“But—”
“Alone,” he growls. “If the streets are still filled with fae, then I can more easily sneak into some places that aren’t burnt to a crisp and get what I can without having to worry about shadowing someone else.”
I want to argue, to at least insist he bring one person with him to help him, but I relent. He’s lost weight just like everyone else, his cheeks gone gaunt. Having to shadow-leap another person may be too draining for him.
Even though he may not be able to carry as many supplies by himself, he probably has a better chance at getting something to bring back if he goes alone without risking himself too much.
“Alright.”
He gives a nod, then shoves his hood back just enough for me to see his shadowed eyes, and I watch them rake over me. “Did you eat any of the berries and sugar tea today?”
I arch a brow.
He grits his teeth. “Dammit, Malina.”
“I’m fine.”
“You’re not. And you have to stop skipping what pathetic portions we have.”
“There isn’t enough.”
“Of course there isn’t, but that’s not an excuse. You need to survive too.”
“Well, we won’t have to worry about that, will we? Because you’re going to come back with some food.”
I hear a growl at the back of his throat. “I want to fucking throttle you.”
“But you’re too weak from hunger, so best save your strength,” I say breezily before I turn around to head back to the pine huts.
I hear him come stomping up beside me, but at that same moment, I inhale, frowning at what I smell. “Dommik, we’re supposed to keep our bonfire small,” I quickly say, turning back. “We can’t give off too much smoke, or the fae might discover us.”
He lifts his nose in the air, and our gazes cut across to the bonfire. It’s tiny. Yellow and low, barely giving off any warmth, let alone smoke. “That’s not our bonfire you’re smelling.”
Confusion wafts through me for a moment. “Then what…”
Dommik slips his arm around my waist, pulling me close. My breath catches, face swinging toward his, but in the next blink, he leaps us away. The ground disappears from beneath our feet every few seconds as he transports us. Tight shadows surround us, so I don’t notice how thick the smoke is until he pulls them all away once we come to a stop.
Smoke swarms, flying into my mouth, threatening to choke its way down my throat. Dommik presses his cloak against my mouth and nose, but I cough regardless, eyes burning as I stare at the inferno surrounding us.
The Pitching Pines are ablaze.
The sudden presence of its heat is in such opposition to the cold that I recoil from it. From left to right, flames are licking up the lengths of the gargantuan trees, and black clouds bubble out of them like froth, foaming up the air.
“How far away are we from the huts?” I ask with alarm, turning toward Dommik’s neck.
“That’s the problem—we’renotfar.”
Another cough lunges up my throat just as he whisks us away. When the shadows pull back again, I glance around at the huts, then up to the sky. It’s already being blocked from the insidious smoke.
Dommik was right. The fire isn’t far away at all.
I could use my ice magic, but not against this much fire. Not with it so close. What if my magic ran out? I don’t have very much energy as it is. Even if Icouldkeep the flames away with my ice, the smoke in the air is just as dangerous. It would leak in as my magic melted and would suffocate us all.
I swallow thickly, fear dripping down my spine. “We have to evacuate.” The realization punches through my stomach, leaving dents and divots, but I hear the snapping of the fire’steeth as it gnaws ever closer, and I know I’m right. “We need everyone out now!”
Dommik nods in agreement and I spin around and rush forward, shoving open the first hut door. “Fire! Grab only what you can carry!”
Voices of alarm echo back to me, but I hurry toward the next hut. I can hear Dommik doing the same, hands cupped around his mouth as he shouts out the warning.
