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Asshole.

He walks away and Ezra follows close behind. Ezra glances back at me once before they both disappear into the corn.

And suddenly… I’m alone with Malakai.

The field changes immediately.

The stalks close behind them, swallowing the path they just took.

My breath catches. “Kai.”

“I know.”

The ground pulses once and he looks down. The red ribbon lying in the path begins to sink into the dirt slowly, like the Earth is swallowing it. Then the ground beneath my feet softens, causing my boots to sink slightly.

I grab Malakai and he catches me with ease as the Earth opens. Not violently… not like before. It folds, creating a shallow hollow in the field. Soft warm black soil steams in the cold air as roots curl around the edge. Not attacking… waiting.

I stare. “Oh, fuck no.”

Malakai looks at the hollow then me. “This is where it began.”

My heart pounds.

“1791? The first Bride?”

“Yes.”

I should leave. Every intelligent cell in my body tells me to leave. Instead, I step closer.

Malakai follows.

I crouch and touch it but this time there’s no vision… no pain—just warmth against my skin… and something else—a pulse—matching mine. I look up. “Kai.”

He’s staring at me, not the dirt.

Me.

“What?”

“The pull stopped.”

I realize he’s right. No pain. No invisible hook. No burning ribbon.

Nothing.

For the first time since leaving the house, I’m comfortable. Actually comfortable.

The night air is cool against my skin, the Earth beneath me is warm, and for a few precious seconds, nothing hurts.

There’s only one problem.

The Revel hasn’t gone away.

If anything, being alone with Malakai has made it worse.

He stands a few feet away, perfectly still, but there’s nothing relaxed about him. His shoulders are tense, his hands hang rigidly at his sides, and he’s watching me with the kind of focus that makes every inch of space between us feel charged.

Like standing still is costing him something.