I could see.
I blinked again, deeply this time, as though my eyes had just received supernatural powers. As I did, I remembered Karisha’s words.
“You did this,” I said to Dahr, understanding slashing against my mind. “You brought the darkness in.”
“You said you did not wish to see me anymore,” he spoke softly, fingers still gripping my hand, dancing with a barely noticeable caress over my skin.
What was he doing?
What wasIdoing?
I retired my hand from his hold and pressed my lips together to give myself a moment to settle my rising pulse. “I merely wished to know that you are well. I would appreciate it if you let the night sky shine, I like to see my surroundings when I wake up.”
Without waiting for his reply or even checking for a reaction, I hurried back to my bed and covered myself with the sheets to force my mind to remedy whatever primitive thoughts it started to produce.
I was tired, that was all. There was nothing a good night sleep could not fix, I forced myself into thinking when Dahr’s dark gaze popped to mind more times than I would have wanted it to.
Morning found me wrapped in dreams, where I laid in the arms of the one person I had forbidden myself to think about. I startled into alertness when Markos’ head appeared inside, poking through to scan the room and, very possibly, ensure that I had heeded his warning.
I remained silent while Dahr greeted his friend. “Cousin,” he said, his body rustling to rise from under the sheets. I averted my eyes and very studiously started scanning the artwork on the side of the tent wall I was sleeping by, putting all my effort into doing anything but looking at Dahr’s naked torso.
Like most of the things I had done recently, this attempt proved quite unsuccessful, especially since my captor walked towards my bed and gently shook me awake.
“March, it’s morning,” he said as he pushed slowly into my shoulder a few times, until a twitch of my back replied in my stead to tell him that I was awake.
“You are late,” Markos pointed through tight lips, admonishing Dahr. Who did not seem to react nor care too much and chose to focus on me, instead.
“March,” Dahr leaned in to say, giving me a perfect front view of his sculpted abs and the taut muscles of his chest.
Was I satisfied with that? Of course not.
My eyes lingered and started caressing his skin, admiring the way his shoulders arched and how his glowing biceps and wide forearms perfectly absorbed the falling sunlight.
“Nora!” I made sure to snap instead, pushing my thoughts back and forcing myself to appear the unruly prisoner Markos had warned me to be.
“March!” Dahr leaned into whisper to me, his deep voice drawing goosebumps all across my skin. “Breakfast will be ready for you soon. Once you are done, you can go visit Karisha and spend the day with her.”
Both me and Markos must have had the same reaction, but he was the one to speak first.
“You are not leaving her unsupervised again, are you?” the tribe lord pressed and stepped closer towards my bed, where Dahr still towered over me.
“Of course I am not,” my captor turned his head towards his cousin so abruptly, that his shoulder length hair performed a shadow dance with his motion, adorning the side of his jaw with slithering blackness.
When he reverted his attention back to me, his tone of voice grew much softer. “Were you comfortable with Sylam trailing you the other day?”
I arched my brows in surprise. Since when did my comfort matter? An entire list of that very situation came to mind as ananswer, but I paid it no attention and offered a noncommittal shrug. “As comfortable as I can be in a war camp where I do not know a single person…”
It seemed to be enough for Dahr, because he nodded. “It is settled, then. When you finish your food, find Sylam and spend the day with Karisha.”
“Dahrrian, that’s not—”
“Thank you,” I said at the same time as Markos’ protest came out, yet the warrior seemed to care about my reply more.
“You are welcome. I will see you again after dinner,” he announced as he took a step back, then another one, this time turning fully towards Markos, who started protesting.
Dahr paid him no attention however, and escorted him out of the tent, leaving me on my own, for the very first time since my arrival.
I was by myself.
