22. ~Caleb~

A roar sounded, jolting me awake.

"Just fucking do it, Dante. Get the damn thing out."

"It's in deep. Let's wait until the morphine kicks in."

"Just dig it out now."

"Caspian—"

"Fuck! We almost had him!"

"It wasn't worth your life."

"Debatable."

"It's absolutely not. I don't want to ever hear you say anything like that again. Jesus Christ, Caspian, running into the line of fire like that—repeatedly."

"All that mattered was bringing Caleb back to us."

"You don't have the luxury of seeing things that way. It's not that simple."

"It is when it comes to his loves," another very familiar voice spoke.

From right beside me.

I jolted as I suddenly became aware of hands on me, someone pressed up against me.

"It's all right. It's not him. You're safe now, brother. You're safe."

I strained, searching my currently muddled head. "Ash?"

"Yes, it's me. I'm just getting these cuffs off you then you won't be touched until the doctor treats you back at King Manor. Just give me a few moments."

"I don't… how are you… why are you… here?"

"To bring you back to your loved ones. Just like you brought me back to mine."

"He… Cas called you?"

I felt a weight being lifted from my wrists.

"We'll talk about it later. Just rest now, brother."

"Cas… Cas, are you okay?"

"Fine, of course. Everything is well. We're on our way back to the manor now."

I thought for a moment, trying to put things together, which was proving really difficult right now. Whatever was flooding my system, it packed on hell of a punch and it was doing a real number on me.

"You were… shot?"

"I'm wearing Kevlar. It's all fine, lovely. Rest like Asher said. I'm right here."

I felt something being draped over me. Warmth.

"All right," I murmured, as I closed my eyes.

Not moments later, sleep dragged me under.

Softness surrounded me.

Sheets? A mattress?

I was in a bed?

I tried to open my eyes, but they were just too heavy.

That weariness was pulling at me all too quickly.

I'd woken up too early.

Or had somebody woken me up?

That had kept happening before. Again and again.

I couldn't remember the last time I'd gotten a full night's sleep.

"Elijah," I murmured. "Let me sleep… just for a little while… I can't… just let me sleep."

"It's Bastian. Sleep as much as you want, Cal. Take your rest."

I started at the sound of his soothing familiar voice. "Bastian?"

"That's right, brother."

"Okay."

It was the last thing I remembered before I fell asleep again.

Soft light filteredin and a familiar minty cologne filled my senses.

"Caspian?" I croaked, my voice so dry.

"It's Skylar."

"Skylar?"

"Yeah. You're in Caspian's room, though."

I shifted in the bed and opened one eye to see her soft features and that striking blue and silver hair. "Missed you."

A beautiful smile spread over her face and her eyes lit up. "I missed you too. So much."

She went to reach out to me, but then pulled up short for some reason.

I shut my eye again and sank back down onto the soft pillow. "What time is it?"

"About one in the morning."

"You're not asleep?"

"We're taking shifts."

"Shifts?"

"Keeping you company."

"Oh… it's okay. Sleep. I'm tired too… love you… nite."

I openedmy eyes to darkness.

This time, that weariness that had been plaguing me for what had seemed like days on end and forcing me back to sleep every time I woke for a little bit, wasn't there this time.

Nothing was pulling me back under.

I shifted, finding myself tucked up in a bed, soft sheets and pillows surrounding me.

I was clad in my go-to lounge and pajama wear of my gray sweatpants and a white muscle tee.

And I wasn't bound by cuffs or ropes, or anything.

I could actually move about freely.

I pushed myself up against the headboard, blinking harshly at the fogginess swirling around my head.

I remembered being shot up with something, but it wasn't that. This was distinctive.

It was nicotine withdrawal.

I started to take in my surroundings, trying to get my bearings, and the first thing I noticed was that I was in Caspian's bedroom in his giant bed. But there was no sign of him.

In fact, as I looked over at the space beside me, there was no sign he'd even slept there recently. Also, the side of the bed that I was currently on was his side anyway.

I frowned. What was that all about? Why wasn't he here?

I started as I laid eyes on a figure slumped forward in a chair in the corner.

It took me a moment to make them out through the dark.

Jesus. It was Ash.

There he was like it was all perfectly normal, clad in his all-black jeans and dress shirt, that tousled hair of his taking on more of a bedhead type of look than normal.

