Unconditional Dominance

Death and Endearments

Keeley's P.O.V.

The damp forest air smelled like gunpowder, all metallic and burning. Around me the damp jungle tried to hold onto the fire that Liam and our people had set, but the gasoline could only stick so much.

Everything was just too wet.

A light drizzle from the sky assisted in putting the fire out, and before I could locate my people and assure their safety, Dawson was grabbing my arm, and pulling me out of the flames that had momentarily trapped us.

"The fire isn't holding, the vegetation is too damp," Dawson barked a bitter laugh.

"Idiots," Grayson laughed alongside Dawson whilst grabbing my other arm as we climbed over a fallen tree. I tossed my hair as I looked over my shoulder, trying to spot anybody amongst the fighting bodies that I may recognize. But they were pulling too hard, and pulling me in the opposite direction.

"Stay with her," Dawson ordered as he pressed me into Grayson's arms. "I'm going back. If I find Thomas I'll send him over to watch over Keeley," he said as he backed up towards the sound of gunshots and shouting.

"Hurry up then, I don't want to miss the action!"

Turning his back, he started rushing back to the fight. The muscles in his arms were tight with adrenaline and they glistened with a thin layer of sweat from the humidity in the jungle. The white tank he slept in showed off the strength of his back and arms, and I wondered how much of a chance my malnourished clan had against him and his soldiers.

"Don't hurt them!" I shouted.

Just as he was climbing back over the fallen tree, he froze. He was still for a moment, his shoulders working up and down as he breathed fast through the adrenaline coursing through his veins. When he turned, his face had darkened and he wore a scowl that nearly forced me to take a step back.

"Don't hurt them?" he repeated as he stepped down from the log, taking a menacing step forward. "I'm sorry, but remind me–was it my people or yours that set fire to the forest? Hoping to burn us alive. Also," he stepped forward again, closing even more distance between us. "Let me remind you that you were also inside the circle of fire they set around this camp. So maybe you shouldn't be so worried about me hurting them, because I'm not so sure how worried they were about hurting you."

I glared at him and his hurtful words, and he stared unblinkingly in return. He was challenging me to argue and I didn't have one to give. It infuriated me. I wanted to tell him off but as long as he was looking at me like that, I couldn't think straight.

His eyes were so blue...

How infuriating.

Removing his scowling eyes from mine, he turned them to Grayson, whose hands were holding me in place by my shoulders. He nodded once, as if reconfirming everything he had said prior to the nasty bit of words he unleashed on me, and then turned and made his way back to the sound of guns.

I felt small as Grayson not-so-gently pressed down on my shoulders until I was sitting on the damp forest floor, and miserably unhappy with the whole situation, I sat there, and covered my ears. They were all shouting at each other and trying to cause harm. The faces of my friends and family flashed in my mind as I wondered which cry of agony belonged to which one.

Liam was determined to play this trick on the Ruthenium soldiers despite my reservations. He never did listen to reason though, especially if it came from me. He promised he wouldn't use the gasoline and matches to draw them out...and he lied. We are simple people who build our homes with what nature provides us, and we don't take advantage. We gratefully receive the fruit and roots the forest delivers, and we treat it elegantly in return.