Cane's POV
The pain woke me up. A deep, hot ache in my side, like a bad tooth but lower down. I gasped, and the gasp hurt too. The ceiling above me was wood. A cabin ceiling. Not a hospital.
A face swam into view. Mabel. Her kind eyes were red-rimmed. She put a cool cloth on my forehead. "There you are," she whispered. Her voice sounded shaky.
My mouth was dry. My tongue felt too big. "Steph…" I croaked. "Where's Steph?"
Mabel's face did something terrible. It crumpled for a second, then she forced it smooth. It was worse than crying. Henry was standing behind her, by the door. He wouldn't look at me.
A cold fear, colder than the ocean, started in my gut. "Where is she?" I tried to sit up. Fire ripped through my side. I fell back with a groan.
"She's not here, Cane," Henry said, his voice gravelly.
"Where?" I demanded. I pushed Mabel's hand away and forced myself up on my elbows. The room spun. "Where did she go?"
