“Careful,boy,” Malakai growled, jaw tensing as he took a step closer.
But Lionel didn’t look away. “Because I remember a girl who swore to fight the mages for the world they destroyed. What about your parents, Ethalyn? Who killedthem? Mages are as much monsters as the demons. If we lower our guard now, they’ll slaughter us all. We’re worth nothing compared to their stupid powers.”
Everyone turned silent. The world seemed to narrow to Lionel’s accusing stare and the sick twist in my gut.
“I don’t want to kill mages,” I said quietly, hoping he’d understand.
“What?”
“I said—” my voice broke, then flared louder. “I don’t want to kill mages! I want a world where I’m notashamedof myself and where we don’t accuse each other for what was actually the doing of demons!”
Lionel blinked, stunned.
“I just want to live,” I whispered, tears threatening.
And then his gaze shifted, from confusion to dawning horror.
“No.” His voice cracked as he took a step back. “No.Youjust killedus.”
“Lionel—”
Flames flared along my arm before I realised what I was doing. My fear spilled over into fire, curling and licking at my skin without burning.
“You—” he stammered, backing up another step. “You’re amage?”
“Please, let me explain,” I begged, stepping forward.
But he flinched. Fromme.
The pain of it made my breath catch.
“Stay away from me.” His voice was ice, carved sharp by betrayal. Then he turned and stormed off.
“Lionel!” I lunged forward, but an arm hooked around me like a steel bar, holding me back.
“Let me go!” I screamed, thrashing.
“Not this time, sweetie.” Malakai’s voice was calm, almost gentle, but his hold didn’t loosen. “If you chase him now, he won’t come back.”
Tears slipped down my cheeks as I watched Eve shake her head before turning and bolting after Lionel.
“Shit,” Ashley said, baffled, looking back and forth between Nate and Mey who had frozen in place, not sure what to say, as my flames grew around my skin.
“Lionel!” I shouted again, my voice broken, as if I couldn’t get enough air into my lungs. It hurt all over, a sharp pain. I was shattered, he had seen me, and he had walkedawayfrom me.
My heart was broken, because I knew… I knew he’dneveraccept me for what I was.
Ashley stalked closer, her eyes glittering as she looked from my flames to Malakai. “Don’t the flames hurt?”
“Not me,” he answered plainly.
Ashley began stretching a hand out towards me, tears obscuring my vision.
“That fire,” Mey whispered, and Ashley stopped as we all turned. “The fire in the woods, on our first mission… was that… you?”
A sharp pain struck me as the flames ignited, engulfing all of my body, without damaging my clothes or hurting Malakai apparently.
“Yes,” I croaked, defeated. “I was trying to suppress it, reject it.”