"Damn, I'd forgotten how sweet and innocent you look when you're sleeping," I spoke aloud.

"I'm not asleep."

I jolted and slapped a hand to my chest. "Shit."

"Just resting my eyes for a while."

He opened them and those silver orbs cut right through the dark. Ironic.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, sitting forward in the chair.

I blinked, trying to put everything into place. "So, I wasn't hallucinating or something? You were there… in that van… getting the cuffs off… at that farmhouse too?"

"I was," he confirmed.

"Wow. I can't believe Cas actually called you in on this, that the two of you worked together. That's… beyond unprecedented."

"Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures." He rose from the chair. "I'd do nothing less for you, Cal," he said, perching on the edge of the bed next to me.

"I know," I said, reaching out and grasping his hand. "Thank you, Ash."

He frowned down at our joined hands.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing, my friend," he said, stroking my fingers carefully—very carefully. "All is well. Just glad to have you back."

As if I'd buy that there was nothing deeper going on with him. Asher didn't just notice the surface level of things. No, he delved down to the bedrock with people.

"You're really tiptoeing around me, huh? Do I look that bad?" I pressed my hand to the gauze I could feel taped to various points around my throat, then I tugged on the collar of my tee to see more taped to my chest. The recollection of how those injuries had come about hit me—a choke chain and Elijah's nails.

"No. I just wasn't expecting you to be so… comfortable."

"Comfortable?"

He pulled his hand from mine. "With touch, Caleb."

Oh. I swallowed hard. "I'm all good. As you can see."

He stared at me—well, into me.

Elijah had me jolting as he grasped my shaft, then began stroking me, trying to make me hard.

I shifted in the bed as the memory slammed into me. Fortunately, I was able to play it off as being uncomfortable under Asher's scrutinizing stare.

"We're aware of some of the things you were subjected to while in captivity."

I watched his men pull their knives, grab a girl each, then slit their throats right there.

"No!" I screamed, thrashing on the table.

I blinked and focused back on Ash's voice.

"Certain things that I'm familiar with dealing with, as you're well aware."

"You'd actually talk about that with me?" Not only wasn't he exactly the opening-up type, but what had happened to him when he'd been tortured was horrific and something very difficult to disclose to anyone, even his foursome.

"To help you, I would, yes."

"Remain open to me. Hold, boy."

I swallowed hard as another flash inundated me. I discreetly dug my nails into the mattress as a means to ground myself to the moment and to push the rest away.

"Caleb?"

I steeled myself and eyed him steadily. "I appreciate it. A lot, Ash. But I'm really good."

"You're good?"

"Yeah, all good."

"Just like that?"

Something occurred to me then. "I get it. You all think I might have actually turned, been brainwashed, that I'm now a threat too, right?"

"Not at all."

"Seems like it. These pointed questions, then you making sure you were right here when I woke up. I mean, it would either be you or Bastian, he's exceptionally talented at reading people and seeing their true intents beneath the surface too."

"You're growing agitated and redirecting."

"I'm trying to get a clear picture of what's going on here."

"No. You're trying to avoid discussing what happened to you, to avoid admitting that it has actually impacted you. You're even lashing out to veer things off that track."

"Beg me to make you come. Tell me I own your hot little ass. Use my name. Say it." He dug his fingers into my skin. "Final test of submission, then I'll know you're really with me."

I slammed my fist down onto the bed. "I wasn't turned! He didn't break me!"

"There it is. Good pet. Harder now. Chase that orgasm."

"Yeah, let me see you break for him, Rowland."

I tugged at my hair. "He fucking didn't, Ash! He didn't!"

"I know."

"You… what?"

"I never considered for a moment that Bane would stand any chance of breaking you."

"Then what—"

"It doesn't mean that what you endured didn't affect you."

I sighed. "Is that why Cas isn't here? He thinks I'm damaged?"

"He needed treatment. He sustained a gunshot wound as well as damage to his hand from a tactical knife."

"Is he all right?" I asked, urgency bleeding from me.

"He's doing well, yes. He'll be fine."

"Is there more to this?"

"What?"

"Come on, Ash, I know how Caspian is when one of us is hurt. Getting treated wouldn't even keep him away. So there's got to be more to it."

He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a beat, before telling me, "You've been asleep for several days and throughout that time you were talking in your sleep."

"Talking in my sleep? About what?"

