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MAREINA
“Ihadn’t actually planned on staying the night in Ouvelleet.”
Because as soon as I kill you, I’m going to head straight back to Bastrina.
“… But, I’m not entirely opposed to spending some time with you.”
Nakoa’s trained, neutral expression was commendable. So much so, it had my lips quirking with excitement.
Let’s see how neutral your expression is when I drain you of every drop of your blood.
Something in my gut twisted at the thought… I’d managed to suppress the reality of the situation until I reminded myself of the harsh reality. And I didn’t have anger clouding my mind.
He’s doing more good for the realm than you ever have.
His lips finally twitched in response. “How generous of you…”
I drew in a steady breath, trying to mask the fact that I wanted nothing more than to collapse in despair.
“Well, in that case, I’m not one for crowds… Shall we leave?”
Nakoa’s brows lifted in surprise at my boldness before his eyes narrowed briefly with suspicion.
“I would love nothing more…”
There was a certain warmth and disarming sincerity in his words. And made my despair in what I knew I had to do all the greater. I turned to lead the way through the crowd just as the smell of smoke reached my nose. I halted, exchanging a glance with Nakoa as his nostrils flared. No one else had seemed to notice yet.
I turned towards the exit, flicking a glance back at Nakoa before darting through the crowd.
We burst through the front entrance to find a crowd filling the streets, gaping up at a lone house in the distance that was half consumed in flames.
Anger sank its talons into me. Surely, at least a few of these people could dosomethingto help.
“Does no one here wield water?” I roared over the crowd.
“Not when it’s been burned from the air, ya cunt!” A male hissed in my direction.
I growled, shoving my way through the crowd towards Chihiro, not bothering to see if Nakoa would follow.
Please don’t, I prayed silently.
Untying Chihiro swiftly, I mounted him, spurring him toward the flames. The sound of galloping hooves behind me had my head jerking to find Nakoa right behind me.
It took long minutes to arrive at the house. It was three stories, and the fire had already consumed the bottom half. The soil around the shabby, dilapidated house was completely barren… A clear answer as to why no one in town had been concerned with the fire spreading.
I leapt off Chihiro just as an elderly human female and two small children rushed towards me. “My husband! Please!”
My gaze fell to the bottom half of the home.
Fuck.
The elderly woman’s pleas and the children’s wailing faded into the background as I dread settled in my gut.
I couldwilla barrier around me, but if there was anything that could tear it down quicker than fire, I hadn’t discovered it. And even if I could keep it up in the flames, it would do nothing to suppress the heat. I would be cooked alive.
An elderly man appeared in a window on the third floor, looking as though he were struggling to open it.
I didn’t miss the irony of the fact that I’d spent my entire career killing people, and yet, I was probably about to die saving a single human.
