Chapter 15
CHAPTER
We worked together to build a small shelter from the wind and rain for Nate. He was unconscious still, his hair matted with blood. Mey was glued to his side, patting his forehead with wet cloth, making sure he was neither too warm nor too cold.
But not a single tear seemed to leave her eyes. She was determined that this was just a phase, that he would overcome his injuries and wake up soon enough—she said it over and over as if to remind herself.
“Tell me if you need anything, food, water, a break. Name it,” I told her, and she simply nodded, her eyes glued to his closed ones. “I believe he’ll pull through.”
He had to.
I backed away, giving them space, as I almost stumbled over Ashley and Eve.
“Still nothing?” Ashley asked, the first sign of worry I had seen from her still collected and calm face.
I shook my head slowly. “Seems he hit his head real bad…”
“Maybe if someone hadn’t been busy flirting with the boys,” Eve’s voice cut in, low but sharp. “She could’ve watched his flank, he wouldn’t have—”
My blood boiled. “Excuse me?”
Her brows lifted, too innocent. “I mean, we all know accidents happen, but some of us are supposed to prevent them, right?” Her eyes flicked towards me.
“That’s rich, coming from the rookie who flutters her eyes at every male.” My voice rose before I realised it.
Eve’s lips curved in that mocking smile I hated. “At least I can keep my head clear instead of running around like a hot-headed idiot.”
I took a step closer, my fists curled. “Say that again.”
Ashley’s hand brushed my arm, a silent ‘don’t’, but it only fueled the fire burning in my chest.
Before I could spit the next word, Lionel’s voice snapped like a whip. “Enough!”
I froze. He stood between us, jaw tight, eyes sharper than I’d ever seen them. “This isn’t the time. Not when Nate’s bleeding five feet away.”
“She started it,” I muttered, but it came out small even to my own ears.
“I don’t care who started it,” he shot back, his glare fixed on me, not her. “You should know better.”
The words hit harder than Eve’s insult. My chest twisted, breath catching. He’d sided with her against me—of course he had. It made me want to burn that—
Wait.
Shit, no burning.
Behind him, Eve smirked, subtle and satisfied.
I bit down on my lower lip so hard I tasted iron. My emotions were off, I needed to calm down. These were the consequences of letting the flames free for the briefest moment, they became greedier.
Mey didn’t look up, too focused on pressing cloth against her brother’s head. Ashley stood beside me, whispering low and dangerous as she found a spot and began looking through her equipment to pass the time. “Ignore her. She’s not worth it.”
But the sting was already there, sitting heavy in my throat.
“You shouldn’t let her rattle you.”
The voice came from behind me, deep and calm, too steady for the storm inside me. I stiffened, recognizing it instantly.
Malakai.
He leaned against one of the tree trunks right behind me, arms crossed, eyes fixed on me like he could peel back every layer I’d tried to hide. His presence always felt larger than the space around him, suffocating and magnetic.
I wanted to snap at him, to remind him what he was—a monster in our ranks, a demon in human skin—but my lips remained sealed.
The visions of him biting into the mage, blood pouring down his mouth, covering his teeth; it was a fear I’d not soon forget. But no matter how much I wanted to shout it out, he knew my secret too.
“Your friend’s right,” he continued, nodding faintly towards Ashley. “The sniper-girl wants to get under your skin to vent herself, and you’re letting her.”
I spun towards him, heat rising in my chest. “Don’t you dare—”
“I’m not defending her,” he cut in smoothly, his voice low enough that only I could hear. “But you know I’m right.” He pushed off the tree, stalking closer to me.
His gaze flicked to Lionel, who was still standing rigidly between me and Eve, his back turned now as he muttered something at her.
“Funny,” Malakai murmured, his tone softening. “I could’ve sworn I saw something burning in your gaze.”
I flinched.
Malakai’s mouth curved, not a smirk, not exactly. Something darker. “You burn so hot, but you let yourself get scorched so easily.”
My stomach twisted. “Don’t pretend like you care.”
“Pretend?” His eyes caught mine, glowing faintly in the dim light of the shelter. For a second, I couldn’t breathe. “I don’t pretend, kitten. Not with you. After all, you’ve already seen… everything.”
