Tasha met with Dave's gaze, her eyes refusing to look away. Her pride screamed at her to spit in his face, to laugh off his twisted game. But that void… The oppressive cold… The unseen beasts circling in the dark like vultures with fangs…
No.
Not again.
And yet, she couldn't let him see the fear twisting inside her like a knife. She swallowed hard, forcing her voice into something steady, almost defiant. Almost.
"Fine," she said at last, her jaw tight. "I'll play."
The words came out sharper than she intended, but her tone cracked at the end, softening unexpectedly. To Dave, it landed like music, an unexpected sweetness in her reluctant surrender. He tilted his head, a smile tugging at his lips as he nodded, clearly amused.
"Good girl," he said, savoring the moment. "I knew you'd see reason."
