Zayn crouched down to pick up the totem before Lily could react. He turned it over in his hands, his eyes lifting to hers. His jaw tightened.
"Why do you have this?" he asked, voice rough.
Lily shrank back a little but didn’t look away.
Zayn stood up, towering over her.
"All totems are supposed to be turned in the moment they’re found," he said sharply.
The words echoed off the cold stone walls. Lily pressed herself against the wall.
"You stole it?" he snapped, stepping closer. "You thought you could just keep it?"
She flinched, hard. Her body jerked like she was bracing for a blow. Eyes squeezed shut.
The sight knocked the air out of Zayn’s lungs. He froze.
‘Goddess… what am I doing?’ Backing away, he placed a hand on one of the shelves, trying to steady himself.
"I’m not going to hurt you," he said quickly, voice softer now. "Lily…"
She didn’t move, but her shoulders were shaking.
