“Because he’s been helping me,” I said, raising my voice. “He told me to embrace being a fire mage, he killed demons, and he was the one to tell me that we should stopfighting amongst ourselves and turn our attention to the real enemy… the demons in the south.”
“While it shames me to say so, it’s not like your base was free of demons before I came,” Malakai teased with a smug smirk covering his lips.
“What?” Michlael and I echoed.
“So you didn’t know? Interesting…” Malakai hummed.
It looked like Michlael had a hard time deciding whether to listen to him, or if he was casting everything Malakai mentioned aside because of his origins.
“How would you know?” Michlael asked. “Or are you simply trying to sow doubt and mistrust?”
“I can smell them, as easily as I can smell a mage’s power,” Malakai shrugged, placing his hands into his pockets. “The mage hiding at the archway to the dining room is an earth mage. Also there’s a water mage trying to guide a small stream of water towards us, in the hopes of a sneak attack,” Malakai continued. “I’d advise against it if she wants to keep her head.”
Michlael’s eyes darted towards the mages Malakai had pointed out, and with the way his eyes narrowed as they settled on Malakai again, I knew he had been right.
“I gain nothing from planting doubt amongst you,” Malakai said. “I do not desire to conquer the world as the demon army in the south do.”
“Then what is your goal?” Michlael cut in.
“Revenge on a very specific demon is a good start.”
They stared at each other in silence for a while, the moment seemed to drag on for eternity under the circumstances. I wondered what demon he was referring to… perhaps he still held a grudge against the demon father who left his mother and him, or perhaps he had crossed paths with another along the way of trying to figure out his side.
“We can still fight for a common goal,” I decided to butt in. “If we can end the war between Aetherions and the…ungifted, we can join forces against the demons once more.”
Michlael looked at me again. “And ifhebetrays us? What if he’s playing you too, trying to hand us over to his demonic cohorts?”
“That won’t happen,” I assured him.
He scoffed, a doubtful smile emerging.
“Not because it’s not possible,” I continued. “Because I simply won’t let it happen.” As if synchronized with my words, flames began dancing around me, displaying my feelings for everyone to see.
The smile died on Michlael’s face, as he nodded slowly.
An explosion rumbled, the earth quaked and the whole building moved with it. Walls creaked, decorations fell to the floor and vases shattered into thousands of fragments.
“What—” murmurs echoed around us.
“It seems, it’s already begun,” Malakai said bitterly.
“Get out there, now,” Michlael commanded his men, as the remaining guards began running towards the noise. “I guess I have no choice but to trust you,for now.” He glanced at us, before he hurried after his men. We followed right behind him.
“Do you know where Lionel and Eve went?” I asked.
“They left?” Malakai glanced at me, studying my expression and I tried hard to not let the hurt show.
Once we reached the doors, the gate had been blown into pieces, the buildings close to it engulfed in flames. I saw familiar figures running up to the path below us, looking as confused as we were. “Ashley!”
She turned and looked wide-eyed at me. I jogged down to her, Nate and Mey, while Michlael and his people kept going towards the commotion.
“I can help put out the fires!” Mey said, darting away.
“Wait!” Nate shouted after her, but she was already moving. “I… I have to follow.” He nodded towards us, before hurrying after her.
“That,” Ashley said, looking at the stone rubble that had once been the gate. “Was one of my bombs.”
My head snapped to her. “What?”
