Page 33 of Enter if you Dare: Part Three

“Shit, what’s wrong?”

“We need to find Cipher.”

“He’s at the shed—let’s go. But first, I need you to tell me what’s wrong.”

I sniffle. “I don’t know.”

Noa nods and turns back to his brother. “Finish the trees, and I’ll be back when I can.”

Lach doesn’t argue as Noa takes my hand, and we walk in silence the entire way to the shed. It is so unlike Noa, but I appreciate it.

Cipher is at his workbench, but he jumps up the second he sees I’m crying.

“Nixie is coming—something about Cave,” I blurt out.

“What has she heard?” Noa asks.

I shrug. “I don’t know yet.”

“News on Christmas Eve from Nixie isn’t going to be good. Shit. This is supposed to be a joyful day,” Noa says, filling the room with restless energy. “I’m filled with the opposite of joy right now.”

“Noa,” Cipher growls.

“I’m fine, I promise. Okay, that’s a lie. I’m not fine.”

“We don’t know it’s bad,” Cipher tries to reassure us.

“What if it is, though?” Noa asks him.

Cipher puts a hand on each of Noa’s shoulders. “Then we deal with it the same way we have been—together.”

Noa looks at the door. “Cave better come home soon, I’m running out of holes to dig.”

Time passes slowly, and Noa paces the room while we wait.

Nixie finally knocks on the door, then pulls it open. “I come with news, but I hope it’s okay that I brought someone with me to explain it better than I can.”

She steps further inside and turns to the door.

Cave walks through, and the world stops spinning around me.

It’s him, still wearing the sweats from the facility, but he’s standing in the doorway with his hands at his sides, his amber eyes moving across us slowly. I can’t move or speak. I stand there frozen, not believing this is real, that I must be dreaming.

Noa shrieks and runs right toward him; it doesn’t look like he’s going to stop, so Cave’s hands come up, ready to catch him or brace for impact. Their bodies collide so hard Cave takes a step back, then wraps his arms around Noa, who buries his head in Cave’s shoulder.

Cipher is still beside me as Noa pulls back and takes Cave’s face in his hands. He checks Cave over while mumbling, “You’re here, you’re really here.”

Cave looks at Cipher and me over Noa’s head. “Home.”

Noa steps back from Cave and stands beside him.

Cipher moves forward, and Cave meets him in the middle, then grabs Cipher’s face and smashes his lips against the other man’s.

Tears well in my eyes, and Nixie lays her hand on my shoulder. “Enjoy some time together. We’ll handle everything else for now.”

I nod, and she leaves. I know she will have more information for us later, but for now he is home.

When Cipher and Cave pull apart, he turns to look at me.