I could almostfeelMalakai turn towards him.
“I don’t protect her because she needs it,” Malakai said. “I protect her because Iwantto be the one standing next to her when she incinerates the world or saves it, whichever comes first.”
“Incinerates the world?” Lionel echoed, confusion in his voice.
I bit my lower lip, cursing him for even mentioning it to Lionel, who took everything literally.
A slow dry chuckle left Malakai. “I don’t care if she chooses to save the world or destroy it really, as long as she’s choosing to stay alive in it. I’ll fight for whatever side that keeps her breathing.”
My heart stuttered.
Lionel was quiet for a moment.
“Yeah,” he murmured, sounding more at ease again. “That’s why I can live with losing.”
Something in my chest ached and healed all at once.
I pressed my face further into the pillow, eyes burning.
They thought I was asleep, but how could I be when they were talking about me like this?
For a while, it seemed as if they were done and my heart calmed somewhat.
“I thought I lost her, too…” Malakai continued suddenly, unexpectedly low.
Lionel shifted, perhaps turning to study him.
I tried staying still as best I could to avoid getting caught being awake, my fingers frozen around the blanket.
Malakai continued, voice barely louder than the whisper of the desperate dying flames. “In the battle at Rimefield, when I… pretended to turn on her.” His jaw must have tightened—I could hear it in his tone. “I told myself she would understand it was a ruse, that she would see through it.”
A pause, long and heavy, loaded with feelings that slammed against me.
“She didn’t,” he finished quietly and my heart ached.
I had never thought about it like that. I had hurt him by not seeing through his façade, yet he had never mentioned it nor acted differently towards me, while I handled it like a child.
The fire seemed to dim, as if it was hurting too.
Lionel drew another slow breath.
“She hesitated,” he acknowledged.
Malakai gave a low hum. “She doubted me.”
Silence stretched heavily, this was getting even more awkward.
Stupid. Why couldn’t I fall asleep and avoid this? I didn’t want to eavesdrop on them, instead I pressed my eyes tighter together.
Then, Lionel spoke, more measured than before.
“I saw it. That’s when I thought… maybe I could get her back.”
My eyes slowly opened, even if I stared at a peacefully sleeping Ashley, I could almost imagine Lionel’s face along the words.
Malakai didn’t react, at least not audibly. No shift, no growl and no mockery. He simply waited patiently for him to continue.
Lionel exhaled hard. “I tried to use that hesitation. I thought if I could be steady when you faltered… if I could be what you weren’t… she’d look at me again.”
