Marcus Keane

Not being able to go back to Kagura and help is driving Marcus up the wall with restlessness.

Dan and Kat seem to be sleeping well enough and he's grateful for that. But there are nights when Marcus simply can't drift off and either he lies awake in bed and stares out the window, praying to God to bring Sabrina and Salem home safely, other nights when he gets out of bed and goes to the living room to read or draw, even some nights when he goes out to stand on the front step in the cold until he can no longer stand it.

It never helps. He just wants to be there if something changes.

Tonight he's trying to sleep. Dan is asleep beside him and Trass has grudgingly given up his spot in the bed and is curled up at the end, but Marcus doesn't think he's sleeping either. Since the snow started, the wolf has been more on guard, clearly sensing something is wrong with their world. He grunts in the dark, then lifts his head, his ear pricked as if he hears something.

Marcus sits up as well, taking care not to wake Dan. He hasn't heard anything, but that doesn't mean nothing is happening.

He sits, conscious of his injured knee, and he waits.

The wind and the snow haven't let up in days, all but cutting Marcus and Kat off from the rest of the city, and he's even more glad now than ever that he'd thought to call her once the snow started to fall. Going to get her from her place and bringing her out here where he knows they can stay safe and relatively warm even if the power goes out was an easy decision and having her here with him eases some of the low, simmering distress he feels with Sabrina's departure. It puts one of his people out of danger.

He's been in touch with Neil, too, and some others, making sure they're safe. Maybe he can't bring everyone out here to his house, especially with the snow still coming down, but he wishes he could try.

Trass is long gone, out in the snow, probably patrolling the property. Marcus knows Matthias would love this weather, would be in his element here, and so it doesn't surprise him at all that Trass has essentially disappeared. He'll be back, but probably not until the snow melts.

At the moment, Marcus is doing his best not to worry. He's not checking his phone every five minutes, looking for a response from one of the many people he's messaged in the last day. He's not checking in on Kat every ten minutes to see if she needs something. Instead he's sitting at the table in his kitchen, sketching absently.

He'd like to hear from Neil again. From Nina and Kaz. He wishes the workers at the Home would call with an update on the kids. He'd also like to hear from Dan. Earlier in the day he'd sent a text message, checking to make sure he was okay, but he hasn't heard anything back yet.

Another page in the sketch book is turned and Marcus starts on the same house again. And he tries not to worry.