Stone Circle We cannot be equal

Before long, they were alone no longer—and Xan wondered if his mind was playing tricks on him. But it made sense for her to be there, to answer the call of her packmate. This was her home, after all. “Desna?” he questioned nonetheless, glancing her way—and then back towards the ground. “Mom… she’s here.” Had she seen her, too? Maybe that was why she disappeared, to return to Desna. Yeah, that had to be what happened. But did that mean Indra and Kendra were both here, too? With Desna and Laurel? When he looked up again and both Desna and Laurel were still there, he felt glad—glad to know they wouldn’t leave, too. And then his eyes drifted towards the meat brought along, and he could hear his own stomach groan.

Alexander watched the meat, wondering if he might be able to steal a bite—but he couldn’t move any better now than he could before, forced to remain where he was as the two spoke; whatever they said fell on deaf ears, like distant thunder crashing in the distance. But the longer he stared at the meat, the less his stomach growled and the more it started to churn instead; feverish and ill from infection, his stomach was determined to ensure nothing entered it—and if anything did, he’d surely throw it back up again. But this he was yet to realise.