Page 31 of Soulmates

They said their goodbyes and hung up.

“We’ll keep him fed and hydrated and get him to Cricket as planned,” Santiago said.

“What if he gets worse?”

Santiago looked determined. “We plan based on the information we have. Maggie will call Cricket, and if she thinks Maddox is in danger after she speaks with him, you know she’ll call us back.”

“I know. But he’s…”

“Everything. I know that, Jake. And I’ll keep him safe with you.”

“Thank you”

“Anytime.”

Night crowded around them by the time they found a sleazy looking motel that took cash and didn’t ask questions on the outskirts of Valdosta. They were only nine hours from Cricket’s part of the Everglades, which gave them plenty of time to get there in daylight.

The weather had changed completely in the two days they’d been driving. Far from the cool April night of the challenge, they were now surrounded by sticky heat and the near-violent sound of screaming cicadas.

Santiago went to check in while Jake sat Maddox up and started to wake him. Maddox came to slowly. It was like Maddox had described—he seemed drugged. He looked blearily at Jake but smiled. “Hi,” Maddox said.

“Hey there,” Jake said, sweeping his hand over Maddox’s hair again. He couldn’t help himself.

“Are we done for the night? I’m sorry I wasn’t more help.”

“It’s fine, baby. We’re at a motel near the Florida-Georgia line. Santiago is getting rooms, and then she’s going to go pick up some pizza for dinner.”

“Sounds good. Can we get out of the car? My back is killing me.”

“Sure, baby.”

“Are you going to call me that from now on?”

“I might.”

“I like it.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

They got out of the car and stretched. Maddox looked into the trees behind the car. “The fuck is that noise?”

Jake laughed. “Cicadas?”

“Gods.”

When Maddox turned back to him, Jake’s laughter died. Maddox’s eyes were glowing. Not so brightly that you’d notice during the day, but in the dark corner of the parking lot, there was definitely a glow. His eyes were normally amber, even verging toward a dark golden color in some lighting. But this was different. Gold. And they were emitting light.

Jake opened his mouth to say something when Santiago turned the corner, stopped dead, and said, “What in the fuck?”

Chapter 22

“I texted Maggie, and she said she tried to contact Cricket and let him know, but she couldn’t get through earlier. She said that’s typical of him,” Santiago said, shrugging. “She says we have time to get some sleep here and then leave for the Everglades at first light. That will still get us there in the daytime.”

Jake took all this in while sitting next to a sleeping Maddox on the motel bed. Santiago had only gotten one room, thinking safety in numbers might be their best bet. Or at least solidarity in numbers. He didn’t want to be the only one in the room with the love of his life having some kind of magical health crisis.

When they’d told Maddox about his eyes, he’d checked in the car mirror but said he didn’t see anything different. Jake and Santiago had exchanged a look but said nothing until Maddox was back asleep, which took almost no time at all.

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