DAWN
Toying with the male, Rives, had been exceptionally fun. He was so vulnerable, so emotive, his greatest weakness easily read and just as easily manipulated. The island had baited him until he stopped responding, forcing the island to look elsewhere for fun.
Taunting the male, Thad, had been less rewarding. His link with his mate buffered his mind; there were few cracks, no fissures. No open window for fear to pass through.
And the female, Skye, had refused to play at all. The link to her mate fractured, her mind had shut down, gone blank.
Unsatisfying, the island thought. And unproductive.
Perhaps that was why when the male, Hafthor, called to the trio through a sliver of rock, the island cared little if they heard or answered. The island had lost interest in entertainment; instead it sought power. It needed the latter to have the former.
Power first, it decided.
The island turned toward the male, Dai, hovering as he clung to life. The island quivered, anticipating the final slip, the one that would mark him as the island’s forever.