"You uttered Elijah's name a lot. Caspian likely assumed it would be disorientating and frightening for you to suddenly awaken and find him there with that going on."

"Like I'd mistake him for Elijah?" I asked, disgusted at the thought of it.

"In a manner of speaking."

No, Asher was just trying to sugarcoat it for me. Cas clearly thought I was damaged.

"It's the middle of the night, so everyone's asleep?"

He nodded. "It's just you and me who are awake, along with a few security personnel."

"All right, good, that'll give me a little time to get acclimated before I see everyone." I tossed the covers aside and pushed out of bed. "You up for a smoke?"

"Of course."

As I crossed to the door with him following after me, I called over my shoulder. "And coffee. Lots of fucking coffee."

"Wow, thank you,"I said as Ash finished filling me in on him taking over the management of my rehabilitation facilities in my absence. "That's above and beyond, brother."

He lifted a shoulder like it wasn't a big deal in the least. "I was here and in a position to take care of it for you." He took a drag of his smoke. "Once you've had some time to reacclimate, I'll get you up to speed."

I laid my hand on his shoulder. "You've been away from your loves for long enough. You need to get back."

"And I will. Once I'm satisfied things are well here with you."

"Stubborn as ever, I see." I dragged on my smoke, then asked, "Did anything else happen here while I was gone that I need to be aware of?"

"A few things, yes. But that's Caspian's purview."

Hmm.

"I did conduct one of your therapy sessions with Skylar."

"She came to you for that?"

"I recognized her struggle, ran it by your boys, and they agreed I should approach her with the offer to conduct a session. She was triggered by her guilt with Wheeler's involvement in all of this."

"Jeez, none of this is her fault. I don't blame her, nobody does."

"I helped her to see that."

"Well, if anyone could replicate those sessions of mine, it's you. Thank you for doing that for our woman."

"Of course."

I smiled. "I'm glad Cas called you in."

A shadow fell over the patio doors and a wonderfully familiar voice rolled through me in the best way imaginable. "As am I."

I stubbed my smoke out and looked to see Caspian standing there, leaning against the door frame.

I couldn't remember much about the night of my rescue except for a few bits and pieces of muddled memories here and there, so seeing him now was pretty much me laying eyes on him for the first time in ages.

His long, caramel hair was loose and wild, indicating that he'd just woken up mere seconds ago. His silk pajama pants that he had on lent more weight to that. He was shirtless with a sling supporting his right arm and further down a bandage was tied across the middle of his hand.

I couldn't keep the grimace from my face at seeing the pain he'd sustained because of me, to save me.

It was the last thing I'd wanted, for him to get hurt protecting me. Those days were supposed to be done with, it was part of the reason I'd left for those two years, so that I wouldn't be a burden on him, so that I could stand independently alongside him, so we could be partners. But Elijah had stolen that away when he'd taken me.

He"d stolen away a lot of things.

No. He'd tried to.

He hadn't succeeded.

He fucking hadn't.

"The sling will be off in a couple of days," Cas assured me, seeing my reaction. "And the doctor is confident that my hand will heal well with no permanent nerve damage." He smiled out at me. "I'll be fine, Caleb."

"You were shot, Cas. For me."

Asher looked between us, then stubbed out his smoke and told us, "I'll give you some time."

"Get some sleep," Caspian told him kindly.

Kindly? The two of them? More specifically, Cas being that way with him. It was beyond hard to believe, let alone actually witnessing it playing out right in front of me.

Ash gave me a chin lift, then headed back through the patio doors, Cas giving his shoulder a brotherly squeeze on his way past.

Wow.

"I absolutely didn't see that coming," I told Cas as he stepped out onto the patio. "You and Ash becoming what really looks like friends? Do I still have some of that sedative in my system and I'm actually hallucinating this?"

"That was more than a sedative. It was also more than one drug, it was a cocktail. It was meant to render you compliant, susceptible to suggestion, to weaken you, and to put you in a dazed, barely aware state."

"Jesus. No wonder Ash said that I've been out for days."

"How are you feeling now?" he asked, his gaze raking over me in a very studious way.

And I hated it. Hated how it was a clinical assessment, how he'd barely moved an inch closer to me since we'd laid eyes on each other. I hated how there was so much tension emanating from him, indicating he was struggling with keeping his distance, but forcing himself to do so anyway because he believed I needed it.

