*Kyra*
I catch myself constantly stealing glimpses of Hayes' injury. The way the scars seem to crawl up his neck and into his cheek like a thorny rose vine creeping up a trellis. It twists and dips, spots shiny while others are dull and deep. My fingers itch to touch it, to trace the
tendrils that caused him so much pain as they dance up the side of his head, burning off half his eyebrow.
It's mesmerizing, almost beautiful. A map of his sufferings. He finds it appalling, convinced I could only feel the same way. But I don't avoid his touch because of his injuries. I run from the sparks he seems immune to.
The explosion that rips through my body and tries to urge me to follow what the moon goddess has given me. It's not about moving on from what I lost, but accepting what I am being offered. But I'm not sure I can or that I want to.
"Ask me," Hayes sighs heavily, the annoyance clear in his exhale as he remains looking forward. My brows pull together, the left corner of my lip pulling down in a confused frown.
"What exactly am I asking you?"
"Did it hurt? Does it still hurt? How did it happen?" Hayes says, his voice flat and unaffected.
"Is that normally what people ask?" I watch him closely as he clears his throat and looks in the opposite direction. "Because I got the feeling people avoid you."
"Because of my burns?" He scoffs, and I snort.
"No, because you're an asshole now."
Dean and Marcos chuckle ahead of us, both of them shaking their heads.
"Yeah, well, if I look like an asshole people don't ask me annoying questions," He grumbles.
I arch a brow and smirk up at him, regardless of how much he tries to look away.
wanted to know." I remind him and he nods, a
were staring at me," He
steps, I spin, walking backward as I face him. "Every warrior knows what creates those burns, and I know the pain they bring the bearer of them." Then I spin on my toes and walk toward the front of the group.
we are going to be stuck together for a while, then I may as well familiarize
Tracker?" She muses, her deep
I tell her. "Just coming up for some
mean them until I hear them in my own ears. Being around Hayes is entirely suffocating and when he isn't around, usually there is Marcos drowning me with his closeness and his overwhelming presence.
up ahead, where Koda
walk with Koda." She offers and I admit her immediate desire to send me off ruffles my skin
offend you?"
arches
personal choice." I scoff and nod my head.
before she exhales and groans. Her hand reaches out, clutching my elbow, tugging me
"I just...I am protective of these guys. They are my family, a weird, fucked up and very anger filled family. But that's all I
say my word, drifting off as my eyes scan the area around us, a scent prickling my senses as I slow down. The trees are still, not a breeze
eyes, tilting my chin up
the scent of overly warm metal or charcoal in the
around me to fall silent. In the darkness I see a dull light, like a thread leading me as it pulses away, calling me to
going?" Nisha hisses after me, but
cut around a
a small fresh cut, the under skin looking green and still moist. It's more like a dent, as if a
bring my hand to my nose and look closely. There is a slight shimmer,
spit
My nose may have picked up the scent, but my other skills have verified it. Ezrah and the egg are close. Now it is a matter of how close. What I
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