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Mark charged first, shoving off the ice, lunging straight for Kleitos’s torso. There was no thought to the movement, just pure speed and irritation wrapped in it. Kleitos was no different; he launched off the snow pad, aiming directly at his target.

Just as they looked set to collide, Kleitos sidestepped at the last second.

Mark flew past him, not anticipating the move. Kleitos hand snagged out in front of him at the very last second. He snatched the root of his collar, just like before, and yanked hard enough to rip it. The fabric snagged down his spine, as Mark's body crashed into the snow behind him.

My mouth dropped as I watched Kleitos’ body bend to half his size as he gave him no time to recover. A fist smashed into Mark’s face, followed by a sharp kick to the side of his ribs as he pulled himself up to full length.

Mark lay limp only for a heartbeat before Kleitos seized him by his tattered shirt. He hauled Mark’s body upright and planted him on his feet like a rag doll. There was no remorse in his features as his fist prepared to land another punch.

Mark laughed, breathless. “Oh, that was a good one.” The punch landed against his jaw, but only another chuckle broke free of his chest. He almost reminded me of a madman in that moment. The rage that flared in his eyes had me squeezing Valentina’s hand. I had never seen such heat. With a sudden shove, Mark drove both palms into Kleitos’s chest, breaking the closeness between them.

As the anger stoked in Mark’s gaze, white-blue jets erupted from his palms. There was one in each hand. They crackled so brightly they made the snow look dull beneath it.

For a moment, all of us stood in the clearing, silent. My mother froze beside me as Valentina's grip broke from mine. Her eyes squinted in horror at the sight. The lack of fascination behind them made me wonder if this was the first time she experienced this trait.

Kleitos, on the other hand, didn’t look phased by the fire but had a glint of a smile tugging at his lips. The fascination only lasted a second until it turned into a nightmare. Mark balled a glowing fist and drove it straight into Kleitos’s gut. The leather of his jacket melted instantly as he stumbled back for the first time. “Fuck,” he snarled. His gaze lit, pulsing an angry red.

Kleitos moved with vigor now toward Mark as he backed away to catch his breath. When he saw him approach they blurred into strikes and dodges. I only caught the final escalation when Mark let out another burst of flame. Kleitos caught his wrist and twisted back—forcing the jet to angle toward Mark’s own face. Mark jerked aside in time, the blast hissing past his cheek. With his free hand, he spat a tight burst of flame at Kleitos’s grip; the heat bit, and Kleitos released.

Once Mark was free of his grip, he bolted toward the forest edge and vanished into the branches. Kleitos tore after him without hesitation.

I didn’t even know how to process what I had just witnessed because it was far beyond what I thought could happen. The moment they disappeared, I broke from Valentina and my mother and turned to Bomani, heart thrumming. “What the hell are they doing? How far is the next town from these trees?”

Before he could answer me, Arianna coolly said, “We don’t have much to worry about. The sun won’t set for a few hours. There might be guards on routine patrol… but they didn’t get close last time I was out. Of course…” She tilted her head toward the distant noise. “I was quieter than them.”

White sparks flashed between trunks as my eyes searched for them. But I was only met with thin curls of smoke where driftwood caught fire. The woods cracked behind us, as some began to snap under the stress of the heat in the air.

“Want me to drag them out?” Bomani asked, his body rocking back and forth as if waiting for the order to join in.

I shook my head. Even if the question wasn’t for me, I did not want anyone joining in on the uncertainty. “Ari… can’t you, like, tell the future?” I asked, more desperate than curious. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to be pretty. The way the wood around us was already catching flame felt eerily familiar. “See if this is safe?”

She looked at me for a moment as if contemplating using her energy on me. After a moment, a smug chuckle erupted from her throat. “I could, I suppose.” Her eyes rolled back into her head, and her body went rigid. When they rolled back into place, they were pure white. No pupils. Just smooth orbs of pale flesh. It felt like minutes had passed as she stood in there in that state, almost frozen. The only thing that moved was her eyes back and forth.

