It felt like everything I did was criticized. I had rejected my magic for twenty-eight years, it must’ve made me look small in their eyes when I couldn’t do simple things. I was far behind every mage here, even the children were more proficient than I was.
Shadows danced along the walls as we passed, the corridor was maybe seven feet wide at best. Something clanged at the far end and I stopped.
“What was that?”
“Your trial,” he said.
I took a sharp breath and continued, my flames climbing up to my elbows, spreading more light.
A cell at the end of the corridor came into view, but—
I wasn’t able to see inside yet, so I kept moving forward until I stood by the bars.
My eyes went wide.
A figure, on its knees, chains stretched taut around its wrists. Blood covering its upper body, something making a sizzling sound… like something burning accompanied by panting breaths.
The figure’s head turned to look at me and the air in my lungs disappeared as I locked my eyes with scarlet ones.
Malakai.
My flames erupted, enveloping my entire body, as light burst into the small space. There were three small holes, like bullet wounds, one in his shoulder, one in his lower abdomen and the final by his ribs.
The burning sound… They had forced quartz into his body, but he still fought against it? The wounds seemed unable to heal, he looked pale, as if he had bled for a long time. He coughed slightly and blood trickled down from his mouth.
“You did this to him?” I asked, my voice sharp.
“No—” Michlael began but I cut him short.
“Then who,” I snapped louder. “Whodid this to him?”
CHAPTER
32
“You’re growing awfully attached, kitten,” Malakai hummed, half-amused, half-irritated. “It won’t do us any good.”
Michlael shifted behind me, taking a step back from my fire, which was burning wildly, claiming the area around me.
“Wait,” he said, hesitant. “You knew?”
“Why are you playing along?” I barked at Malakai, ignoring Michlael for the moment. “Why don’t you break out?”
His red eyes met mine, I hoped to see a teasing smirk, a sign of him playing the wounded. What I saw instead was blankness in his eyes, no fear, no joy, nothing. He was simply waiting for whatever came next.
“You’re a temptation demon, aren’t you?” I said through my teeth. “You wanted me to embrace this—” I gestured at my flames. “You coaxed me into coming here. Was it to get you close to the mages? So you could secretly devour them and take over their ranks too? Or did you want me to burn it all down? So I had no place left to go?”
His jaw ticked, his eyes slowly began glowing brighter, as did his markings. Was he mad? Good, that made two of us.
“I’m nofuckingtemptation demon,” he hissed through his teeth.
“Then what are you!?” I shouted.
His eyes slid to something behind me. I turned and saw Michlael still standing there, brows furrowed, assessing the situation.
“Your task is to get rid of him,” he said once he saw me staring. “I’ll be waiting upstairs…” His words came out heavy, making sure I knew the impact of them, of what decision lay before me, as he turned and slowly walked back.
Once he was out of sight, I snapped back, waiting for the answer I had been seeking for a long time.
