“Come, pet,” he snaps as he saunters past me. I totter after him just as Valik’s picking himself off the ground.
“Wait until Morin hears about this,” he calls after us.
“Yeah, please do go fucking cry to her about it, Valik. I’m sure it’ll go really well for you.”
We emerge from the Wood, and Sitri begins weaving us through the crowd. I see his hand moving at his side, and his voice appears in my head seconds later. Don’t fucking speak, pet.
“Okay.”
Stay out of the way. Try to stay unnoticed. For the love of the Gods no attitude.
“I said okay!” I snap, still reaming from his sudden shift.
He rolls his shoulders and sneaks the shortest glimpse at me.Sorry. I’m just-- I really thought we could make it through this one without drama.
I spy Morin through the bodies and quickly avert my eyes. Sitri suddenly stops as someone flings themselves out in front of him.
“Sitri!” Sitri’s aunt, Delyah, palms at his chest. “I need to speak with you.”
“Delyah, it’s really not a good time...”
“It’s important. I have seen something in the flames.”
Sitri sighs like whatever Delyah’s seen in the flames is seriously the least of his concerns. “I have to speak with Morin right now. I suppose I could find you after…” He looks down at me. “Wait, Delyah, could you watch Pa—Syra for me?”
She starts to shake her head, her eyes widening as her gaze darts over me.
“Please? Only for a few minutes?”
Her lips part as she considers it, and then she nods vigorously. “O-of course. I’ll watch her for you.”
“Thank you. I won’t be long. But do watch out for Valik. Though I imagine you could take him, mask off.”
Sitri looks down at me, and I open my mouth to object.
“You’re in good hands,” he promises. “I’ll find you as soon as I’m done.” He gestures to the Mark on his wrist with a pointed look. A reminder.He can find me. He can sense my fear.“I would come immediately.” I nod reluctantly. And then his back is disappearing into the crowd. My stomach still sinks to watch him go.
I was so close to telling him…
Not sure if I’m going to be able to muster up the courage again now the moment’s gone.
I bring my attention back to Delyah, who shifts nervously from foot to foot, her eyes darting through the crowd. So different from the bubbly woman I met last time. Her face is pale, a sheen of sweat glinting from the nearby firelight. “It’s good to see you again,” I say awkwardly, still internally reeling from the confrontation with Valik.
She looks behind her and back to me. “Yes, dear. Why don’t we get out of sight?”
I agree with that sentiment wholeheartedly. Get out of sight before Valik inevitably shows up. I follow closely behind her through the crowd. She leads us toward the Wood, but thankfully not in the same direction we departed from Valik. I sneak a last glimpse over the crowd, searching for Valik…Sitri or Morin, but I don’t see them and hurriedly jog to catch up with Delyah as she leads me past the curtain of trees.
She takes me further into the Woods than Sitri and I trekked. The hair on the back of my neck prickles as the light dims. I wrack my brain for something I can small talk with her about when she finally stops and turns back.
The look on her face spikes a pulse of fear through me, but I’m not sure why. She takes a step forward. “You should know I don’t want to do this.”
I take a step back. “Do what?”
“But I have seen what you really are.” She lifts her hands.
“I don’t know what you’re—“ My words cut off abruptly as her magic cinches around my neck and tightens around my throat like a noose. My eyes widen.I don’t understand.I shake my head vigorously, but she simply watches, hands raised.
I claw at my throat, but it doesn’t loosen. I can’t get a breath in. I can’t get a breath out. I try to make a sound, but it only pulses pressure through my head.
