He dropped the offering at her side, watching her face and hoping that he had finally done something right.
She lifted her head off of Quist’s chest, eyes lowered and glazed with sleep, and he realized he had woken her from a nap. When her gaze fell on the phena, a sad grumble sounded from within her belly. He sucked in a breath and went to check on his brother’s wound.
Quist’s skin had all but knitted completely back together and the string that ran through was settling into his skin as if it belonged. Yahiro moved toward his offering without a word and he chose to keep his silence, his fingers tracing over the zig-zagging pattern of Quist’s wound in awe. His brother’s wings twitched and resettled onto the ground.
“He’s gleaming.”
Sundamar snapped his eyes up to see the female looking at Quist. The litany of her dialect soothed him.She’s looking at his sun piercings.
“Quist always does in the light, more so when he’s happy.”
“He’s happy?”
“Yes. He must know you’re watching over him.”
Her fingers trailed up and down the golden baubles over his neck and shoulder. His own skin prickled with the whispering touch. Sundamar tore his eyes away.
“How?” she asked.
“How? Because of the pull, the one that brought us together. He feels your nearness and it’s comforting him.”It’s how I feel.Her movements stopped for a moment before she continued. “Thank you for saving him,” he said at last.
“I’m not sure if I have... He hasn’t woken yet and my stitching, it’s terrible. I’m praying it doesn’t get infected.”
“He’ll wake soon and a simple wound from a blade won’t fester, only shadows do that. Look.” He pulled on the skin between Quist’s stitches, “It’s already mended.” Yahiro leaned toward him and he held still.
A sigh escaped her lips. “I wish I healed like that.”
“You don’t?”
She shook her head, sending her long silken hair scattering over her shoulders. “A wound like that, without proper medicine and treatment, without the,” she stumbled over her words, “the conveniences of Earth would take weeks, maybe even months, if it didn’t kill me.”
A sudden, sharp fear in him grew. “Yahiro—”
“—why did you grab me anyway?”
He looked over her shoulder and sighed. “My arms wanted to be around you.”
There was a long pause before she answered him. “I’m with Quist.”
“You’re with both of us,” he hissed between his teeth.So many shadowed emotions!“Galan too.”
“No. I’m not.” She looked up and held his eyes.
“Then you don’t feel the tug in your chest, the one that’s clawing at you from the inside out to be near me too? Because that’s what I feel, it’s what Quist feels, and Galan. We glimpsed you, several dawns back. It was crushing—that immediate feeling—seeing you through Quist’s eyes and being so far away. Don’t deny me.” He reached for her and the moment the pads of his fingers touched hers, she jerked away.
“Don’t!” she gasped and crawled back a few steps. “Please. I’m not a valos. I’m not even supposed to be here! Whatever this is—” she waved between all three of them “—is wrong.”
Don’t deny me.
‘She’s not.’Sundamar startled and looked at Quist.
‘You’re awake?’
‘No.’
‘You shouldn’t have denied me.’It was as close to an apology as he would give his third.
‘Look at her. You know I’m right. She’s not safe on the ground. I can feel the sun fading already, my skin isn’t as warm and my blood...’
