“What if the mages ask more than one of us to prove our powers? They’ll kill them,” Malakai argued, irritation in his voice.
“Then you’ll show yours?” I shrugged.
He chuckled dryly. “Sweetie, they can’t handle my power. It’s not an option.”
“What if one of them is hurt? We need to help our own,” I pressed on, glaring at him.
“I’m sure your sniper boy is fine,” he muttered.
My cheeks burned. “I’m worried aboutallof them.”
He scoffed, the sound making my blood boil, my fist catching fire as I hurled it towards his back. My eyes widened in shock when I realised I’d thrown a small fireball at him. Malakai wasn’t impressed, stopping in histracks and slowly turning with threatening, glowing eyes directed at me.
“Careful,” he growled, voice low and dangerous. “Thatalmostfelt like an attack.”
“Maybe it was,” I shot back, but the words came out a little too high-pitched. My heart thudded as the flames died on my fingertips.
Then, just as quickly, the threat in his eyes melted into a slow, infuriating grin.
“Ohhh, you’re itchingfor a fight? Gods, that’s almost cute. Want to try again, or was that your best shot?” His gaze raked over me, lingering long enough to make my skin prickle. “And you decided to showmefirst.”
My stomach dropped. “It’s not… I didn’tdecide—”
Hells, why did it feel like my face was on fire now, too?
He stepped closer, all lazy menace, until he was right inside my space.
“Relax, kitten.” His smirk widened, slow and knowing. “I’m honored, you’re comfortable enough to use your abilities around me.”
I swallowed hard, crossing my arms like a shield. “Don’t read into it. It doesn’t mean anything.”
His grin said he didn’t believe me for a second.
“Sure,” he said lightly, but there was sharpness under the word. “Then tell me, sweetie, doesanyoneelse know what you are?”
My silence was answer enough. He smiled, lingering for a moment, before he spun around and began walking again.
Ihatedhow he used that knowledge to silence me.
“What about you? Why are you hiding amongst the Ashen Corps, then?” I barked, marching after him.
“The same reason as you, I’d guess,” his voice softened, smooth like silk and very convincing.
“You don’t know—”
“You joined to blend in, right? To reject the part of you that you felt ashamed of?” His voice cut through mine, sharp, confronting, but in a soft way.
“How did you…” I blurted, eyes wide.
He went silent, but as I studied him I saw how his features had softened—this wasn’t the Malakai I was used to.
He was ashamed of being a demon? The thought had never occurred to me before… but it didn’t add up. “Why did you kill Carolyn then? She was like us, she was—”
“No,” he interrupted again, still calm. “She was not ashamed, she was an infiltrator.” He stopped and glanced at me. “When you saw what I was, you fought me with weapons, denying your magic even if it meant that I’d kill you. Carolyn knew no eyes were on her, so she used her magic every second, rejecting the weapons she had. Her nervousness was never because of the demons or mages, she was scared of getting caught and was ready to kill you with her magic just to keep pretending.”
I remembered it vividly; as soon as I had caught her using ice magic, her eyes had turned cold, her whole posture changed into something different…
“Right,” I muttered.
