A Deadly Bite

8 || Care

"Do you learn nothing?"

Fiesi's mouth dries. He swallows, failing to dispel the growing lump in his throat. Ischyri's hand is locked tight around his wrist, dragging him along, but it's another's words that truly force his scurry onward. He twists, stumbling. "Father, I--"

"I was willing to let your little escapade slide," Gelani Kynig continues, his tone surprisingly even for the blue sparks of anger flaring in his downturned gaze. "I thought it might teach you a lesson or two, that when you eventually came crawling back, you'd have learned a little humility and respect. But all I'm faced with is the same reckless boy determined to cause trouble."

Unbidden, Fiesi's eyes wander to Sarielle. She's walking on Ischyri's other side, trained on Rigel's flitting form between the trees, although he's sure she's listening to every bitten word. So much for standing up for him. At least she'd be able to vouch that humility is one thing he's gained, for all the chinks she's left in his pride.

"I don't do it on purpose," he protests. "It just sort of..." He scratches his head. "Happens."

His father hums his disbelief, but it's Ischyri who answers, accompanying his words with a painful tug that nearly topples Fiesi off his feet. "Revealing your flame to dozens of Cormé just happened, did it?" He shoots a blazing red glance. "Sacrificing our secrecy for a ro étoi was just some accident? How stupid are you?"

"I guess I'm just mightily unlucky." It sounds far more feeble than it should. He stares down at his feet, half-focused on not tripping over. Long days of riding have made his step clumsy.

"You disobeyed the direct orders of your Synté." Gelani's low voice piles bricks onto Fiesi's shoulders. "You allowed a user of Adeía to go on destroying. This is serious, Fiesi. Such things have been punished greatly in the past."

Nervous flames have taken up permanent residence around Fiesi's arms, their flickers growing more intense as the claws in his chest rake deeper. He doesn't let his head raise.

"Perhaps he should be made to kill the boy," Ischyri mutters. "To complete Rigel's wish."

A panicked spike hasten's Fiesi's pulse. Digging his heels in, he clings to his flame, failing to wrench free of Ischyri's steel grip but at the very least halting their progress. "No," he shoves out, his tongue tripping over itself. "No, please. I--I can't."

He can feel Rigel's dark eyes piercing him from his perch in the canopy above. His father's stare bores into his side. Jaci is somewhere behind, no doubt seeing the same as they all do. Weakness. He bites his teeth together, hating the sudden, horrible ache of tears behind his eyes. He can't let himself give into it.

Should he be folding and agreeing? The very thought, once so inviting, makes him cringe. What he should be doing is defending Nathan, yet the words have fled him. He looks helplessly at Sarielle.

She's turned, features cut in an analysing frown, and now she folds her arms. Her gaze flicks briefly to him, although he can't read the sharp emotion tossed his way.

"Aren't your people supposed to be peaceful?" she asks. "It's odd that you're so against murder and yet you turn to it so quickly."

Ischyri emits a mocking laugh, his belly shaking. "As if she can lecture us about killing. Fiesi, tell your Cormé girl to keep her nose out of this."

Sarielle bristles, and Fiesi can't help but smirk. It's nice to see the sharpened beam of her glare directed at someone else for a change.

She marches forward, controlled rage filling the gap between his mountainous height and hers. "Listen," she snaps. "I'm trying to be diplomatic here, but you are making it very difficult." She rocks back on her heels, inhaling deeply to collect herself, although her hand still rests on her hilt. "We're talking about different scenarios. Where I come from, we're at war. Unlike you, I don't have magic healing fire, so when an enemy soldier comes at me with a sword, I don't have a great deal of choice about killing him. You, however, are talking about murdering an innocent boy in cold blood."