“Wealready know exactly who he is,” I said, voice steady. “Doyou?”
Silence rippled through the group like a held breath.
Faelin flinched, not much, but enough that I noticed.
Caleb opened his mouth again, because of course he wasn’t done, but Lionel was faster. He planted a hand on Caleb’s chest and shoved him back, hard.
“You don’t have to like him,” Lionel said. “But youwillrespect her choice, or you can walk back to camp alone and explain to your superiors why you picked a fight with a half-demon and a fire mage in the same breath. And that’sifyou make it back.”
Caleb hesitated.
Malakai tilted his head, smile razor sharp.
“Choose carefully,” he murmured. “I’m bored.”
Those words made Caleb spark anew. His pride couldn’t allow him to back down just yet.
“You want to talk respect?” he snapped, shoving Lionel’s hand away. “How about we start withhimwanting to kill me earlier?”
I frowned. “What?”
Caleb jabbed a finger towards Malakai. “Yeah, I saw his eyes when I bled. And he nearly snapped my neck for taking my shirt off so you could heal me. He was jealous and hungry, such emotions are dangerous for a demon.”
Malakai blinked, then he laughed.
Not a chuckle. A sharp laugh, like Caleb had just performed the world’s funniest show ever.
“Oh,” Malakai shook his head, not able to shake off the smirk. “Oh, that’sadorable.”
Caleb snapped his teeth together. “You think that’s funny?”
“I think you’re slow,” Malakai said cheerfully. “Jealous? Ofyou? I’ve seen rocks with more charisma.”
I covered a snort.
“I don’t get jealous of rodents, and I wouldn’t eat them either,” Malakai continued, voice smooth and cruel. “And I know she doesn’t sway like that. She choseme. You don’t threaten that; hells, you don’t even register.”
Caleb surged forward, fists tightening. Malakai’s eyes flashed in triumph. “You want someone to blame for how the world turned out? How about you look yourself in the mirror? It’s always those who are scared of the unknown who falter to dark temptations first.”
Lionel stepped in. “Alright, enough now, the both of you. We’re on the same team here, remember?”
Caleb’s eyes were locked on Malakai, but he sat down, his whole body tense. Malakai had clearly struck a nerve.
Ashley leaned forward excited. “Hit him, come on. Hit him so Malakai can break your arm, it’ll be romantic.”
“You have a very unique idea of romance,” Nate muttered, cocking a brow at her.
Caleb managed to remain mostly still, only his balled hand twitched at her words, before a sharp gust of wind surged between them. The air itself rippling like a barrier.
Faelin stood there, hand slightly raised, eyes fixed, not on Malakai, but on me.
“You all think this is a joke?” she asked quietly. “You laugh, you taunt… You talk about who’s brave, who’s strong, but you don’tget it.”
The wind stirred around her hair, restless and uneasy.
“I grew up with someone like him,” she said, voice trembling in a way that wasn’t weakness, it was tightly leashed rage. “She was my best friend, my sister in all but blood. We wrote stories about running away together, dreamed of joining the Aetherion Guard, to fight side by side.” Her throat bobbed. “Until she made a deal with a temptation demon. Said it would make her stronger, that she could protect us better that way.”
My stomach twisted.
