The atmosphere around the squad felt strained already. Ever since Mey was revealed, Eve had been trying to blame her every chance she got, making the rest of us irritable.
And Lionel… I wasn’t sure where he stood. He wasn’t making snarky comments about Mey, or showing any fear of her for that matter, but it wasn’t as if he trusted her either.
“Up front, kitten,” Malakai snapped, his tone sharp enough to cut, and I had to force myself to keep my pace.
“Is there a reason you keep her in the front?” Lionel cut in, his voice like a warning shot.
“I could tell you that it’s because I trust her,” Malakai’s voice dripped with dry amusement. “I could also say it’sbecause of the view, either way, it will upset you, won’t it?”
Their gazes collided, one angry, one smug, and the air between them turned into a battlefield. Lionel was sharper than usual, he’d never dare snap like that to a superior before, let alone if he knew Malakai was a demon… No, Malakai would probably kill him, not worried about being exposed like I was…
“Aren’t you the leader? Shouldn’t you be the one doing the talking if we meet a mage?” Lionel pressed, stepping closer.
Malakai stopped dead in his tracks. His jaw ticked as if he was fighting the urge to bare his teeth. “Look, sniper—”
“Lionel,” he corrected tightly.
“Whatever.” Malakai’s lip curled. “I keep you around because you hit your targets and she likes you. But keep pushing me, and you’ll have a bullet in that thick skull of yours.”
Ashley let out a low whistle. “Well, that’s comforting. She likes me too, am I safe?”
“Could you two stop?” I spun on Malakai and Lionel, heat rising in my chest. “How are we supposed to end a war if you can’t even get along in the same squad?”
“End a war?” Lionel echoed, his gaze snapping to me. “You actually believe your little ‘talk’ will change anything? This is suicide.”
Malakai sneered. “Such trust you have in her.”
Lionel sent a sharp glare at him, and I was worried they’d start fighting each other on the spot. But they kept in place, staring as if the first one to look away would lose.
“Lionel,” I pleaded, rubbing my temple. “The way things are going, we won’t survive. The demons will wipe us out.”
“This war has been going on for decades!” Eve snapped, stepping to Lionel’s side. “What’s so different now?”
“Did you sleep through the attack at the marketplace?” I shot back, my voice rising. “Did you not see how many demons descended on that village? They slaughtered everyone!”
“She’s got a point,” Ashley muttered.
“Shut it, we’ll lose our heads if we interfere with this fight,” Mey murmured, clamping a hand over Ashley’s mouth.
“No!” I said sharply. “Keep talking. Keep thinking. Or do you want to fight forever, never making progress?”
Ashley shifted. “I mean… I’d rather keep playing with bombs but—”
Nate elbowed her.
“Fine, no war,” Ashley grumbled.
“I want to learn how to paint,” Mey admitted softly.
“I want us to be safe,” Nate murmured.
Their voices gave me a sliver of hope, until Lionel’s gaze locked on me again, colder now.
“Since when did you want to play the hero?” he asked, taking a slow step towards me.
“What?”
“Has he been feeding you this?” His voice was sharp enough to draw blood. “Didhetell you to give up the fight against the mages?” His finger stabbed towards Malakai, whose expression darkened, predatory.
