Dolmarehn - Book Two of the Otherworld Trilogy by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

least for now.
    We soon passed through a meadow carpeted with frost encrusted ferns, and a living cloud of pale blue moths with metallic gold spots on their wings fluttered up from their resting places.  This time I didn’t bother to hide my gasp.
    “How beautiful!”  I nearly tripped over my feet as I turned in a circle to get a better look.
    “Careful,” Cade chuckled as he wrapped his free arm around me, catching me before I lost my balance.
    “Sorry,” I mumbled, fixing my hair nervously as I planted my feet firmly on the ground.  Good thing he hadn’t been walking too far ahead of me or else I might just have face-planted into the ferns.
    “Don’t be,” he answered, releasing me and turning back towards the trail.  “These moths are rare and are hardly ever seen, even by those who live here year round.  In fact, I’d say this was a good omen, especially considering how late it is in the season.”
    I turned around and blinked back at him.  “Really?  You’re messing with me.”
    Cade held up his right hand as if to swear an oath.  “Nope.”
    I narrowed my eyes at him.  His vow seemed genuine enough, but there was humor in his ever-changing eyes.
    Snorting, I followed after him, but kept an easy pace so I could still admire the beautiful insects.  We passed through the meadow, leaving the moths and their good tidings behind, and traveled for another hour.
    At one point I tried asking Cade where we were going again, but all he said was, “The best camping spot in this part of Eilé.”
    My heartbeat sped up and I drew in a sharp breath as I once again remembered why I had made this special trip to the Otherworld.  To stay overnight.  With Cade.  Alone.  Perhaps Meridian and Fergus could act as chaperones.
    “Are you alright?”
    Cade had stopped walking, his arms crossed over his chest, his head cocked to one side as he studied me.
    “Um, yeah.” I remembered to breathe.  Eventually.  “Just, uh, thinking about the moths again.”
    All Cade did was quirk an eyebrow in return.
    I gritted my teeth, nervous all of a sudden.  Honestly Meghan, you knew you’d be spending the night with him !  The backpack I’d been carrying for the past two hours seemed to grow heavier.
    Once we reached the end of the meadow where the trail started dipping downward again, Cade lifted a hand.  “We’re here.”
    “Is this where we’re camping out?” I asked, sliding the backpack off my shoulder.
    “Yes.”
    I glanced around the small hollow, more of a depression in the hillside surrounded by trees and lichen-encrusted rocks than what I’d call an ideal site to make camp.  A small ring of blackened stones denoted a fire pit and the thick layers of moss covering the open space suggested that although the night might be cold, at least the ground would be soft.  And then it occurred to me that I hadn’t packed any camping supplies.  No sleeping bag, no pillow, not even an emergency blanket.  And since Cade hadn’t brought anything at all, I figured he was in the same boat as me.
    “Um, Cade?” I said, rubbing my elbow and searching the area for any form of cover.  “If we are camping, uh, what are we going to use as sleeping bags?”
    Of course, at that exact moment an image of Cade stretched out before the fire with me snuggled in his arms flared in my mind.  A fierce blush crawled up my neck and warmed me up a bit.  Okay, more than a bit.
    “Don’t worry,” Cade shot over his shoulder as he squeezed into the narrow crevice of an oak tree, “I keep this place stocked for situations such as these.”
    Good.  He hadn’t seen my bright-red face.
    “Uh, how do you mean?”
    Cade maneuvered himself out of the tree hollow carrying a giant, weatherproof duffle bag.  His grin helped ease my nervousness.
    “I’m sorry I don’t have a tent, but there are at least three separate sleeping bags in here and some extra blankets of course.”
    He dropped the bag and yanked back the zipper,