“Try not to die again,” he said plainly. “Twice is irritating enough.”
Nate blinked up at him. “You… helped carry me, didn’t you?”
Malakai shrugged like it was no big deal. “Firecracker wouldn’t stop crying and leaving you in the forest would’ve been a hassle.”
“I absolutely did not cry!” Ashley sputtered, her cheeks flaring.
Jaden slung his bag over one shoulder and grinned like the devil’s intern. “She’s right, she screamed more than cried.”
Faelin gave him a dubious look, before silently shaking her head. “I think he’ll die next.”
Jaden’s head turned towards her, taking offense by her words. “Such a cold breeze, you are.”
“At least I don’t bother others,” Faelin shot back with a sharp smile.
“Let’s go,” Eve sighed, cutting off their banter.
Lionel led the formation; he was the better scout after all, scanning every shadow with sniper precision. I tried not to hover, but old habits die hard, so I drifted closer anyway.
“You don’t have to watch my back,” I murmured.
Lionel didn’t look at me, just kept his gaze ahead. “Force of habit, been doing it since we were six.”
I huffed a tiny laugh. “I remember. You yelled at me for climbing trees too fast.”
“You set the tree on fire,” he reminded flatly. “When I got there you blamed it on lightning, at least now I know.”
I nudged him playfully. “It wasonetime.”
Eve slipped in smoothly beside us, hands behind her back like she hadn’t just jogged to catch up. “You two done reminiscing about arson? Because some of us would like to reach civilization today.”
Lionel’s jaw ticked, he’d been so locked on me that he hadn’t noticed her approach. Eve smiled anyway.
Malakai chuckled behind us. “If she starts burning trees again,” he told Lionel. “I’ll handle it.”
“You?” Lionel snorted softly, glancing back at him with judging eyes. “You’d encourage her.”
Malakai smirked. “Probably.”
“You never told me why you disappeared for a year before the trials,” I said glancing over at Lionel. His stance stiffened.
“I was training.”
“Liar,” I snapped. “That can’t be the only reason.”
“Your fighting style was becoming predictable, so I needed a few new punching bags,” he shot back.
“He’s totally lying,” Malakai smirked, earning himself a glare from Lionel.
“Fine,” Lionel bit out. “I was doing some research, earning some extra coin.”
“That issoooshady!” Ashley snickered. “Did you break into peoples’ homes? Did you trade yourself for money? Please tell me you did something illegal?”
“I broke into one of the Ashen Corps’ libraries, okay?” Lionel snapped angrily. “I learned some history, about different demons, about some battles and traded the information for coin, alright?”
Ashley groaned disappointedly.
“At least it was illegal?” Nate snickered.
