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Elin

Parque Nacional, Portugal, October 2021

Elin pulls open the door, her heart thudding out beneath her ribs as she takes him in.

Steed. It’s him. Penn is Steed.

Despite this knowledge, every part of her is glad to see him, and Elin smiles, her default reaction, and he starts to smile too, and she thinks: This is where he tells me. This is where he tells me what all this is about, and it will make sense.

But the smile slips from his lips, a strange kind of battle being fought out in his face.

Part of him greeting her normally, lips turning upwards in a smile, before he catches it halfway and it dissolves to nothing.

No hello, any kind of verbal greeting.

Silently, Steed steps inside, carefully closing the door of the Airstream behind him. Elin tries to meet his gaze and while his eyes find hers, it’s as if he’s seeing her and not seeing her all at the same time. Like she’s deep underwater and he’s at the surface, peering down .

He rubs hard at his neck, leaving a red, angry mark.

Elin clenches her hand to stop it from trembling, feeling a prickle of fear – the strange, itchy feeling some primal part of you sends out before you’re even aware of any danger. Standing close to her, he seems bigger than she remembers. Broader.

‘Look,’ she starts, hearing the alarm in her voice. ‘Let’s talk. I know about Kier, that she’s your sister. We can talk about it, and you can explain.’

Steed sways from side to side as if punch-drunk, the pack on his back half slithering down his shoulder. Elin can smell sweat on him, a stale, sour tang.

Features tightening, he takes an audible breath, the only sound in the silence of the small space, a sound that’s quickly overtaken by the thud of her pulse in her ears. Thoughts race through her head.

Why had Isaac gone when he did? If he were here, this would be different …

Stepping back, Elin knocks a mug on the side. It wobbles and they both stare as it rocks backwards and forwards before coming to a stop.

‘I—’ Steed starts. ‘You—’ He raises his hand, suddenly, jerkily.

His palm tips towards her. Elin shrinks backwards. She braces for something, but nothing comes.

Silence, then a strange, guttural noise comes from inside his throat, and he starts to cry.