"Is that why Cas isn't here? He thinks I'm damaged?"

It sure as fuck looked like I'd been right on the money there.

So, I forced a bright smile beyond all this heaviness and doubt and told him, "I'm great now that I'm back."

He cocked an eyebrow. "Great?"

"Yeah. I'm back here where I belong. That shit is out of my system. I woke up in your bed. And here you are after way too long standing right here in front of me. Once Bastian and Skylar wake up and I get to see them again too, it will all be perfect." I stepped up to him, closing the distance between us. "The only thing that detracts from that is seeing you hurting because of me."

"Caleb—"

I wrapped my hand around his nape and tugged him down to me, stopping the continued concern, his disbelief in my assurances.

Words wouldn't work here, not with this.

A physical demonstration was in order.

And so, that's exactly what I gave him, crushing my mouth to his.

As soon as our lips connected, there was absolutely no room for slow and careful, no easing back into it. I'd been away from my loves for so long that I'd been starving for their touch, the connection with them—both physically and emotionally. I hadn't realized just how much given where my focus had needed to be, so it took me over quickly, overwhelming my senses and every fucking thing within moments.

I was bruising his lips with mine, biting them, then soothing the sting away with my tongue.

It was frantic, needy, and absolutely fucking raw.

It took him a beat or two to respond from the surprise of it and the intensity that I just couldn't keep in check for the life of me.

He returned it tentatively and I could feel him trying to hold himself back, to not respond in kind. But as he opened for me on a sexy groan, and I hooked my tongue around his, tasting him, he succumbed to the explosion of passion and desperate need between us just like me, tangling with me, his good hand snapping to my hip and holding me to him in a harsh grip.

My hand left his nape and I fisted it in his glorious mane of hair, tugging, needing him closer still.

I was shifting my weight then, planting my knee between his legs, then using the better angle to grind my cock against his.

I moaned into his mouth as I felt him rock-hard for me through the thin barrier of his silk pants and my sweats.

"Fuck, Cas," I uttered, pulling my mouth from his and nibbling at his ear, his throat, sucking on his Adam's apple. "Been too long… way too long."

He rolled his hips, a needy guttural sound coming from him that had my balls drawing tight, it was so fucking carnal.

I grabbed a fistful of his ass, grinding rougher, harder, needing to chase the pleasure that being here with him again had sparked in me.

"Need you," I was gasping then. "Skylar… Bastian… text them… need you all."

I went to slip my hand down the front of his pants, wanting to touch him skin-to-skin and wrap my hand around his gorgeous cock.

But I didn't get to make contact when he snagged my wrist, pulling me up short.

I stilled in surprise, my gaze snapping to his.

"It's too soon," he told me, panting with his need. Those enthralling hazel eyes of his were hooded too, slightly glazed. He wanted this, just as badly as me.

"If anything, it's been way too long, Cas."

His grip moved from my wrist to my hand and he stroked my fingers softly as he told me in that patient, understanding tone of his that he often used with Bastian when he was riled up, "I agree. However, you require time to readjust to being back here and to process what happened while you were gone. Getting physical so soon after—"

"I've been back for several days."

"Yet you've barely been conscious in that time, giving you no time to process anything."

I shook my head. "It's fine. If I needed time to do that, I would do it. I would tell you. I don't, though. I'm all good. In fact, I'm—"

"You're great. I heard you."

I narrowed my eyes. "You don't believe me."

"You haven't had a chance to determine that either way, lovely." He smiled softly and continued to gently stroke my fingers. "Just give it a little time."

I jerked my hand away and stepped back. "This is bullshit."

"Caleb, just—"

"You making this a big deal isn't helping."

"Neither is you pretending it's not a big deal."

"I'm not pretending with anything."

"Then you're in deep-seated denial."

"The hell I am."

"Listen, you're back here and that's what matters. The rest will come in time, naturally. When you're really ready."

"Cas—"

"I'm going to bring in Doctor Granger to assess you and—"

"No," I ground out. "I told you that I don't need it. He didn't damage me, Caspian. Nobody has that kind of power over me."

"Caleb, it's not about power or—"

"It is and I have it. I maintained mine. Nothing has changed, nothing is broken."

He grimaced. "I heard him. I heard Elijah call you his pet. I know what that entails with him."

