I dig my fingers into the good earth and watch Sebastian’s chest move. Link my breathing to his. Something claws its way through my chest. Its talons prick at the backs of my ribs, crawls higher into my lungs so the air I suck in burns like the chill of an arctic wind. It wraps itself around my throat, strangling my voice away and sitting there until I can’t deny its presence anymore. This isn’t the Thrall. This is the grip of a joy so strong I’m left teetering on the brink of fear.
