“Everything makes me think of you. But come, I ought to show you the paintings in our room.” He held his hand out to me. When I took it, I definitely wasn’t imagining the clamminess of his palm, but I didn’t mention it. This had to be hard for him to be here. With me yet not quite me. He paused outside a closed door. “I . . . I cannot imagine returning here without you.”

I wrapped my arms around his. “That must be why I was brought here. I’m glad. Now, let’s go in together.”

He pushed the door open and stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter first. I pressed my hand to his chest as I moved around him and stepped inside our room. The two side walls were lined with windows, letting in natural light in the best of ways. A four-poster bed sat in the middle of the far wall, and it looked surprisingly comfortable. I strolled in with a smile. It wasn’t fancy and it was perfect. I turned to face him and spotted a hearth on the fourth wall. Above it, hanging on the wall, was a collection of paintings. One of me and Everest only, but the others had Auryn in them at various ages. My eyes watered. She really was the perfect combination of him and me.

“We don’t trust many painters, but we managed to find a few,” he said softly from behind me. “I had said they were a risk to our safety. You insisted they were worth the risk. I have never been happier to have listened to you.”

I sniffled and wiped my eyes. I wanted to memorize these paintings just in case this oasis was somehow not here when I got home. If I had a camera, I would take a million pictures—-wait a second. I have my cellphone. It won’t work to make calls or texts or anything, but the camera should work. The camera works at home when I have no service. I reached for my bag and shoved my hand inside. My iPhone slammed into my palm instantly.

“What is this bag you wear?”

“OH. It is a magic bag. it was loaned to me from—” I slammed my mouth shut before I said something I wasn’t supposed to. I grimaced. “Sorry. Future talk is strictly forbidden.”

“That it is.” He chuckled. “Tell me how this magic bag works?”

I bit my bottom lip. “It never fills. There’s so much stuff in here. All I have to do is think about what I want when I put my hand in and if it’s in the bag it flies into my hand. My . . . my friends at home filled it with stuff.”

He smirked and nodded. “And by friends you mean me?”

I chuckled and nodded. “And others, but yes. You.”

“Well, what is it you’re looking for now? Clean clothes?”

“No, my phone⁠—”