Page 21 of Starlight

He dragged his gaze away and pretended that he was contemplating the problem of getting up the tree without wings. “I don’t climb trees, so what’s the best way to do this?”

“Carefully.” Cole stared up. “Right, let’s do this.”

Akai glanced at him. “What exactly am I doing?”

“Watching,” Cole said with a nod.

“Maybe I should come with you.”

Cole gave him a look. “You already said you can’t do it, and I’ve already patched you up once.”

“But what if I need to patch you up?”

Cole pulled his phone out of his pocket. “You know what to do.”

Akai caught the phone with one hand. This had seemed much easier over breakfast. Much less dangerous.

Maybe his things would be safe up there for a couple of weeks until he could climb up and glide down. It would be longer until he could fly up. But without his phone, he couldn’t talk to anyone. He’d be on his own because Cole wouldn’t stay. He had a life in town…even if it was one he hated.

By the time he took his gaze off the phone, Cole had already started climbing. Akai could barely breathe as he watched. When he was several body lengths up, Cole paused for a rest.

“I can see it now. Is it like a normal bird nest?”

“There is no normal nest. Birds make all kinds of nests.”

“You know what I mean.”

He didn’t. “It’s like a hammock, but one side is protected.”

“So which side is open?”

“The side facing the cabin.”

“Creep.” Cole started climbing again, adjusting his route so he’d be on the open side of the nest.

Akai kept watch, but if Cole fell, it wasn’t the ground that was the problem; it was all the branches on the way down. When it became harder to see him, it was all he could do to resist going after him. He wanted to call out, but he didn’t want to distract him either. He bounced on his toes, claws digging into the leaf litter.

Cole had been quiet for too long. Had he slipped and banged his head and was now hanging by the rope? He peered through the branches, trying to find him.

“This is kind of cozy,” Cole called down.

Akai’s shoulders sagged with relief. He’d made it up; now all he had to do was make it down. “Yes, it is.”

“And you have a very good view of my deck.”

He hadn’t built the original nest. “The valley.”

“My deck.”

“My nest was there first.” Though he had made adjustments to watch the construction and Cole better.

“I’m lowering the bags down on the rope.”

Leaves rustled, and then the bags fell toward him. He caught it, and his arm protested at the weight. It was heavier than he remembered. “Got them.”

“Stand back, and I’ll drop the rope.”

He put the bags on the ground and stepped away from the base of the tree. “Okay.”