Playing with Fire

“We’ll drop those supplies off in the morning,” Lila says to Odette, who nods and scribbles down the instructions for the messenger from her perch on Lila’s bed. “The last thing we need is the Nemean soldiers ambushing our transports in the dead of night.”

“Agreed.” the red-head fumes, her nose turning almost the same color as her hair. “I can’t believe they’re even still allowed to have troops. The other families should-”

“The other families are.”

“I know, but the Nemean families are still infringing on those poor villagers.”

“There’s only so much we can legally do, Odette.”

And that’s true. It’s the same political spiel her father has been spilling out to her when she is raging at the wind and threatening to march into the Nemean complexes and lop off their heads herself. That the villages aren’t directly protected by the Baot families. That the Council must decide when they can step in. That the Nemeans haven’t hurt anyone yet.

Yet. It’s only a matter of time. Lila’s pacing around her room speeds up.

“You could always bat your eyelashes at the heir, you know.” her friend chirps snarkily. “Once he’s weak in the knees you can convince him to help us.”

“Odette…”

“Honestly, a little bit of seduction never-”

“Odette!” the warning turns to a snap.

Her friend bites her lip, holding back a laugh. “I’m joking.”

“You’re not.”

“I am!” a stern look from Lila pulls the truth out. “Well, I’m only a little serious. Everyone knows about the ball.”

Lila groans, flopping back onto her bed. “It was one stupid mistake.”

“Well, it might’ve been stupid but it was definitely more than one kiss.”

“Odette!” the shriek is embarrassed this time.

“Everyone knew it was going to happen. The two of you were always eyeing each other, always going to each other for help…”

Lila stares at her hands, runs a finger over a scar that goes from her palm to her wrist. “It isn’t like that anymore. It hasn’t been like that for a long time.”

Odette right. There was a time when if she was in trouble, or upset, Malakai was the first person she ran to. There was a time when a rap at her window was him, wanting to come in. There was a time when she wanted nothing more than to see him, be with him. There was a time when he was an addiction, all consuming. That time is long gone.

But it doesn't mean the memories are.

"Care to dance, princess?" Malakai whispered as he brushed past her, one gloved hand resting on her back.

"I don't care to do much with you," she replied, but her eyes darted away from his face. He could always tell when she was lying.

"Well we all know that isn't true. You have a hard time keeping your hands off of me, Lila." Malakai wiggled his brows at her. 

A giggle slipped out. It hadn't been hard back then to get her to smile at him. He grinned back and took her hand, leading her to the dance floor like nothing would ever change.

Creator, they had been so wrong

Lila sits up, leaning back on the pillows, and ignores the fact that Odette is staring at her, searching for a trace of emotion. She won’t find any. Malakai isn’t important anymore. She’s free of him. Her only obsession now is keeping people safe. Following in her father’s footsteps.

“Lila.” Odette interrupts her thoughts.

“I’m fine, Odette, honestly.” Lila doesn’t look at her.

“Lila, look.”

“What?”

She tears her eyes away from the ceiling to look at her friend and follows her eyes to the balcony doors. There’s someone standing outside in the darkness, leaning against the glass. It’s a silhouette she knows well. After all, Lila has had it memorized since she was fifteen. A familiar knock of knuckles on the glass fills her ears and a shot of panic follows, her throat drying up and her hands squeezing into fists.

“Don’t let him in,” she whispers.

She’s refused him before. In the last year Malakai has shown up at her door plenty of times. At first it was frequently, every other night, then once a week, then every few weeks until in the last few months he hadn’t shown. She’s built up a tolerance. She can say no again. But then, like someone tipped him over, he crumples onto the ground, and she breaks her own rules, jumping up and running to the door before she can even proceeds what she’s doing. Odette follows her and doesn’t question it when they grab his arms, pulling him inside, rolling him over on his side. He’s breathing heavily, hand clutching a heavy gash on his head. The blood is caked around the wound and stains his skin. Lila touches it gently, and even in unconsciousness his body flinches in pain.

“Get me a medic kit,” Lila orders. “Now.”

Odette runs out the door, and that’s when Malakai’s eyes flutter open, but she can tell he isn’t really there. His gaze is vacant, lost, confused as it registers her face, and his hand grasps desperately for her fingers. She doesn’t stop him, just feels her heartbeat speed up. She can’t be doing this.

“Did you miss me?” he croaks.

Lila doesn't answer, but her fingers tighten around his.

Don’t get burned.