Page 22 of Autumn L.A.W

Lioness grimaced. “Shut it down. Return to sender.”

Rayna folded her arms. “How do we stop it from learning anymore about her?”

Ezra hesitated again. But he knew better than to lie. “I need to run an attunement check. No physical contact. Just a resonance map—no more invasive than reiki.”

Sahara met his eyes. “Do it.”

Ezra stepped closer, hands hovering a few inches from Sahara’s shoulders. A faint shimmer rippled between them. Then a snap, like static electricity.

Sahara’s breath hitched.

Ezra’s did too.

Then the shimmer faded.

Ezra exhaled. “It’s deeper than I thought.”

Rayna’s voice sharpened. “What do you mean by ‘deeper’?”

Ezra straightened. “The obelisk isn’t just aware of her. It’s tracking her. Through the imprint.”

Lioness’s eyes blew wide. “We’re gonna need a bigger infirmary.”

Sahara swallowed. “So, what do we do?”

Ezra answered: “We break the connection before it strengthens. And we do it fast.”

Rayna nodded. “When can you start?”

Ezra met her stare. “Breaking an imprint is never simple. And it may try to reclaim her.”

Sahara closed her eyes. “Of course it will.”

Lioness squeezed her hand. “Well, too bad. It can’t have you. We won’t let it.”

Ezra looked at Sahara again—undeniably invested. “We’ll keep you safe.”

Rayna exhaled. “All right. We plan. But first, Sahara rests. Ezra, you stay in eyesight. If you so much as think about wandering off, Spirit Lion will use you for a chew toy.”

Ezra nodded. “Understood.”

After Rayna stomped out the door, Lioness narrowed her eyes at Ezra. “Why aren’t you afraid of her? Of us?”

He smiled. “Because I know how to make a hasty exit.”

CHAPTER 6

Sahara slept for twenty minutes. Maybe less. It was hard to tell. Time got slippery when the obelisk kept brushing her mind.

Lioness sat cross-legged on the infirmary floor, Desert Fox asleep across Sahara’s ankles like a fuzzy ankle weight. Rayna paced outside the door, muttering in increasingly creative curses. Brianna had tried to make tea, burned the water, and was now aggressively reorganizing the spice rack. Joell was nowhere to be seen. Maybe she was talking to Magda about possible potions to break the connection. Ezra leaned against the door jamb—handy to run in either direction.

When Sahara woke, Ezra was the first one to notice. His head lifted, eyes focusing on her instantly. Not like he’d been watching her sleep… He hadn’t, but he had been listening to her long, slow breaths. “You’re back,” he murmured.

Sahara blinked at him. “Did I go somewhere?”

Ezra hesitated. “You… dimmed.”

Lioness perked up. “Dimmed? Explain ‘dimmed,’ using small words.”