Serpent Lake Eye, tooth, claw, death

soto knows the answer to safiya's somber question, and he keeps such matters close to his darkly gurgling heart.

he expects her to fight back, or say no - at least show some spitfire in those sea-glass eyes.

instead she lowers her head to him and the embrace is so tender it nearly breaks his composure.

his eyes close, jaws clench. a shudder rends down his spine as he feels the heat of her forehead, the shared space hot with the pounding of both their blood.

the moment is bitterly short and he knows when they separate they will be permanently different. two incompatible atoms divided by a warring faction they cannot overcome.

adios. a crack in his voice like a fissure through sandstone. the whole construct is in danger of falling down.

and to think all of this because of the selfish stupidity of a single man. soto had many reasons to put a man under, but never one so profound as this.

and now his desert pearl -- his sweet summer rain -- is disfigured and hurting. he could fucking kill khusobek.