Page 69 of Diamond

Nasrin whips her head around to look at me, annoyance in her eyes. "Leave her? She could be dead!"

I sigh, wishing we were back in the cart with her warm, soft body pressed against me. Things are easier that way instead of constantly saying things she doesn't like.

I squat beside the pod and slide my hands over the glass top of the chamber to get a better view. "She is breathing fine. She is alive," I try to assure her, but she is not eager to listen.

Her face screws itself into a disapproving frown and my hearts beat faster in unison. We are about to have another one of our disagreements. Again.

She shakes her head vigorously. "When I woke up inside this thing, I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to die, Kuret. Do you understand that?"

Her face is a deep red, and the hair on her brows is down.

"That does sound terrible, but Ree seemed to have more experience with these sorts of things and I wouldn't want to mess anything up. Maybe you are not meant to wake up while you are inside of it."

It would explain why the woman is sleeping peacefully. Her green hair is splayed around her hands, covering a good deal of her naked body. Clearly another woman like Nasrin or Ree who has been brought here against her will.

I don't let my eyes linger on her form, uncomfortable with how vulnerable she looks and not wanting to be disrespectful.

Nasrin sits on her legs and stares hopelessly at the chamber. "Why did Ree say that, then?"

I rub my hands along my marks, thinking. "I only recall her telling me that it would be best if the women who have not already gotten out stayed inside."

She stays silent and I start to get increasingly worried. Regardless of the fact that we are not directly in the way of danger, I need to find somewhere for us to rest soon.

"Nasrin, we need to leave."

She turns to look at me with great sadness in her eyes and I feel my hearts drop. If I could, I would take all this pain from her and bear it myself.

When she speaks, her voice is low. "I know why Ree asked them to be left in there."

I open my mouth to ask why, but she beats me to it. "So that they don't end up like me."

I crouch beside her again. "What do you mean, Nasrin?"

She points to her ears and her sleeve slides up. "We are not supposed to leave the chamber until we've been sold. Once we leave it, we start changing. I guess based on who we are around."

It all starts to make sense to me. The first trait she got was the silver skin, like her dead companion Tehlmar, and then eyes from the dead hunter, then her ears started to look like mine. It also puts into perspective the reason why Ree got hers.

"All this because of the genali," I growl out.

I love her qendi traits, especially that they come from me and not another male of my kind. Though what is happening to her is a terrible thing to do to another person.

I get on my feet and help Nasrin up. "We should head out, find another place to rest for the night, and decide when we are not so exhausted."

She agrees as a yawn leaves her.

I carry the heavy chamber, glad I don't have to move it far, place it in the corner of the cart and climb in. I help her up and we settle into the cart.

Roshan and Darya start moving and I steer ahead, keeping my eyes out for a good place to rest.

Nasrin stares at the woman inside the chamber, her hands resting on the glass.

I can only imagine how she feels. It can't be easy—she understands all too well what this other woman has endured and what she'll face when she wakes up. It must feel like looking at a mirror image of herself.

It is dark and there is a nagging pain behind my eyes. Desperate for rest, I search for a spot with enough cover then divert off the path into a dense, bushy area, glad when I see a large rock.

We go around and I scan the area, deciding that we will rest here for now. "Nasrin," I call out to her, but I don't get a response.

I turn to look at her and see that she has fallen asleep, holding onto thecryo chamber. "Nasrin, I found a resting place," I jostle her gently and her eyes blink open.

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