Page 72 of Tharn's Hunt
I do not expect sleep to find me. It rarely does anymore. But as the others' breathing deepens and the fire burns low, my exhaustion finally overtakes me, dragging me into fitful dreams laced with golden light and Jah-kee's voice calling my name.
The journey begins at dawn,just as Rok decreed.
We move in formation across the dust—Rok leading, Jus-teen and Jah-kee in the middle, and me taking up the rear. This positioning is strategic, Rok explained in the mindspace before we left. It allows me to watch for threats from behind while keeping Jah-kee in my sight at all times, minimizing the pain of separation.
It was a thoughtful arrangement. But it does nothing to ease the agony that has become my constant companion.
Each step feels like walking on shattered stone, pain shooting up from my feet through my entire body. My chest burns as if a firebloom has taken root between my ribs, blooming with each breath I take. The glow beneath my skin pulses erratically, sometimes flaring so bright I fear it outshines Ain’s light.
Still, I walk. I keep pace. I show nothing.
I am a hunter. I endure.
The females walk ahead of me, their heads bent close in conversation. The edge of Jah-kee’s sleeve is frayed, a single thread dangling as she gestures while she speaks. It is such a small thing, but I cannot stop watching it, wondering if the hide will unravel further. I do not know why I notice these details about her, only that I do.
The thought comes unbidden, as it often does when I look at her. And with it comes a flicker of something else—a faint echo in the mindspace, not my thought but hers.
It happens more frequently now. These ghostly impressions of Jah-kee's mind touching mine. Never words, exactly. More like... feelings. Images. A hazy glimpse into her thoughts that vanishes as quickly as it appears.
This time, the flash is of me. Golden skin in the dark. My eyes watching her. And the feeling that comes with it… it is not fear. It is a warmth. A quickening. Like the air before a storm.
The glimpse fades as quickly as it came, leaving me wondering if I imagined it. But the flutter in my dra-kir tells me I did not.
She thinks of me.
"Brother." Rok's mental voice cuts through my distraction. "The path narrows ahead. We must cross single file."
I shake myself back to alertness, scanning the terrain. Rok is right. The smooth dust gives way to rougher ground, a rocky pass that will funnel us between two tall stone formations. A dangerous place. Perfect for an ambush.
"I will go first," Rok projects, already moving toward the passage. "Then the females. You follow and watch our backs."
I tilt my head in affirmation, dropping to a crouch to examine the dust for signs of recent passage. Nothing. No tracks, no disturbance in the fine particles that would indicate others have been here recently. Still, my instincts prickle with unease.
Rok leads the way through the narrow path, Jus-teen following close behind. Jah-kee hesitates at the entrance, her eyes scanning the high stone walls with obvious apprehension.
"It is safe," I project automatically, forgetting again that she cannot hear me. The pain flares sharper in my chest, a reminder of the disconnect between us.
She glances back at me, as if she felt something, her brow furrowing slightly. For a heartbeat, our eyes meet, and the pain in my chest eases just a fraction.
Then she turns away, squaring her shoulders and following Jus-teen into the passage.
The moment she disappears from view, the pain explodes through me with such force that I nearly double over. My vision blurs, darkening at the edges, and my legs tremble beneath me. I catch myself against the stone wall, claws scraping against rough rock as I fight to remain upright.
I cannot fall. Cannot show weakness. Cannot let her see.
Gritting my teeth, I force myself to straighten, to place one foot in front of the other, to follow where Jah-kee has gone. Each step is agony, but I keep moving. I must keep moving.
By the time I emerge from the other side of the passage, my breathing comes in short, my chest expanding and contracting uselessly. Rok's gaze fixes on me immediately, his expression tightening as he takes in my condition.
"Brother—" he begins, his projection laced with concern.
"I am fine.”
Rok's jaw clenches, but he says nothing more. Instead, he turns to the females, who have paused to drink from the waterskin. "We continue," he announces. "There is shelter ahead where we can rest during the hottest part of the sol."
I am relieved at the prospect of rest, though I know it will bring little relief from the pain that consumes me. Still, for Jah-kee's sake, we must stop.
As we resume our journey, I catch Jah-kee watching me from the corner of her eye. There is something in her gaze. A question, perhaps? Or concern. I perk up, squaring my shoulders and puffing out my chest, but she looks away quickly when she realizes I've noticed her attention.
