MY CRUEL PROTECTOR
Silas was at the helm, his silhouette a grim statue against the spray-flecked glass of the cabin, leaving Nevan and me alone in the cramped, dimly lit quarters below deck.
The air in the cabin was thick with the scent of diesel, sea salt, and the metallic tang of drying blood. I sat on a narrow bench, my fingers still white-knuckled around the rolled canvas of my grandmother’s portrait. The "Old Guest" in my head was no longer screaming; it was humming a low, dark melody of survival. I felt electrified, my skin buzzing from the adrenaline of the vents and the zip-line.
Nevan stood across from me, stripping off his tactical vest. His black shirt was torn, clinging to the sweat-slicked muscles