Sadness?Kai rarely saw that emotion on any of the Drahk—anger, joy, humor, and lust, but rarely sadness.
“You wanted them back.Take them.”Ninki bit out on a growl as she blinked away the mysterious flames.
Kai snatched them up.What odd sympathy she had felt in the space of time was removed.She exhaled and shook her head.“Thank you for giving them back.”
Ninki seemed to drag her body to the chair opposite Kai.Her sigh was loud as she lowered herself into the seat.
Tana rested a hand briefly on Ninki’s knee before she handed her a mug.
A small, gracious smile lifted the corners of Ninki’s lips as she raised her drink and took a gulp of the hot tea.
Kai watched the two of them as she sipped her tea, the temperature still nearly scalding but perfectly sweet.As she blew over the mug's rim before she took a second sip, Kai realized she felt lost, as if she had missed something.Shouldn’t Tana celebrate with her because she got her parents’ rings back, not commiserate with Ninki because she lost them?Kai wanted answers.The strange situation be damned.
“Why did you take them?Is it because you’re angry that I’m with Aodh.”A stray curl fell in Kai’s face, and she fingered it back behind her ear.“You told me you’d be back in his bed soon.”
“Hardly,” Ninki scoffed as if the reason should have been evident to Kai.“I took them because they’re gold.”
“Is gold something valuable in your territory that you had to steal my rings?”The metal was rare beyond the wall, but anything could be worth something.Kai recalled selling her and her sister’s ragged underwear.Here, Kai hadn’t noticed people wearing any jewelry.The only place she noticed any precious stones was on a Drahk’s sword.They seemed proud to display them there.Even Ninki had hers on the wall over her fireplace, the handle roughened by chunks of gold ore.
“Only to Ninki.”Tana relaxed in her chair between them, the older woman not bothering to look up from her tea as she spoke.
Kai stared at the gray-haired woman briefly to see if she would say more, but she continued to sip her tea.She glanced across the table at Ninki and asked, “Why only you?”
For a long moment, the room was silent, and Ninki stared at her.
Tension filled the space as they sat there.
“If you can’t—”
“It’s for my dragon.”
“What?”Kai set her cup down as she leaned forward, trying to comprehend what Ninki had said.
Both of Ninki’s eyebrows went up.“Mckenna hasn’t told you?”
Looking from her to Tana, whose features were serene and blank, Kai glanced at Ninki again.“Told me what?”
Ninki laughed.The sensuous woman tipped her head back, widened her mouth, and let out a deep belly rumble that caused a wisp of white smoke to swirl over their heads.
Tana shook her head at the other woman but didn’t quell Ninki’s laughter.
“Stop!”Kai yelled.“Tell me what I don’t seem to know.”
Ninki exhaled as if she attempted to calm herself, even as her markings glowed with an amethyst hue.“You’ll be fully mated to Mckenna soon, yet he hasn’t told you.That’s rich.”
Kai balled her hands into fists.She may have felt nervous and uneasy about coming to Ninki's home and asking for her rings, but right now, she wanted to leap across the table and strangle the other woman.Kai hated to feel ignorant or have people laugh at her.
“Tell me,” Kai ordered.
Ninki’s eyes filled with respect at her tone.“I will tell you what I can.”
Kai sat back and nodded.She allowed her hands to relax.She’d decide after she heard what Ninki had to say if she still planned to strangle her, even if Kai had to catch the tall woman off guard to do it.
“Our beasts are hoarders of precious things.”Ninki smoothed a hand up along her tight bun.“We can’t resist taking it when it is in reach.”She shrugged as if it weren’t an issue.
“That’s why you took my rings when you saw them.”
“No, Kai.I searched them out of the jacket pocket because I sensed them.Gold attracts my dragon.”A maya-blue flame roared high in Ninki’s orbs.
