“What the hell is this?” I mutter.
Knight stops beside me. “Evidence, and you’re ruining it.”
London comes around, studying the puddle at my feet. “Vicente froze the residual magical so we can try to track its source.”
“She doesn’t need to know all the details,” Creed snips. “Not when she has given us crumbs of information and still gotten her way.”
I think I’ll start calling him crybaby Creed becausedamn.
Legend’s fingers brush my palms, sending a spark through myfingertips.
“Lift your foot and hold it still until the magic falls,” he tells me.
I follow his instructions, only the magic doesn’t fall. It wraps around my boots, seeping beyond the material until I’m staring at nothing but smooth, black leather. My head snaps up to his but he’s facing forward, so I just stretch past the puddle.
I take another step and nearly slide, planting my hand against a charred tree trunk to catch myself. The bark shivers beneath my palm, shedding sparks of blue flame.
I jerk back. “Okay, that’s new.”
“It’s threatening you.” Sinner whistles behind me. “Don’t touch anything in the Dragon Lands unless you want an arm ripped off.”
“Dragons love me,” I say, inspecting my hand further because it didn’t feel like it came from the threat of the tree. That I also felt…but the flame, it felt like the warning I tossed back.
“These ones won’t.” Sinner seems so certain that determination burns hotter than the flame still warming my hand.
Bet.
I walk a little faster, and the others push ahead of me.
The path narrows, funneling us between two slabs of jagged stones. A low rumble shivers through the ground, faint at first, then pulsing again as we push deeper. The smell shifts, too, less forest and more rot. So thick it sinks into your tongue and coats the back of your teeth.
Knight lifts a hand, signaling for us to move in a tighter formation, and the others press ahead, bodies angled like they’re bracing for something. I slow instead, letting my fingers trail over the stone. It’s warm and slick in places, like the rock is sweating.
Makes sense, being in the Dragon Lands. They breathe fire, after all.
“So how many bodies were found here?” I ask.
“You tell us,” Creed mumbles.
Sinner chuckles, but I roll my eyes.
“These were found the day after your roommate,” Creed answers reluctantly. “Two Ordinaries, Stygian born, and both part of the young ordered to report to Rathe. They didn’t listen.”
Sinner shrugs. “So it’s almost like someone did us a favor, cause we would have had to punish them anyway.”
Creed scowls. “Shut up, Sinner. An authorized murder of our people is an act of disrespect. They test us.Questionus.”
“Or maybe they’re just fucked-up and like to kill people.” I shrug. “It’s honestly kind of fun to try new ways to slaughter and see what works faster.”
Again, several narrowed sets of eyes lock on me. “Don’t judge! It was a sport at home. Like, we held actual competitions and shit.” I grin, pushing my hair over my shoulder so it hangs down my back. “Guess who is the reigning winner.”
Legend chuckles, and it’s a deep, appreciative sound that licks along my spine.
“I don’t know why we are taking her to the murder site,” Creed complains some more. “We have what we need. Time to get back to debrief Vicente and the others. Send teams across Rathe, leave no stone left unturned until we find the cursed soil and destroy it.”
“Are you being dumb on purpose or…”
“If you have something to say, say it.” Creed glares and, honestly, it should just be his permanent face at this point.
