Chapter 43.

One beat. Two beats. Three beats.

I heard my heart beating in my ears, quieting all other sounds- not that there were many. Like a horse race I saw on TV once, the humans loved those, I remember them in the stalls before the doors opened, the signal broke out and the horses took off running like their lives depended on it.

That eruption of speed and sound and the way that the people in the stands stood up and cheered on their favorites. It was a deafening sound, it made your heart pound against your chest and then when I saw the faces of the people who won, they were euphoric.

My heart was the steps of a horse running on the track, Darian was the observer in the stands, having betted money and waiting to see his favorite horse run over the finish line.

My fingers clutched and my legs started to tremble like Bambi on ice while I pulled with all my might to get