DESI
“His Claiming?” Knowles asked without any preamble. He stared at Michael, but I knew he spoke to me.
“Fading - do you think it will go away?”
He glanced my way, then pushed to the front, leaning down to look more closely at the mark on Michael’s face. I slipped out of the chair and stepped back without question. I probably shouldn’t have been there anyway.
“He’s warm - what did you do?” He turned on me and I felt a momentary flash of irritation. Why does everyone keep asking me that?
“I didn’t do anything.” My guilt - because I’d done everything; I’d done it all - flared in my heart like a beacon.
I opened my mouth again, then snapped it shut. There would never be enough words to excuse all I had done.
“She put this on him.” Miri picked up the pendant and held it to the light. “Cornelius says he began to grow warm after that.”
“You took it off?” Knowles demanded. Again I bristled beneath his accusatory glare.