Page 49 of The Knight

Abe halted on a rocky outcropping. The land sloped downward to an obsidian beach.

This wasn’t the beach of sun-soaked shores in warmer climates. Black volcanic sand stretched as far as she could see, lapped by the frigid water of the Arctic Ocean.

The sight triggered a faint memory. Her father, before he died, taking her swimming. She could almost feel the breath-halting cold, her fingers blanching white, her skin numbing in the icy water.

Her father. She’d made so many life decisions shaped by loss and pain. She had always believed they were the right choices. Now she was less sure.

“Wow. It’s more beautiful than I expected.” Awe tinted Abe’s voice.

She linked her fingers through his, the gesture as natural as breathing. “My dad used to take me swimming in the summer.”

Abe turned to her. “And yet here you are to tell the tale. Is there anti-freeze in Icelandic blood?”

She rolled her eyes. “Cold water swimming boosts circulation, reduces inflammation, and improves mood by triggering the release of endorphins.”

A wry grin spread across his face. “I’ll take your word for it. Give me the sun-warmed waters of Galveston Bay any day. But this is breath-taking in its own right.”

The scent of salt and seaweed scoured their lungs as they made their way down the slope. The black sand shifted beneath their feet, an alien texture that seemed to absorb what little light the northern sky provided. In the pre-dusk gloom, the beach took on an almost lunar quality.

Abe checked his watch. “Time to send our location.”

From his pocket, he pulled out a hand-sized radio transmitter and adjusted the dials with practiced precision.

“You carry a radio?”

He shot her a quick grin. “A SEAL doesn’t leave home without one.” Static hissed as he pressed the transmit button. “Fox, this is Abe. We’re in position. Transmitting our location now.”

A burst of crackling static, then a voice came through, firm and clear: “This isThe Archer.Copy your position. Extraction inbound. Stand by.”

“Now we wait. They’ll be in the vicinity. Keep a lookout.” Abe crossed the beach to some larger rocks that provided shelter. “Here we can’t be seen from behind us, so we’ll have the advantage if anyone comes looking for us from the mainland.”

She sat beside him on the cold, damp stone. A gust of wind whipped across the beach, the temperature plummeting with the setting sun. Freya hugged herself, teeth chattering.

“Here.” Abe shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders. “Can’t have you freezing to death before we get you to safety.”

She clutched the warm fabric, inhaling his scent. The gesture was so simple, yet so foreign. She couldn’t remember when anyone had shown her such thoughtfulness. “I’ve never met anyone like you before.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Why are you so kind to me? You barely know me.”

He gave a soft laugh. “Maybe you’ve spent too many days in labs alone with numbers and facts.”

She studied the black sand, tiny crystals reflecting the fading light. There was truth in his words. Truth she hadn’t seen before, orhadn’t wanted to see. How many connections had she missed, buried in her work? How many moments of human warmth had she traded for the cold comfort of data?

“When this is all over, I want things to be different.”

His smile said he understood more than she’d voiced.

The soft roar of an engine cut through the air, ending her introspection. A small boat carved toward them, one man on board. “Our transport?”

Abe inclined his head. “Yup.”

“Where are we going to go in a boat that small?”

He grinned, a mischievous light in his eyes. “We’re not going anywhere on the boat. It’s taking us to our actual transport.”

“What do you mean?” Hunger and exhaustion clouded her thoughts.

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