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“We need a fire,” Araki said again after some time.
His doublet was almost soaked, and I shivered so hard my teeth rattled. Though I would have toughed it out rather than admit I was wrong about the fire, I didn’t argue. Instead, I hunched, hugging my knees to my chest.
“If you insist,” I muttered flippantly, making sure my tone didn’t give away how relieved I was that he’d suggested it again. “But how do you propose we keep the creatures of the night from being drawn to the flames?”
“I have some ideas. First, though, let’s get a fire started.”
With little light in the forest, I felt around in the darkness, picked some dead, dry wood, and handed it over to Araki. He arranged it, and soon I smelled smoke. It took a while before the flames started. By then, the rain was heavier, and I shrugged out of the doublet to hold over the stack of wood to help keep it dry. The fire flickered to life, and Araki stoked it, giving it constant attention while I used the new light to study our location. I soon found a few fallen branches that I used to build a lean-to. I wove leaves and other foliage, creating a shelter from the rain. I was soaked by this time and laid the doublet on the ground near the fire to dry. I hunched into the lean-to, holding my fingers out to the flames. Araki was in no better shape. His wet tunic stuck to his body, painting his muscles, his wet trousers outlining his long strong legs. As he put more wood on the fire, Araki’s fingers brushed mine. My breath hitched audibly. Araki’s violet eyes flickered to me as his hand lingered where it was, close to the fireand mine. I swallowed, trying to ignore the fluttering sensation in my chest. How was it that such a simple touch had made me react in such a way? I wasn’t entirely repulsed by it, either. Not like I had when I danced with him at the ball. Thinking about how I shivered when he touched me, I sighed. Maybe I hadn’t been all that repulsed then, either.
Araki withdrew his hand. He settled back, and I felt something coming through the spell. Was that… embarrassment? I frowned, trying to figure it out, but the sensation disappeared quickly. For the first time, I wondered if he was actively shutting it down. I hadn’t thought it was possible, but I didn’t know how it worked. I opened my mouth to ask but closed my lips. I was exhausted, hungry, and freezing. The last thing I wanted was to start any sort of argument. As I settled into a cross-legged position, something deep in the darkness began a wailing noise. I tensed. Araki drew his sword and laid it across his knees at the ready. “I’ll admit it’s not much of a camp.”
I smirked at him. “I could have told you that. Now. We have the fire you wanted. How are we going to protect ourselves?”
“I have a few spells in mind.”
My shoulders stiffened. “Magic doesn’t work right here, remember?”
Araki gazed into the fire. “So far, my spells have all worked. Just stronger than what I anticipated.”
“You only did one spell—the lightning.”
His lips twitched into a smile. He looked so smug that I tensed further, and I narrowed my eyes at him. “I tested a few things while you were in the canopy.”
Had he stolen magic from the forest? I internally cursed myself. Of course, he would have waited until I wasn’t around to do that! Was I foolish to think that he hadn’t tried anything?
He must have seen the accusation in my eyes because his smile faded. “I would never do anything I thought might harm the forest. I only did small spells, like fixing the tears in my clothing.”
I focused on his clothes. Now that he mentioned it, besides being wet, his clothes did look oddly good for marching around a forest all day. There wasn’t a trace of dirt on them. I looked at my own ripped and stained bloomers and folded my arms across my chest. Here I was in ruined clothes, and he used magic to look all perfect?
Not that my corset and bloomers showed much. Plus, I had my shift. I didn’t like to be exposed in front of Araki. But then, since we’d arrived in the forest, he hadn’t looked at me that way again. Perhaps he, as I had been, was just putting on a show? He wanted to lure me away from the party so he could take me down; hence he pretended to be attracted to give himself an excuse to want to get close to me. I pushed that thought away. Even if it were true, he still hadn’t offered to fix my clothes… not that I would have accepted the offer in the first place. Annoyed at my tangled thoughts, I tsked.
“Our magic is mixed because of your spell,” I reminded him.
“It wouldn’t have been if you weren’t trying to steal mine,” Araki retorted.
“If we try any of your spells, there’s no way to know it will only amplify things.”
“No, that’s true. But I’d like to try all the same,” Araki’s expression was calm. It made me want to hit him. Or maybe that was just because I was angry at myself. I had always prided myself on having self-control. Where was that control now when I needed it?
Another cry came from the darkness, and I shuddered, thinking of the Specter. “Will it stop Specters from being able to trick us?”
“I think so.”
I still hesitated.
“Since our magic is combined, we should cast the spell together. There will be a better chance of it working if we work together.” Araki’s voice was impartial, but I sensed something through the bond.
He wanted to cast together and get a better taste of my magic. We might have some flow between us, but he couldn’t fully feel my capabilities. The tension in my back increased, making it ache. No way was I giving him more access to my magic. Was his plan to steal it from me, to drain my abilities?
A shriek in the darkness followed by a baying and then a series of wails sent shivers down my spine. That noise could only belong to a wight or banshee. I’d seen the victims of both creatures before, and I had no desire to become one myself. With a shudder, I turned to King Araki. His hand was tight on his sword, but he continued to watch me. He wasn’t going to steal my magic or kill me. He couldn’t, not here, at least. I hoped he couldn’t. Besides, he had to rely on me, too. If the spectre returned, it could trick him as it tricked me. Araki needed me to snap him out of the trance if it got him. And once we were out of the forest, regardless of if we were nowhere nearthe Nightshade coven, I could teleport us there. Then, perhaps, Priestess Opaline and Master Briggs would break this spell and kill him. And maybe if he stole my magic by that point, I'd get it back as soon as he was dead.
“Alright. A shield spell?” I suggested as I stood.
“Do you know how to cast the Circle of Protection?” Araki asked.
I nodded. It was one of the first spells Opaline had taught me. When I was too young to fight, I still needed to be able to defend myself. Araki held his hands out to me, and I took them, trying not to react. The small fire crackled as we stood on either side of it, holding hands as we made our spell circle.
“Our spells might be a little different,” Araki said, “but that shouldn’t matter so long as we have the same goal in mind.”
