[Day 5, Dec. 24 – Wintermist Island]
~Dave Carter~
I made my declaration, my voice sharp and unyielding, and then scooped Octavia back into my arms. She felt so light, her body trembling faintly against me as if all the strength had been drained from her.
Her head rested against my chest, and every now and then, I felt her shiver. Guilt hit me hard—like a blow to the stomach.
I should have been more careful, should have known better than to let her race on her own.
I glanced down at her face. Pale. Damp. Her lashes fluttered weakly, framing those dark eyes that now looked so vulnerable.
“Dave,” she murmured, her voice soft and faint.
“Can’t you just let it go?”
Let it go? I stopped walking, tightening my grip on her instinctively.
Incredulous.
“Never,” I said, my voice low, rou
