Luke pushed himself off the wall, squaring off like he was ready to fight him. ‘So what, you’re the boss of this operation? You think you get to boss me around?’
‘What exactly is the problem?’ I asked him, dropping my arms. A couple more droplets of blood fell to the ground.
Michael shifted slightly behind me, noticing. His brows furrowed as he stared at my hands before getting back to Luke. ‘Do you think you’re capable of planning this search?’ he seethed. ‘What’s your experience, Luke?’
He stiffened, a furious gaze snapping to mine as if expecting me to defend him.
I crossed my arms to hide my damaged skin and waited.
‘Fuck this shit. I didn’t even want to come here. You always drag me into useless shit, Miriam,’ Luke screamed. ‘I’ll see you when you get back.’
And just like that, he was gone.
The room’s attention turned to me.
I hated that part the most.
The whispers made my skin crawl.
‘Um… so I suppose we won’t be needing three backpacks then,’ Michael said, his tone uncertain.
I blinked the hurt away and let out a big sigh. ‘I suppose not. We don’t need him anyway. He’d only slow us down.’
Michael’s eyes narrowed, not so discretely eyeing the crimson drops near my feet. ‘Oh, would he?’
‘Yes. He’s been pampered his entire life. A brisk walk would probably cripple him.’ I shrugged lightly and used my shadows to destroy the blood on the floor. Meanwhile, he unfolded the piece of fabric. ‘Anyway… I think I’m ready. What’s with this jacket?’
The stranger assessed me with a faint grin. ‘Yours is red.’
‘Burgundy, actually. Is there something wrong with it?’
His jaw flexed. ‘It’s beautiful, really; I love the flower embroidery on the cuffs. I would just prefer to keep a low profile. But you’re free to wear whatever you want. The one I brought has a heating option. I thought it might be useful—we’re heading south.’
‘You had me at heated,’ I admitted, taking mine off and allowing him to help slip the new one on.
His lips curved in amusement, and he placed the rucksack on my back. Thankfully, it looked heavier than it was.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Ava pulling on the same jacket. Sensible. Though she could have warmed herself with her fire.
I envied that.
‘I need to get something off my chest,’ I said, a little afraid of what he might think.
Michael tensed, hovering behind me while he fixed the adjustable straps.
‘Jumping to a place I’ve never been before comes with risks,’ I said slowly, trying not to alarm him.
He inched closer, repeatedly checking that both sides were adjusted evenly. I could see, in my peripheral vision, how grave his expression had become. ‘Wait, really? Can you get hurt?’
‘It’s more dangerous for those travelling with me,’ I explained. ‘It’s not like I haven’t done it before—I have, and nothing has gone wrong—but I want it to be your choice. We can take the car instead.’
The Fire Prince hesitated, clearly giving it some thought, growing unnervingly still. If he didn’t want to take the risk, I would understand.
I returned my attention to the map. There was enough doubt in my mind; I didn’t need his dwelling there as well.
‘It’s whatever you prefer, but I trust your… shadow transportation,’ he said after a moment.
I couldn’t contain the faint smile that tugged at my lips. ‘It’s called jumping.’
