Marrying a Warhound (Cassian) novel Chapter 84

ATASHA’S POV

82

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“This place looks safe enough,” I muttered, keeping my eyes fixed on the cave walls instead of him. Ever since we stepped inside, Cassian hadn’t stopped staring at me. The weight of it sat heavy on my skin, making it hard to think straight. Maybe there was dirt on my face. Maybe blood. I almost raised a hand to check but stopped myself. Asking him would mean meeting his eyes, and I wasn’t ready for that.

“We should stay here for the night or at least until… the red moon passes.” My face felt hot. Too hot. I pressed the back of my hand against my cheek. The air inside this cave was freezing, my breath still puffing white in front of me. There was no reason for my skin to burn like this, unless I was blushing. Goddess, why?

I forced myself to look away, pretending to study our surroundings. This cave wasn’t like the first one. The entrance was narrow and low, just enough to squeeze through. But once inside, the space opened into a clearing bigger than I expected. The walls stretched high, rough stone rising straight up. And there, lodged at the very top, was something glowing.

A pearl or at least something that looked like one. Its pale light filled the cavern, bright enough to keep the shadows back.

I cleared my throat, trying to sound casual. “Hey… do you think you can get that pearl for me?”

Cassian didn’t say a word. He didn’t even glance at me. He just bent his knees, pushed off the ground, and leapt. In one clean motion, he caught the stone from the wall, ripped it free, and landed without losing balance.

My mouth fell open. That was not what I expected. Still, when he extended his hand, I took the pearl carefully. “Uh… thanks.”

It was heavier than I thought, cool against my palm. The shape wasn’t perfect, not a smooth orb, but an uneven, fist–sized stone that glowed from within. I turned it over, the light washing across my fingers.

“The red moon could last for days,” I said, more to fill the silence than anything else. “We don’t know when we’ll be able to leave this place. We’ll need light if we’re stuck in here.”

The glow pulsed faintly, almost alive. My chest tightened when recognition clicked. “This isn’t a pearl… it’s a fae stone.”

I gripped it tighter, staring at its jagged surface. The warmth it gave off wasn’t natural. Whoever left this here had carved it deliberately, and now it was in my hands.

“We should probably get some food,” I said, breaking the silence.

To my surprise, he actually answered. “Stay.”

I froze, then gave a small nod. It wasn’t much, but it was still more than nothing. Since the red moon started, he’d only spoken in single words, short commands at best. Still, it was better than him opening his eyes and immediately trying to strangle me like before. At least now, he was talking instead of treating me like an enemy every time he woke.

9:25 Fri, Sep 12

Chapter 84

82

55 vouchers

While he was outside, I used the pearl to examine the cave. The clearing was larger than the one before, big enough that at least ten people could fit inside without crowding.

I’d seen maps of the north before, but even Mendez told me this part was still blank. It’s too big and too dangerous. The beasts make real expeditions pointless. I had no idea which sector we were in now.

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