“Clear it,” I order.
Travnyk slips inside silently. Tomas starts after him, stumbling over his own feet as usual.
“No,” I snap.
He freezes. Lia blinks at me.
“I will check it,” I say.
Before she can object, I duck inside.
The space is small. Warm stone radiates heat into the air. Sand piles along the edges in soft, fine drifts. The walls curve inward where wind or something else once carved them, ages before the Devastation.
The only threat here is the size. Barely enough room for two, maybe three at a squeeze. The thought of Lia pressed close—I force the heat down. I exchange a look with Travnyk, checking that the other side is clear too.
“It is safe,” I say, stepping out.
Tomas exhales in relief as I turn to Lia.
“You will sleep inside.”
She lifts her brows as she frowns deeply.
“Rakkh, I can sleep anywhere?—”
“No.”
The word leaves me harsher than I meant, edged with something primal and unwilling to bend. Her throat works and I soften my tone, hopefully enough.
“The cold worsens windburn. The cavern holds heat. You sleep there.”
Travnyk nods. “He is right.”
Tomas shrugs. “Yeah. I don’t mind staying outside.”
“There is room for both of you,” I say.
Lia breathes out slowly, as if choosing whether to fight me. At last she gives a small nod.
“Fine. But only because I’m tired.”
Her words break off as she steps past me.
The entrance is narrow. Only wide enough for one at a time. Her shoulder brushes my ribs as she passes. My arms tense on instinct. Her scent—warm, nervous, stubborn—fills the air, and my wings twitch, wanting to pull her in.
She catches her breath at the brush of scale against fabric but slips inside without a word. I follow her with my gaze. Inside she kneels, brushing her hands over the sand-covered stone floor. She tucks a stray curl behind her ear, lips pressed together in tired concentration.
Mine.
The thought rises unbidden. Dangerous. I grit my teeth until the impulse dulls.
Tomas enters the cavern next. He drops to the floor heavily, then must feel my glare. He looks over at me and puts a respectful amount of space between himself and Lia. Outside, Travnyk selects a smooth stone and leans against it, quiet and watchful.
I position myself across the entrance, wings folded, legs braced. My body blocks the opening completely. No predator can slip past me. No wind can reach her. This is how it should be.
“I will take second watch,” Travnyk says after a moment.
“You will take none,” I rumble.
