The words cut through Eli like a blade of ice, sharper than the relentless cold biting through his layers of clothing. He held the girl to his chest, trying to share his warmth, his heart pounding with urgency. Max circled them, his breath visible in the frigid air as he barked sharply, urging Eli to hurry.
Eli sprinted back to the cabin, his mind racing as fast as his feet. How had she ended up here, alone and exposed to the elements? The storm swallowed his thoughts, pressing in from all directions as if it could snuff out their tiny flame of hope. But Eli had faced down storms before—storms of sand, storms of bullets. This was no different.
Once inside, he laid the girl on a pile of blankets near the fire, her small body alarmingly light in his arms. Max settled next to her, his warm flank against her side, as Eli wrapped her in blankets and rubbed her hands briskly, willing life back into them.
