“Perfect. That way, I’ll finally have some fun,” Malakai answered with cold amusement.
The banter lapsed into quiet again. The trail bent, forcing us into single file beneath a low arch of branches. Somewhere deeper in the woods, a woodpecker tapped a steady rhythm.
The forest seemed endless, trees whispering with the wind. It would be days before we reached our first waypoint, and already the weight of the mission pressed on us.
After walking for hours, we reached a small tower on a cliff. It was built in wood, perhaps ten feet tall, built for an overlook of the environment nearby.
Malakai stopped and his head turned, locking eyes with Lionel as he signaled him to go up and take a look while the rest of us waited.
Lionel nodded, gave me a quick glance, reassuring me that he’d be back in a moment and then he strolled off towards the wooden watchtower.
Malakai’s eyes caught it, his eyes locking on me, his expression telling me everything.
Pathetic.
Mey let her bag hit the ground, as she sighed with relief.
“We’re not taking a break,” Malakai snapped at her.
Mey stiffened, halfway to protesting. “Of course, I just—”
He turned his head sharply, dismissing her excuse without another word.
I shifted my pack down and barked, “She simply rested her back when the opportunity presented itself.”
That got his attention.
His gaze found me, sharp and cutting. “Careful, kitten,” he drawled, the hated nickname curling off his tongue like smoke. “You’ve got a bad habit of biting.”
“Better than rolling over,” I shot back before I could stop myself.
A slow, dangerous smile tugged at his mouth. He closed the distance by a few steps, lowering his voice so thesquad had to strain to hear. “You want to learn something, kitten? I’ll give you a lesson.”
Malakai yanked Mey’s backpack off the ground with a quick, practiced motion—easily, as if it had been empty—and tossed it onto the dirt before my boots. The thud echoed in the still forest.
“Pick it up.”
Before I could move, Eve’s voice chimed in, light and oh-so-sweet.
“Don’t worry, Lieutenant, some of us actuallycankeep pace. Not everyone’s cut out for this.”
I shot her a glare hot enough to burn bark off the trees.
Ashley barked a laugh. “Oh, that’s rich. Says the recruit who hides behind long-distance scopes while the rest of us do the real work.”
Eve’s smile turned sharp. “At least I actually hit what I aim at, unlike you with your little toys.”
Ashley slung her satchel of bombs forward with a grin that was all teeth. “Call them toys again, and I’ll show you how fast they stop being fun.”
Nate slid in quickly, hands raised in mock surrender. “Alright, alright, no need to redecorate the forest with each other. Some of us like our limbs exactly where they are.”
“I’m sorry, I’ll take it,” Mey apologized, taking a step forward.
“Move, and I’ll be the one re-arranging limbs,” Malakai growled, giving Mey a warning look, before returning his attention to me.
I clenched my teeth, bent, and slung the bag’s strap over my shoulders, keeping it in the front, since my own took up the back. My voice came out low and tight. “Satisfied?”
Malakai didn’t even blink. “Not yet. Run to the bend and back.”