Squeezing my arm, Valentina finally said. “I’m going after them. They’ve been gone too long.”

Before any of us could answer, Arianna spoke as sharp as a blade. “Two guards are headed up the trail. Get Alexander out of here.”

TAINTED| CHAPTER 19

Escape

Valentina’s face was a picture of panic when Arianna gave us the order. She seized my hand with inhuman speed, yanking me into a sprint so hard my body snapped forward. A week ago, that jolt would've torn my ACL clean out. I struggled to find balance in the thick flurries as we pushed through. Once the loose snow hardened to compact ice, my pace steadied.

Adrenaline pounded against my ribcage at the thought of guards finding me so soon. I had only just arrived here. And if my cover was blown, it wouldn’t be quick. It would be quiet. They’d take me to King Victor, and he would kill me before anyone could catch my scent.

Within moments, our group of seven was split into three. Valentina, my mother, and I headed up the mountains. Arianna and Bomani stayed behind in the clearing in search of Mark and Kleitos. Their figures loomed behind us, disappearing in the blizzard. I hoped they could find them in time. The fires Mark had started began to swallow some of the foliage around us, leaving behind thick black smog. It seeped into the air, forcing the heavy snow that was descending to melt into slush.

I could barely see my mother at my side as she kept up with my pace. Her thick, long hair blew back in waves behind her as she caught my eye. She gave me a thumbs-up before focusing on the force of the wind blowing against her frame. Endless ice-kissed trunks surrounded us like canopies of white fountains, hanging low from the branches above. There was no time to catch every detail as Valentina hauled me closer to her side. Our steps fell into the same rhythm, breath syncing as we moved like one.

If our mental connection wasn’t blocked, I knew she’d be sending me waves of encouragement. The only thing that kept my sanity intact was the small ebbs of calm that flowed through her palm at my wrist. I let that be my baseline as the anxiety from fleeing tried to take over.

The mountain base rose ahead of us. Jagged and steep. Sleet-covered rocks were piercing the ground, with snow pooling in their crevices. Valentina took us up the course with no thought, as our feet crushed powder. We soared through the canyon like ghosts. The ascent up was like plaiting through a puzzle of trees and bushes. The worst of the bunch was the ones with bases twenty feet across, blocking the semblance of a clear crossing point. The only sign of progress was elevation. When we finally trudged to the top, my lungs burned from how thin the air had gotten. Just at its peak, the saplings began to fall away, willing my eyes to wander against the horizon.

In the distance, a massive white kingdom sparkled in the low blue haze of day. Behind its territory bloomed a glittering black sea. Even from this distance, I could see the lick of silver touching its waves like starlight. My eyes didn’t know where to focus as I took in the guard towers. They rose like spears against the sky, a cobalt-blue flag fluttering atop each. The fabric fluttered in the biting wind. I had almost missed the golden-threaded flower blooming at each of their hearts. Everything about the kingdom, its castle, was beautiful. Even outside its front gate, a city of towers and houses stretched across the land.

The flash of the kingdom left just as fast as it came as we sprinted past down the mountainside. It was glorious in every sense of the word. From the soft glow of the sun to the stone it had been carved from felt like a storybook. There was wonder and regal grace that also made it real. In actuality, it was a new reminder of why I was brought here. I hoped I’d get the chance to see it up close.

The descent was worse if that were even possible. It was steep and slick. The further away we got from the fires, though the air was more controlled, it didn’t matter; our body heat melted the layers of sleet that draped us. With each step, my ankles threatened to twist if I placed my foot wrong. Any one of them could have been the wrong placement as we leapt across angular drops. More than once, I nearly fell, and Valentina caught my missteps in time, steadying me with a tug at her side. My mother’s ragged breath at my side was the only indicator she had been keeping up. Honestly, Martha’s balance was surprisingly better than both Valentina’s and mine. She was light on her feet as if she were built for long-distance jumps.