My eyes snapped towards his. “I don’t believe a—”
He raised his index finger, pressing it against his lips that curved into a taunting smirk. He bent down, his breath hitting against the top of my ear. “You snitch and I’ll do something even worse to you.”
I stepped back, pulse racing. “Stay away from me.”
Even as the words left me, I hated how weak they sounded.
He tilted his head, studying me like I was some riddle he couldn’t quite solve, though he enjoyed the game anyway. “I will. For now, at least. You’ll figure it out soon enough.”
“What?” I hissed.
Before he could answer, Mey’s voice broke through, hoarse but steady. “He’s stirring. Nate… he’s waking up!”
The entire group shifted towards the siblings, leaving me frozen, heart pounding for reasons I couldn’t even admit to myself.
Mey’s hands trembled as Nate’s eyelids fluttered, then cracked open. For a heartbeat, no one moved, the silence deafening except for the rain dripping on the ramshackle shelter.
Then his lips parted. “…Is it too much to ask for a pillow? Or do I have to bleed out fully to get one?”
A sharp, choked laugh burst out of Ashley, her hand flying to her mouth. Even Eve smiled despite herself.
“Idiot,” Mey whispered, pressing her forehead against his, her shoulders shaking. “Don’t you dare scare me like that again.”
Nate groaned, weak but measured. “Scaring you is… one of my strongest skills.”
I didn’t realise I’d been holding my breath until it came out in a ragged laugh. Relief flooded through me so fast it left me dizzy. My knees gave way and I sat down hard on the dirt, grinning like a fool.
“Gods, you sound awful,” Lionel said, voice thick but trying for steady.
“But I still look good though, right?” Nate croaked, a ghost of a grin tugging his lips.
Mey swatted lightly at his arm, as though even that was too much strength to spare.
For a moment, the storm between us all fell away. No fights, no secrets, no demons or mages, just us, together, with Nate alive. The warmth of it swept through the cramped shelter, fragile but real.
And for the first time in hours, I let myself believe we might be okay.
Even if Nate had finally woken, he was in no condition to head out yet. We decided to camp and take shifts through the night. We banned Mey from participating, since she was already lacking sleep. Ashley set off to gather some sticks to keep the fire alive, she was too restless anyway.
I sat by the burning logs, warming my frozen hands, the blaze inviting. My body felt in great shape, my senses sharper than ever. Was it because I had let some of my magic slip?
Slowly, my gaze locked onto my fingers. They looked normal, like anyone else’s, yet they were cursed to long for fire.
I’d hidden it all my life, considering how hated mages were, how one of them stole my parents away from me, I wanted nothing to do with these powers. I simply rejected them, keeping them locked up tight. I hadn’t even told Lionel about it.
But now he knew. The monster in disguise, lurking around us as if one of us.
Why? Was he spying on the Ashen Corps? I glanced up and an uneasy feeling went through me, when I found Malakai already staring at me, his face blank, watching silently.
I glared at him, before childishly giving him the middle finger.
The corner of his mouth twitched, then a thin red thread swirled around my finger, forcing it down.
My eyes widened as I quickly hid my hand, clenching my teeth and making sure nobody else saw it.
What would he have done if someone had seen it!? Stupid; I thought he didn’t want to get caught? Wasn’t that the whole point in keeping it from everyone?
‘But you’ll figure it out soon enough’, his words echoed in my head as I froze in place.
I realised what he had meant. He was a demon, hiding in the Ashen Corps, just like I was a fire mage, trying to avoid my powers.
No.
We were not the same.
I curled my hands into fists, tightly, until my knuckles began whitening. The corner of my eyes burned, tears threatening to leave me, but I fought against them.
A hand brushed against mine and all my feelings washed away.
“You okay?” Lionel’s calming voice broke through, stilling my inner fires.
I looked up at him, worry filling his eyes and I began to wonder, what did he see when he saw me?
“Yeah,” I murmured, pulling my hands into the inside of my jacket for warmth.
A moment of silence stretched.
“Sorry, for snapping at you,” he whispered, averting his light brown eyes. “We were all on edge.”
I nodded slowly, not finding words to contribute to the conversation.
