Page 95 of Of Flames and Fallacies

He spins a stern look on me. “I command you to stay.”

He breaks into a sprint toward the roaring flames of Blackfell.

My heart sputters as his figure grows smaller, and he disappears. My feet are stuck to the ground, not because he commanded me to stay but because of my fear of the flames, the sweltering heat, and the crackle of burning wood resembling snapping necks.

Swallowing hard, I try to force myself to go after Cole—to go after Archie. To try and save the one who saved me all those weeks ago. There’s no doubt in my mind if our scenarios were switched, Archie wouldn’t hesitate for a second. But these fucking legs won’t move, and my head won’t stop screaming at me to stay.

I shift my focus to Darian. “Go after him.”

He scoffs. “What makes you think I owe you anything?”

“If it were your sister, you’d go.”

He flinches as if I’ve slapped him. It unlocks something in him, a mixture of emotion I can’t quite place. With a hint of a snarl, he turns and runs after Cole.

“Daeja?”I call out internally.

“I’m still here.”

I’m tempted to look over my shoulder at the pines behind us for her, but I don’t. “If they don’t come back soon…”A lump forms in my throat at the thought of losing ColeandArchie.

“I understand,”she whispers back.

The squad and freed civilians around me are staring. Multiple conversations break out around behind me.

“We should go after them,” Melaina says, unsheathing her sword and readying herself to run back.

“Doing so would be suicide,” Nolan argues.

The frenzied chatter erupts, and I lose track of who is saying what.

“Cole went out.”

“Cole is crazy.”

“Why did Darian go with him?”

“Did Darian actually save you?”

“Yes.”

“Let’s take half of us and go after them, they’ll need back up.”

“Or we should wait here. If they don’t come back quickly, we should check the outpost in case it’s a trap.”

“Then if it is a trap, we’re already dead.”

I run. Away from the chatter to Blackfell. I don’t let my hesitations or fears lock me down as I push through each stride. Feigning confidence. Thinking of Archie—of daggers and soup ladles.

“I’ll be right behind you.”

“No. Stay until I call you.”

She grumbles, and a shadow flickers through the trees beside me, following me.Damn stubborn dragon.

“I heard that.”

The fire grows larger and larger as I get closer to the city. I avert my attention down to my feet, narrowing my focus to putting one foot in front of the other. Sweat collects on my brow, my neck, my back, my palms as I speed toward Blackfell.

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