What was Lost and Found in the Fire

Ch. 28 Gritty but Warm

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Sang's POV

Location: Diana Tower

Date: October

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The building shakes around us. The detonations are further apart but larger in scale. We're running out of time. I can't seem to find any emotional connection to care.

It's completely silent. 

We all just stare at the laptop, at Dontavion as he smirks at me.

I've known him for so long, I've seen every expression his face can make. Nothing good ever comes from that look in his eyes or that dark hungry expression on his face. 

Blood thirst, that's what that face is. 

"Little Pearl?" He coo's at me. All eyes jump to me, some of the men around me turning slightly so they can do it, but I don't look at them. I can't.

I choke. 

Acidic bile fills my throat, and I try to claw a hand up to it, like I can stop the burning liquid from pouring from my mouth. The man behind me refuses to let my wrists go though, and the one in front is pining my arm down anyways. I can't move.

Instead, I desperately swallow, and it makes a quick, searing path back down to my stomach: sparing the dark-haired men cocooning me from a vomit bath. 

"Yes, Dontavion?" My voice is so tremulous, it's pathetic. I hate it. It's not even on purpose, I'm not pretending. 

I'm terrified of him, like I was during the beginning of my captivity. I haven't felt this way in so long; after Leninora started helping me, my fear turned into hate and revenge. She promised me she'd protect me and I believed her whole-heartily.

But this? I thought I was done, that I'd never have to see him again. But here we are, and the sight of him scares me. It feels like he can reach out from the screen and toss me back into his cage of rape and torture and drown me in his poisonous love.

I can practically feel his arms reaching out to me, pulling me in and wrapping around my soul.
 
Real arms squeeze me, pulling me out of my downward spiral.

I look up-

And up-

And up- into eyes the color of warm soil and it calms me: his eyes remind me, in that moment, of mine and Kay's sanctuary on the coast.

They take me back to digging in the gritty but warm earth, as I searched for worms and grubs and the occasional care package.

I feel like I could maybe fall into these dark brown eyes. He's so tall too, this man, and he radiates warmth like an our night time fire did.

He even smells like the ocean, like salty sea water and washed up marine life. I take a deep breath of him, and I imagine I'm taking in a breath of the ocean. The scent dredges up thoughts of warm sand and brisk ocean currents.

He looks back at me and a tense but kind smile spreads across his face. Warmth seeps into my chest. I think I'm going to keep this one.