Chapter 86

Sasha and Jim looked back at him in amusement.

“Guess we should have packed scarves and hats in there too, huh?” Jim teased.

“Shut up,” Nathan sniffled.

Sasha came back to take the bag from Nathan’s shoulder, ignoring any protests. “You’ve been carrying everything the whole way. I got it.” He smiled warmly and pushed on ahead.

It certainly made it easier for Nathan to keep his jacket tight around him and the collar turned up without the bag weighing him down. He hadn’t realized how tired he was or how many hours had passed while they were hiking through the woods until they stopped.

There was a rocky hill ahead with a few less trees, including a couple that looked like they had been uprooted recently by something very large moving past them. Sasha and Jim both seemed able to sense something, but for Nathan the giveaway was the sudden quiet as they neared the hill.

No birds. No chirping animals. No wind.