Page 127 of Tharn's Hunt
A tense silence falls. Then, unexpectedly, Kol's mental voice fills the mindspace with what can only be described as a laugh—rich, deep, and genuinely amused.
"You speak like a Daughter," he projects, satisfaction evident in his tone. "Commanding even to clan leaders."
Jah-kee blinks, clearly not expecting this reaction.
"The females may come," Kol projects. "In small groups. With proper reverence."
"Thank you," Jah-kee projects, relief evident. "I promise they'll be respectful."
As we prepare to leave the Hall, Jah-kee lingers by the carving, her fingers hovering over the Drakav lying broken in the stone.
"Three thousand years," she murmurs. "You've been waiting three thousand years for the Daughters to return."
"Yes," Kol projects simply.
She turns to look at him, her expression softer now. "That's a long time to keep faith."
Kol regards Jah-kee for a long moment, his glow steady and warm in the dim chamber. When he finally speaks, his mental voice resonates with quiet strength.
"A hunter does not count the sols he waits in the dust," he projects. "He is judged only by the hunger that drives him through the dark. Our hunger for their return has never faded."
Jah-kee’s lips part slightly. She doesn’t reply, simply nodding in acknowledgment.
Kol dips his head in return, a gesture of mutual respect that seems to bridge the vast gulf between us. Then he steps aside, motioning for us to leave the Hall.
As we ascend the winding steps, the air grows warmer the closer we get to the main cavern, but my thoughts remain heavy, anchored in the Hall and the revelations we unearthed within it.
Ahead of me, Jah-kee walks with sure steps, her small fingers brushing the stone wall to steady herself. Her resilience is unmistakable—her fire, her strength. She commands even Kol, a clan leader, as though she were born to it.
But as I watch her, a strange thought curls in the back of my mind.
The Daughters made us to adapt. To survive. To be compatible.
The thought twists through me, vivid and unsettling. My mind flashes to the Giving Stones, the way they crack open to reveal new life.
I clench my claws.
No. Jah-kee is strong, but she is not stone. She would not—could not—split open like that.
She glances back at me as we near the top of the steps, her expression curious. "You okay, big guy?"
I nod once, forcing my thoughts to quiet. "Yes," I project, keeping the thought steady.
She flashes me a small, teasing smile. "Good. Because we still have a lot of work to do."
I say nothing, but as we step into the main cavern, my gaze lingers on her.
My Jah-kee. Strong, fierce, unyielding.
Still, one thought refuses to leave me:
If she ever cracked open like a Giving Stone, I’d lose my mind completely.
Chapter 36
YEAH, I'M KEEPING HIM. NO TAKE-BACKS
JACQUI
