The wall inside me broke. Tears spilled hot down my face as I cradled him, the little carving pressed against my chest with trembling fingers.
“You idiot,” I whispered again, though the word cracked with something gentler now. “You absolute idiot.”
He let out a low hum, almost content, his head heavy against my shoulder. “Is insulting me the way you confess your feelings for me?”
“No, I’m still mad at you,” I hissed.
“Oh come now, kitten, don’t break my heart like that,” his voice sounded stronger, yet he remained nestled up against me.
“Malakai, you have a lot of explaining to do.”
He grunted annoyed, as he slowly slipped down, placing his head in my lap. “At least let me recover first.” His eyes closed, and I was beginning to worry that the quartz had somehow made it harder for him to heal. I had taken it out, but his wound was still open. Had he burned too much energy? Did he need to devour more magic in order to close the wound?
“You’re okay?” a voice broke through, Ashley taking careful steps forward, her eyes lingering on Malakai, as if he might lunge at me any second.
“We’re fine,” I clarified, huffing breath. “Malakai is fine, an idiot, but fine.”
That cracked her up. “Well, I’ve always known, just wasn’t aware that he was ademonicidiot.”
Behind her a figure emerged, arms grabbing hold of her. Her brows furrowed, as she prepared to kick backwards, but then she froze as a head dipped to her shoulder.
“You’re still alive?” Nate muttered, he sounded out of breath, panting as he leaned on her.
“You’re still invading my personal space,” Ashley snapped back, yet she let him linger.
Once the smoke began to clear, I saw how both mages and Ashen Corps soldiers remained and they tensed as soon as they caught sight of each other again.
“Stop!” I shouted out and they jolted at the sound. “No more fighting each other, or I’ll burn you all to cinders.”
“That’s how tyrants are born,” Nate noted, waving his index finger at me as if I had been a bad dog.
“Keep an eye on them, will you? I have to fix his wound,” I turned back to Malakai.
Ashley flung two bombs up from her bag, playing with them in her hands. “If I see any magic, or hear a gun cocked, I’ll blow you to pieces.”
“But you’ll protect the one who started all of this?” a voice cut through, as Izera stepped out of the mass, her hand tightly wrapped around a gun, her eyes set on Malakai.
Then someone stepped in front of her, or rather two. Lionel and Eve blocked her off.
“You—” she began hissing.
“Stand down,” Lionel demanded, as Eve brought her rifle up. “I agree that his nature and some of his actions are…questionable, yet he stood with us against that demon, you heard his words. Malakaichoseto not stand with his fellow demon, Nicron.”
Lionel was… defending us.
“Everyonerelax, there will be no more killing,” Nate said, lightly whacking Ashley on top of her head, forcing her to release her threatening aura.
My hands shook as I turned my attention, my palms slick with blood, but I didn’t hesitate. I called my fire, soft and steady this time, guiding it into the torn flesh. The wound sizzled, beginning to close beneath my flames.
Malakai hissed, his jaw tightening, but instead of pushing me away, his hand came up to my cheek, thumb brushing clumsily against my skin. His touch was tender, reverent, as if he wanted to memorize every second I stayed close to him.
“Easy,” he whispered, his voice hoarse but warm. “You’ll burn yourself out, sweetie.”
“Don’t you dare tell me to stop,” I muttered, pressing harder, forcing the wound to seal, even as tears threatened to blind me.
He chuckled faintly, the sound rough, breaking, yet achingly alive. “So stubborn, just like when I first saw you.” His hand lingered. Caressing, not demanding, cherishing, as if this might be the last time.
Finally, the bleeding stopped. Relief flooded through me, leaving me trembling. I let out a shaky breath, leaning into his touch. “There. You’ll live.”
