Hunted

Chapter 29

“I need to go and question the mutt now,” I said to Azula. When I turned to look at her, she was staring at Luk and Kade. Her face was completely expressionless but her eyes burned with so much emotion I felt the weight of it from here.

“Azula,” I repeated. She glanced over at me, but I got the sense that she wasn’t actually seeing me. “I need to go and question our prisoner. You can sit here with Kade and Luk if you want, or maybe go and hang out with Ash?”

Her eyes gained some clarity then, becoming as sharp as a bear’s tooth. “I’m coming with you.” Her grip tightened to the point of pain, but I didn’t wince.

“Are you sure? I don’t...” I trailed off, looking away. “I don’t want you to see me like that.” I knew that I would have to kill the were, probably after torturing him.  

“I don’t care what you want,” she growled. I looked back at her, startled to see the anger shining in her eyes. “Those boys over there are dying because of me. That pack was here for me. Not them. Me. I’m coming with you.”

We stared each other down for a moment before I sighed. She took this as my acceptance, her lips twitching with the beginnings of a smile.

The walk over to the cave seemed to take longer than it should do. We stopped in front of it, close enough to feel the unnatural heat caressing our skin.

“Dobry, can you let us in please?” I called over my shoulder.

“I did a special enchantment so that anyone from our pack can enter and exit through it,” he replied.

“Sweet,” I mumbled.

I stuck out tentative hand, allowing it to hover just before the flames. The heat got stronger, although not to the point where it became unbearable, just uncomfortable. Sucking in a deep breath, I plunged it into the fire.

I heard Azula gasp beside me and I winced, expecting pain...but none came. I realised that I’d squeezed my eyes shut, so I opened them to see my hand engulfed in flames. I pulled it out and inspected it. It was fine. There wasn’t even a single burn mark!

“So fucking cool,” I muttered, putting my hand back into the fire. More confident now, I went to take a step forward, but Azula’s hand on my arm stopped me. I turned to look at her.

“Amias,” she whined.

I smiled gently at her. “It’s fine. It doesn’t hurt at all! You try.” I took a step back so that I was standing completely in the flames. I blinked rapidly against the heat, my eyes watering a little. When I looked around for Azula, I could make out her blurred outline. It was almost like I was looking through water.

“Seriously Azula, it’s okay,” I assured her. When she still didn’t move, I offered her my arm. “Just take my hand. I promise, everything will be fine.”

Still, she didn’t move.

“Trust me,” I whispered, closing my eyes against the heat.