The Glorious Flame (#2)

Chapter 13

Inferno

     She breathed through her nose, succeeding at finding some level of placidity in her bones. Her knife was attached to her hand, ready for use. It was that instead of a gun because a gun was much too loud, and there was no telling whether any of the Hawk Clan had stuck around in the cover of the woods. 

     Her eyes scanned every inch they could reach. Her ears focused past the natural sounds of the outdoors. She hated to recognize that her senses were beginning to wane, but they were no longer as advanced as they were. No, they were nearing human conditions at this point.

     Rouhem was a decent amount of space away. They covered more ground with this tactic. Maybe it was best if he found the girl? She was not feeling very heoric at the moment. 

     There was a rustle up ahead. Then a whimper. Bingo!

     Inferno pounced ahead, weapon raised. She had every intention of returning Poppy back to Edwin, traitor or not. She hoped for the latter. 

     The girl, having not sensed the female pixie, continued to crawl away, even as it was clear the motion caused her great pain. Inferno could respect a female with passion and determination, and more so in the face of torture. 

     She blew out a breath before pulling the weapon on the girl. Poppy responded with great struggle, though it was weak. She appeared adamant on escaping whatever anguish she assumed was approaching. 

     "Relax, flower girl," Inferno said as she pulled away the knife and decided to back off. "You have nothing to fear... Unless you try to bolt again." She studied the girl. Poppy had a lovely face. Dark brown complexion. Busy, contemplating black eyes. Enemy or not? She would soon find out. 

     She put space between them, eyeing the blade that was momentarily at her neck. "Please, just let me go." The sweet whisper of her voice caught Inferno by surprise. 

     Inferno settled onto her knees, pushing her weight on the back of her legs. "Why did you run? Trying to give information to your clan, huh?" 

     Her tight curls shook along with the motion of her head. "Of course not." 

     "Answer the first question, flower girl. I am not very patient these days." 

     Her expressive eyes watered. She was on the verge of sobbing. "I can't do this. I can't." 

     "Can't do what, flower girl?" Inferno decided not to just drag the girl back to the house. She stunned herself by first wanting to listen to what was on the girl's mind. 

     "Every second I stay in that house is another second I push Edwin toward danger. I can't put him at risk anymore. I wouldn't be able to live with myself..." she wiped at her face, ridding herself of the tears before they fell. The effort was fruitless as more drops poured down her face. 

     "Let me get this straight," Inferno huffed out a breath, "you came here to escape your clan, and now you want to go back to them. Why did you come in the first place, then?" 

     Poppy's expression was struck with honesty and determination. "I love Edwin, more than I love myself. He is so sweet and so kind. He's everything I could have ever dreamed of. I came, because I believed, for a moment, that we could escape Oxy. I realize now that we can't. I can handle Oxy hurting me, but it would destroy me if anything ever happened to Edwin." 

     Inferno was not one who defended the idea of true love. She had thought it a myth up until she had seen it with her own eyes between her best friend Annika and Soren, a once prince and now king. They proved the existence of bonds between two lovers which withstand the test of time. And when she peered into Poppy's vulnerable eyes, she saw the truth. "You love Edwin, I believe it."