So this was how he’d react, killing me for what I was?
Red threads swirled by and in a flash, the grip around my throat slackened and Lionel stepped back, his arm severed. He hissed in pain, glaring towards the side where Malakai stepped forward.
I coughed, gasping for air, every inch of my body hurting and screaming in response, as my senses came back to me.
“What did you do!?” I screamed at Malakai, my voice breaking with every word.
Malakai looked over at me, tilting his head as if I was an interesting puzzle. “It’s a shapeshifter, kitten.”
Something cracked inside of me, as I turned back towards what I thought had been Lionel, but now I saw it, the vivid brown eyes and the jagged smile.
I had been fooled.
“There they are!” I heard behind Malakai, as I saw his red eyes losing the glow inside of them, forcing himself back to normal. The fake Lionel lunged for me, but Malakai stepped in and drove a dagger into its chest, twisting it until it choked on the black ichor that was its blood.
My body trembled, as I saw three additional shapes stepping out behind them, all of them looking like Lionel, all of them feeding off of my fear.
And I hadletthem.
“Ugh, not these types again,” Nate said with distaste.
“If you have any grudges against one another, this is the time to take it out,” Ashley snickered as she threw a bomb past us, making the ground quiver in response as one of the demons was caught in the blast, and the others wiped out the rest of them.
Malakai turned towards me again, slowly, inspecting me.
“Are you okay?” His voice was flat, like it always was whenever he played his role as a Lieutenant. Yet something in it made a tear slip from me as my chest vibrated with ragged breaths.
I saw him tense, eyes softening for the briefest moment, before another shape collided with me.
Arms grabbed me and I was pushed against the familiar scent of oakmoss and leather.
“You’re so stupid, that wasn’t me!” Lionel accused, his voice broken, as he hugged me tightly. Then he broke it off, his eyes locked on my throat. “Can you talk?”
“Y-yes,” I croaked, my voice fragile and weak from the choking and how I had broken it with my scream.
“Stupid,” he repeated. “Why would I ever hurt you? Why would you let me?”
Would he hurt me if he knew? Would he kill me and pretend I never existed?
“I-I’m… s-sorry,” I tried, though my voice was hoarse.
A wave of water pushed past us, soaking us, not harmful in any way. We all turned towards Mey, who awkwardly dropped her hands.
“Yeah… Sorry.” She smiled apologetic as she made herself look smaller, a faint blush painting her cheeks.
“Good job,” Ashley gave her a thumbs up. “You’re getting better!”
“At drowning us?” Eve complained, squeezing water out of her hair.
“Stop being so dramatic!” Nate snapped. “This is new for all of us.”
Lionel’s grip of me loosened as he dragged his hands through his wet hair, trying to get the worst out of it.
“You’re lucky the Lieutenant had such sharp hearing,” Ashley said, as she snuck closer and hugged me. “Or we would’ve been too late.”
My eyes darted to Malakai, but he stared into the distance. I patted Ashley’s head. “I’m here.”
“I hope you don’t ever leave us,” Ashley said, flashing me a blushing smile. “I’d never forgive you.”
