damp hair."You scared the hell out of me," he whispered.
She swallowed, the pounding in her chest no longer from fear. The world outside was still burning, still broken, but in that small, stolen moment, none of it seemed to matter. Jace leaned in slowly, and when their lips met, it was desperate—like two people clinging to the only safe thing left.
The rest of the cabin faded away. Fingers tangled in hair, breath mingled, and the line between comfort and hunger blurred until they were lying together on the rough wooden floor, the heat between them banishing the cold. Clothes slipped away piece by piece, their movements frantic and tender all at once.
Outside, the river kept rushing past.Inside, they stopped fighting it and let themselves drown—just for tonight.