Eve swallowed. “I swear, I didn’t mean to…”
“Funny thing about weapons,” Malakai said dryly, “they don’t shoot by themselves.”
Her eyes flared at him. “I was aiming foryou.”
“What?” Lionel asked. “Are you stupid? We’re on the same team here.”
“No,” Eve shook her head slowly. “He’s a demon; I saw it in the woods when we caught that temptation demon.” Her eyes turned towards me. “Andsheknows it too.”
Lionel’s head turned, his eyes searching Malakai for the briefest moment, before he began walking fast, with intent. He grabbed my arm, yanking me towards him. But another hand shot out and grabbed my other wrist.
“Let her go, youabomination,” Lionel snapped at him.
I felt how Malakai’s hand tightened slightly, his eyes growing colder as they began glowing.
“Wait,” Ashley stammered, almost chuckling. “You didn’t lie in the woods?”
Malakai’s mouth twitched slightly. “Well, I saidpartdemon.”
“Ethalyn, step away,now,” Lionel demanded.
“He’s not like that,” I snapped, cutting through the tension building in the air. “I’m sorry I doubted you Lionel, but you just disappeared without a word. If I had known, I would’ve told you, I would’ve trusted you too. But Malakai’s on our side.”
“Yeah, for how long?” Lionel shot back. “How are you certain he hasn’t fed you lies to make everything go his way?”
“Because,” I screamed, my voice breaking. “What we are doesn’t define us!”
Lionel chuckled, low at first, before he burst into a maddening cackle. “Really? Tell me Ethalyn, are we to spare the demons now as well, hmm? I’ve known you to be special and all, but this?”
His hand shoved my arm aside, as if he had finally had enough.
“Lionel,” I said, clenching my teeth, as my hand shot out, grabbing his sleeve. “Just this once… I’maskingyou to trust me without arguing, like we used to before. I’m asking you to be my friend, the one I wanted to have at my side, always. Please, stick by my side and trust my choicesonemore time, like old times.”
Lionel looked at me, long and silently, before shaking his head, and then he turned to walk towards the field along with Eve.
Was this our destiny? To always be a step ahead or behind each other? When he left me back in the forest after seeing my flames, I thought I had destroyed everything between us, he even told me as much. Yet here, I had accused him of changing sides because he disappeared.
I was no better.
I should’ve trusted him, the way I yearned for him to trust me.
But now, it was too late.
Too late to understand each other, and my heart ached once more.
I felt as if the earth cracked, creating a chasm between me and my squadmates, all of my lies and secrets finallyout in the open.
CHAPTER
39
We walked in silence.
The Ashen Corps had been pushed back, but they would regroup at the field up ahead, Michlael was certain of it. He walked ahead of us in order to create an opportunity for a short ceasefire, an opening for me to speak. It was the perfect spot for either a dialogue or another ambush.
Malakai was strolling next to me, while Nate and Ashley kept in the front, carrying Mey. My eyes were locked on her hand that danced in the air, escaping Nate’s hold. She had been so lively, she had embraced what she was even though she spent years not knowing. If even a fraction of humanity was like her, the world would’ve been a much better place. My gaze shifted, as I saw the movement of Nate’s shoulders, slightly trembling with his steps, giving away his quiet sobs.
Ashley placed a hand on his back, slowly patting him, the silence eating at us.
