“Not a claim!” I push the words out, my pulse hammering. All four of them wince, but they’re still tense. I point at the piece of fabric. “Kah.” Then I press my hand flat against my chest, right over my wildly beating heart, and point at the single remaining stone. “Remember.I just want to remember.”
Zan stares at the single remaining stone, then back at my face. Those tiger eyes remain unreadable and I almost wish it was the dra-dam here and not him. He flashes a quick hand signal over his broad shoulder, and the warriors behind him instantly uncoil.
I leave the single stone resting on the edge of the yellow fabric, dragging in a shaky breath.
When two huge shadows detach from the mouth of the tunnel, I almost brace for another mistake.
But it’s Sorn who steps out first. He walks directly into the blinding desert glare, completely ignoring his ruined profile.
As if he can read my thoughts, Kol walks out silently behind him. He stops at the outer edge of our little gathering, amber eyes instantly finding me like a homing beacon.
A sudden flush of heat surges beneath my ribs, immediately overriding my exhaustion. The pull of his presence is so strong my stomach actually dips. My eyes actually dart to the other women, but none of them seem to notice. None of them seem to feel it. ButIdo.
My entire body hums, urging me to just step toward him, bury my face in his chest, and let him take over. I clench my jaw, refusing to move, and force myself to just hold his stare.
Sorn walks straight up to the center of the stone shelf, dropping to his knees on the hot rock right in front of us. He bows his scarred head, his large claws cradling a tiny sliver of white.
The bone needle.
My breath stalls.
He leans forward and gently places the delicate tool directly onto the fabric. Right in the bright sunlight.
A hot pressure instantly floods the back of my eyes. I swallow hard against the agonizing lump in my throat, forcing myself to stay quiet. Sorn doesn’t pull his hand back. He just stays on his knees, his claws resting gently on the smooth stone beside the tiny white needle as he slowly bows forward.
Nobody breathes.
After a long minute, Sorn rises to his feet. He turns his broad back to the grave and walks directly past Kol.
As Sorn passes him, Kol slowly inclines his head, his eyes dropping closed for just a fraction of a second. Sorn doesn’t stop walking, but his scarred chin ticks down in a quiet return.
Sorn disappears into the dark tunnel. But Kol stays.
His intensely focused gaze lingers on the fabric for a long moment. Then, slowly, his amber eyes shift right back to mine.
The raw weight of his attention pulls at the deep, aching void in my chest. Kol is supposed to be terrifying, but standing on the edge of this grave... him watching me is the only thing currently anchoring me to the ground.
I hold his intense gaze for exactly three seconds. The physical restraint it takes feels excruciating.
Then I look down. Because if I look at him for one second longer, I know I’m going to abandon my pride, walk right across the scorching rock, and bury my freezing face in the vast expanse of his chest in front of everyone.
The second I drop my eyes, I expect him to just leave. But his attention doesn’t shift.
I force my chin back up.
Kol hasn’t moved a single inch. He’s just standing there, watching me stare at the ground. The look in those amber eyes tells me he is fighting the exact same pull that I am.
He waits until I’m looking right into his eyes again. He holds my stare for one more long, breathless second.
Then, he finally turns his broad back and walks silently into the cavern.
My vision blurs and immediately, a sharp ache spikes directly behind my right eye, throbbing in time with my racing pulse.
By late afternoon,the dull throbbing at my temples has escalated into a blinding migraine.
I press the heels of my hands against my eyes, dragging in short, shallow breaths. I’m sitting alone on a small rock ledgenear one of the outer tunnel walls. It’s a freezing, drafty spot that catches the harsh wind funneling straight down from the upper vents. The air is so cold my teeth are actually chattering, but the freezing stone pressing against my temple is the only thing numbing the searing heat radiating through my skull.
I pull my knees up against my chest, wrapping my arms around my legs to trap whatever little body heat I have left. I squeeze my eyes tightly shut, rocking back and forth slightly in the dark as another sick wave of nausea hits my stomach. Every single time my heart beats, the spike behind my right eye throbs directly into my jaw.