I shook my head vehemently, not wanting his words to compute. "It was nothing I couldn't handle."

"He's touched you. He had his men torment you. Six women were slaughtered in front of you, yes? You were tortured during your time in captivity. Physically, emotionally, mentally, and sexually."

"Stop!" I yelled, tugging at my hair.

"Caleb, it's okay," he said, reaching out for me.

I batted his hand away. "This is really about you not being able to handle that your worst enemy touched me, had his cock in me, had me in his bed."

His face twisted at my words, he looked absolutely distraught with a whole lot of disgust along for the ride there too.

"See? It's all over you. I'm tainted for you now."

"No. Absolutely not. My reaction is for you. Hearing what you were subjected to, what you had to suffer through."

"You're lying."

"You know I don't do that. Nothing could taint you for me."

"It's like when you found out I'd been with Ash. Just way worse because this is Elijah, the man who murdered your parents."

"Caleb, stop. You're not listening. None of this is true. You're just lashing out as a means to protect yourself from acknowledging the trauma."

"The fuck I am."

"I was with Asher while you were gone," he blurted out in his desperation to get through to me. "He… helped me. I needed to release all the pent-up intensity. I was becoming dangerous."

His revelation had me frozen for several moments.

It was a hell of a lot to wrap my head around.

Caspian King and Asher Monroe?

"You… you bottomed? I thought you were only able to consider doing that with me?"

"No. And I am, only with you."

Okay, that painted a picture of what had gone down then with a bunch of things off the table there with the two of them being adamant tops in that scenario.

"I'm glad."

"You are?"

"Yeah, he took care of you, helped you. You screwing around with him also helps with the issues we've had between us when it comes to him."

"It does, yes."

"You see what I meant about him now?"

The corner of his mouth turned up. "I absolutely do."

I blew out a breath. "Well, damn, Cas. Thank fuck he was here. If you'd gone at Skylar while you were in such a state, the damage you could've done… fuck me."

"I know." He closed the distance between us and slid his good hand along my cheek, into my hair, and back and forth. Then he reached around the back of his neck and unclasped my pendant hanging beneath his. Intensity burned between us as he clasped it back around my neck where it belonged. "Having you lost to us… I couldn't stomach it, Caleb. Him taking you… I couldn't stand it. All that mattered was bringing you back to me, to us. It was all I could see. I did what I had to do, I crossed lines I normally wouldn't. Nothing was too twisted or abhorrent. But when it comes to you, all bets are off. When it comes to those I love, there are no lines for me. I lost myself to the dark."

I grasped his hand on me, emotion bleeding from me. "It wasn't meant to be that way. I was supposed to be the one who got swallowed by the dark." I fingered my pendant. "It's why I took this off. I didn't want you to be put in that position. I didn't want you to sacrifice yourself like that. You've spent your life going out on a limb for us, protecting us, even at great cost to yourself. The burden it's put on you… it's too much now."

"It's not about me protecting you. You would do the same for me, I have no doubt. It's about us protecting each other—all four of us. That's what found family does, lovely." He winced. "But I kept failing, again and again. Every time I thought I'd found you, I was proven wrong. You were left in that maniac's clutches for far too long, and I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I didn't find you sooner."

"Cas, it's okay. I don't think of it like that. You did come for me, and I'm here now, that's all that matters." I sucked in a breath so all the volatile emotion inundating us didn't swallow me whole. "Besides, being there longer actually worked in our favor."

His brow furrowed and he dropped his hand from my cheek. "What do you mean?"

"Because I was there for a good while, Elijah developed a connection to me. It was more than just a captor to captive thing with him. He wanted to keep me with him." I pushed past the look of utter revulsion all over Caspian's face and went on, "We can use that to our advantage. It's leverage, something to exploit. Him allying with Jeremy is going to make it extremely difficult to track them again, especially without me there to send out a signal this time. So this is what we can use to do it, to draw them out."

"Fuck, I thought Skylar's strategy to draw Wheeler out by using herself as bait was bad enough, but this… after what he subjected you to… it's another level." He started shaking his head vehemently. "No. I won't allow it. Absolutely not."

"Cas—"

"No, Caleb. Not under my watch. Not under my command."

"It's not just your command. The four of us are in this together. We make our decisions together. As a team, a unit, a family. And now we're all back here with each other, that's exactly what we need to do, how we need to approach this and every fucking thing going forward."