“It’s tense out here, mages and demons could be anywhere and… there’s just so much killing.“ He became silent.
That caught my attention. “Do you regret it?”
“No,” a quick and firm answer. “They’re mages, we need to keep our people safe.”
“Yeah but…” I muttered. “What if they’re not all bad?”
“I see,” he chuckled dryly. “You feel bad killing humans? Consider them something else then, beasts?”
My gaze sank, I’d never have the guts to tell him, not when I knew how deep his hatred for magic ran.
“Is this about that girl?” he asked, arching a brow at me.
“Yeah,” I lied. “She was different, she didn’t try to attack us. What if there are others like her?”
He let a deep breath go, thinking hard and long about it. “Everyone suffers, the mages not taking responsibility, the people who can’t defend themselves, the ones starving in the villages. The world isn’t fair.”
He was right about that, none of this was fair and it made my heart ache.
“Hey guys!” Ashley’s voice rang with excitement. “I think I found the camp of those mages, so I brought some stuff!”
“You entered their base, all alone!?” Eve barked at her.
“Well… we killed them?” Ashley shrugged. “Besides, I’m never alone, got my bombs.”
I chuckled at her in disbelief. “Ashley, you really need to be more careful.”
“Aww, you worried about me?” she asked, smiling teasingly. “That’s cute, but I found a stash of booze, and it was all worth it.”
She was carrying two large bags, one on each shoulder, and hugging a third one, with the brightest and most carefree smile on her face.
Nate groaned loudly, dragging a hand down his face. “Tell me one of those bags has wine. Real wine. Not the swamp water the recruits pass off as drinkable.”
“Wine, rum, something purple that smells like burning hair, take your pick!” Ashley plopped the bags down by the fire and started unpacking bottles with a flourish. “Mages knew how to party. Shame they’re all dead, really. Would’ve been fun to crash it before we blew them up.”
Mey sighed but reached for a bottle anyway, turning it in her hands. “You’re impossible,” she murmured, though there was the faintest smile tugging at her lips.
“You’re welcome,” Ashley shot back, pouring drinks into dented tin cups.
Eve folded her arms, skeptical as ever. “This is reckless. What if the stash was trapped? Or poisoned?”
“Oh, please.” Ashley thrust a cup towards her. “If it is poisoned, then I guess we get to die drunk and happy.”
Lionel chuckled quietly, stepping in before Eve could retort. He accepted a cup, lifting it in a simple toast. “One drink won’t kill us, cheers to surviving the day.”
That was enough to get everyone moving. Soon the campfire was ringed with cups, the sharp scent of liquor carrying on the crackling heat. Mey sipped carefully, savoring hers. Nate downed his too quickly, coughing before grinning lopsidedly. “Ah, that’s the good stuff. Headache’s already gone.”
“You’re concussed, idiot,” Mey muttered, pressing a hand to his shoulder. He only winked.
Eve reluctantly took hers, mostly because Lionel gave her a mocking stare. “Fine. But if I wake up blind tomorrow, I’m blaming her,” she muttered, jerking her chin at Ashley.
Ashley threw an arm around her anyway. “Cheers to new friendships!”
The laughter that followed was easy, real. For a moment, it felt like the war and the blood were far away.
Lionel placed himself beside me, knocking our cups together as we took a sip. Whatever I drank was strong, it felt like smoke climbing in my throat. I furrowed my brows and looked over at Lionel who snickered at my reaction.
I felt it then, the weight of someone’s eyes. Malakai was across the fire, sitting on top of a stump, cup dangling from his hand. His expression was unreadable at first. Then his lips curved, just slightly.
I forced my gaze away, pretending I was focused on Nate making a fool of himself.
But when I laughed at one of Ashley’s ridiculous comments and risked a glance across the flames, he was still looking. Not mocking this time. Simply… watching.
I scowled into my drink, fear crawling back into me, tensing my body. What if he would take the opportunity of us all being wasted and kill us? Maybe he was simply waiting for the perfect moment… what if he devoured my magic, like he had that mage?
I shivered at the mental image and decided to not drink any more of the alcohol. One of us needed to stay alert, keep watch in case the demon decided to betray us all.