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Evan stares at her. “If anyone gets hurt⁠—”

“No one will get hurt. You have my word.”

Evan nods. “Fine, but I will be in the room the entire time.”

“Fine,” Nixie throws back with a little attitude. She’s let her mask slip slightly, and I try to keep my smile at bay.

He leads us through to the other room, and the door is unlocked by a staff member who stands to the side and doesn’t look at us. The room beyond is small and white, with no décor—it’s simply a cell. A chair is bolted to the floor with Cave seated in it. I pause in the doorway. He still looks the same, yet so very different, as he is no longer in his scarecrow outfit. I have never seen him in anything else.

Cave hasn’t looked up, and that concerns me. How drugged are they keeping him? He should have been able to hear me coming. He knows me.

“Cave,” Evan says, but there’s no response.

I step into the room, and as the door closes behind us, his head snaps up, eyes finding mine.

My heart thunders in my chest as Evan moves closer to him.

“I am removing the restraints. Please do not make me regret it.”

Cave doesn’t answer him; instead, he jumps from the chair the second he is free. He crosses the room and throws his arms around me, pulling me into his chest and holding on so tight I can barely breathe.

I wrap my arms around him and press my face into his chest.

“I missed you,” I whisper just loud enough only he should be able to hear me. “We are doing everything we can to get you out of here.”

His arms tighten further.

“Noa says he is digging a new hole for your post, and you have to behave so you can help him. Cipher says the music box is almost done.”

Cave pulls back just enough to look at me, and his amber eyes lock onto mine. I feel the darkness behind them, which I expected with him being back here after all these years.

I wish everyone could see the man who weaves me flowers from cornhusks, the friend who carries Cipher from the shed when he forgets to eat, and the person who will listen to Noa ramble on for hours about digging holes.

Cave lifts one hand and presses it against the side of my face, and I lean into its warmth. His jaw moves as he tries to find the word that fits what he needs to say. “Home.”

“I promise we are trying.”

Cave nods.

Behind us, I can hear Evan saying something to Nixie in a low voice, but I tune them out. I get little enough time with Cave and I want to enjoy every minute.

Reaching up, I put both my hands on his face. “Listen to me. I need you to be okay in here, to not give them any reason to keep you longer. I can only imagine how this place makes you feel, but I am asking you to be strong just a little while longer. Know I am fighting as hard as I can on the other side of these walls, but I need you to fight as well. Can you do that, please?”

He nods slowly, once.

“Good.”

I spend the rest of the time catching him up on island chatter and how excited Leni is to come visit. It seems like time flies by, and the ticking of the clock taunts me. I know I should be grateful that Nixie negotiated five minutes with Cave unrestrained, but we get the full hour.

I hear Evan clear his throat behind us. “We need to⁠—”

“I heard you,” I say with a sniffle, trying to keep my composure for Cave’s sake, though I seem to be failing miserably.

“I’ll be back,” I whisper to Cave. “As often as they will let me.”

I remove myself from his body and he lets me go, then I step back, Cave watching my every movement as I turn around to face Evan and Nixie, wiping the tears from my eyes.

“It was good to see you, Cave,” Nixie says, and Cave nods.