"Right there with you on that," a voice came from the patio door, and we both turned to see Bastian coming out onto the patio.

As soon as we locked eyes, he was running to me and throwing his arms around me.

"Fuck, you're here. You're here," he cried into my shoulder as he held me in a death grip.

"I'm here, B. All good."

"You're never leaving our sights again, do you hear me?"

"Right back at you. Although, with the way Cas is at the moment, he might very well intend that to be absolutely literal."

"I'm not letting you anywhere near that sadistic madman," Cas seethed.

Bastian pulled back and frowned over at him. "You're gonna need to narrow that down. Which madman are we talking about here?"

"Elijah," Caspian seethed, like just uttering his name was poison on his tongue.

"What? No. We just got you out of his clutches, Cal."

"His idea is similar to Skylar's concerning Wheeler. To draw Elijah out using himself as bait."

"Whoa, that's… something for sure."

"Something you were adamantly against when Skylar brought up the idea for her," Caspian told him pointedly, and hella heavily.

"Adamantly against doesn't really cover it," Skylar's voice came from behind us, startling all three of us in one shot.

Bastian did a double take as he watched her approach from around the side of the manor, rather than through the kitchen as the rest of us had done. "Last time I checked in on you, you were out like a light. Again, beautiful, sorry we didn't fall asleep together this time, I didn't know Damien was gonna be talking my ear off for hours on end, I thought it was just gonna be a quick half hour thing."

"It's all good." She eyed Caspian. "And you were supposed to be sleeping in my room as well, along with Bastian until the Damien thing. What happened to you?"

"Sorry, I passed out in my office. I only woke up when Asher texted me that Caleb was up and about."

"That's why I woke up too. He popped in to tell me that I was needed." She looked between me and Caspian. "I guess he sensed this insane tension between you two."

"More like he'd sensed it coming to that," I said, knowing Ash's astuteness as I did.

"It wasn't exactly a difficult prediction. He knows now how we both are when we're riled up," Caspian spoke, the very clear edge in his voice making it clear he was still majorly riled up.

"Hold up, Damien is here? In the manor?" I asked.

"After I was taken, Cas considered that he could become a target too," Bastian explained. "So he got my mom out and Damien's been here. He's actually been helping. He hit that old mansion, the first place you and me were kept, with Cas and Asher. He's been here with Skylar too while Cas was… indisposed."

"That's… a lot."

"Yeah, it took me some time to wrap my head around too," Bastian admitted. A smile played on his lips. "But, you know, it's been nice… having him here… connecting again."

"Damn," I breathed. "A lot really has changed since I've been gone."

Skylar came to me and took my hands in hers, smiling up at me with those beautiful beaming emerald eyes. "And yet some things haven't. And they never will."

"The four of us," Bastian clarified, just in case.

"Exactly," Skylar said. "We're here for each other. A family. Whatever you need, however we can help you reacclimate, we're here, okay? Always, Caleb."

"I know, darling. I know." I pulled her against me and wrapped my arm around her. "I missed you. Fucking missed you so much. Missed being here with you all."

The next thing I knew, Bastian was right there wrapping himself around the both of us. "Never again, all right? Never are you going anywhere again like that."

"Neither of us, B."

"Damn fucking straight, neither of you," Skylar said, grasping us more tightly.

I looked out to see Cas hesitating on whether to make physical contact with me.

"It's fine, Cas. I'm fine."

He didn't move. He didn't fucking believe me.

"Fuck, Caspian," I grunted.

"You just offered to use yourself as bait. You're not fine."

Skylar looked between us. "We all need to take a beat. Caleb needs time to sink back into being here and being free of that nightmare. You need time to heal. I know you're going to want to be at the forefront of our takedown of those maniacs and you can't do that when you're injured and not at your best. I'm not just talking physically either, you've been struggling Caspian. We all have, but the burden has been greatest on you. So we take some time to recuperate before we pursue Jeremy and Elijah and what now appears to be their mercenary allies. Once we're back on solid ground, we'll do it together. And that's how we'll win."

Bastian reached out and stroked her hair, staring at her in starry-eyed wonder.

Fuck, I was right there with him there.

"You've come a long way, beautiful. A hell of a long way."

"Well, like I told you before all of this happened, I'm all in."

"All right," Caspian said, a smile forming in spite of everything. "That's what we'll do."