CHAPTER 16 – KYLE

“I’m guessing Olga the Obnoxious can’t teleport people? Can’t just zap us all to freedom?” Kyle said, tipping up Angeline’s chin with his finger.

“No...”

“Just thought I’d ask,” he said, attempting a smile, “even though my intelligence might be a 3.”

Angeline didn’t say a word, her beautiful, hazel eyes clouded over in thought.

Kyle released her chin and pounded his fist against the rough brick wall. It wasn’t fair, none of this was fair. “What if Pallas is wrong? What if more than two of us can escape, what if we all can?”

“Pallas has never been wrong. Ever.”

“What if this time, she is? You see how sick that lady looks?” Kyle said. “What if there aren’t any Elves at all? No one else Saw them.”

What was this bullshit? Hope? Delusions? Why was he now suddenly thinking that just maybe they’d find a way to beat the odds?

Fuck. No denying it, he knew. It was easy to hope, when he had Angelface right there in front of him…

Not just because she looked like a heavenly creature sent by the creators, but because that woman was so goddamn stubborn there was no way she could lose. Well, except in those impossible odds, maybe.

She was no idiot, she had to know it. She wasn’t in denial; she was trying to stay strong for the kids. Just like Pallas. Giving up their lives for this stupid war, a cause that would just send a fresh batch of kids across The Veil to replace them. It was suicide.

A sudden burst of rage swelled under his skin. “Who decides who the Masters are anyway?”

“What? Why does that matter?” Angeline said, lifting her head.

Kyle bit back the rage percolating in his stomach and did his best to lower his voice. It was quieter now in the hall, Angeline had sent the Mages to work casting illusions to hide the kids from the Elves as best they could. Kyle had pulled her into the next room to talk, but the place was far from private. “Because, it’s that Viking hag’s fault. Her strategy is going to get everyone killed, everyone except her. There are 6 fucking soldiers here, to protect this entire Castle. The nearest stations are too far away to respond—”

“You heard Pallas, we can’t call for reinforcements anyway,” Angeline said, turning her head away from him slightly.

“I know you hate that blue bimbo,” he said, dipping closer to her, “why are you defending her?”

“I’m not defending her,” Angeline said, her jaw flexing with tension. “I don’t have a choice.”

“You do have a choice,” Kyle said, grabbing her by the shoulders. “Fuck this fight. Let’s leave. Maybe if the Elves get what they want, if they capture that cow and force her to teleport a damn doorway, maybe they’ll let the kids live.”

“And get through to Earth?”

“They’re going to get through at some point, you know it, I know it. The assholes in charge Earth-side don’t want to deal with it properly, don’t want to do something while they still can. They could have sent thousands more soldiers in here, eradicated the Elves for good. But they didn’t. Spent the goddamn budgets on some other bullshit. So you know what we have? A military full of kids and convicts, led by a dead woman, an incompetent blue hag, and some AWOL Salamander.”

“I’m a convict. You’re an AWOL Salamander. What’s your fucking point?”

“I thought I made that clear? Let’s leave.”

“No, Kallen,” she spat. “You should leave. You take Merlena. You be that second person. It should be you anyway. You’re right, this isn’t your fight. You ran away a long time ago. You should just keep running.”

“Angeline,” he growled, pinning her against the wall. “You got pulled in again. Just like with your Ex. This isn’t what you signed up for and now you’re scared to walk away. Well I’m going to get you out of here, even if I have to drag you.”

He lunged for her shirt collar.

Her hands shot up between them, her Mage magic ignited, incandescent blue, swirling, sparking like lightning. Her lip lifted in a snarl.

“Back the fuck off, Kallen. That’s an order.”

Kyle’s skin started to crackle under the current, her magic leaching towards him in painful, little snaps, ready to strike.

“Whoa, Angelface,” he said, backing away, hands raised. She didn’t relent, she was serious. “What happened to the woman from last night, huh? What happened to Angie? She wouldn’t want this.”

 “Nothing’s changed,” she hissed. “I’m still a Captain and you’re still a coward. So go, run away.”

Kyle’s chest tightened. “Abandoning a worthless cause doesn’t make me a coward. And standing by it doesn’t make you brave. I know you want to walk away too, Ang, you’re just scared to lose control. But guess what? There’s no controlling this. That’s because you have no choice, this place never gave you any. You said it yourself: everything you do is wrong.”

Her fury only flared, and her magic with it. “Nothing was supposed to leave that room.”

“Well it did,” he spat, raising his paint covered arm to her face for emphasis, “you made your mark”.

Blood pounded in his head, heart racing. He swooped back towards her pressing her back against the wall, pinning his forearms on either side of her. Her magic snapped painfully against his chest, ready to launch. But he didn’t care. He needed her to know. “I’m falling for you, Angeline.”

The searing cobalt magic evaporated in her fist. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were no longer shaded with rage, they were dead. “I feel nothing for you, Kallen.”

It felt like she’d taken that magic and socked him straight in the gut. His eyes dropped to his paint smeared arms. He closed his eyes and captured the memory of her beautiful laugh from the night before.

No. She was lying. That was real, the realest thing he’d ever heard. She was just trying to get him to leave.

“No, I know you felt something,” he said, closing his fists to stop the shaking.

She curled her upper lip again and flashed him a look of sheer disgust. “How could I? All you’re good for is that body. Why else would I let you fuck me?”

“That’s not true, you don’t mean that.”

“Oh, but I do. You were too stupid to hold back when you fought that kid all those years ago, and you’re too stupid now to hear what I’m saying. There’s a reason I didn’t let you kiss me. It’s because I. Don’t. Want. YOU.”

She slammed her shoulder between his pecs and knocked him off balance.

He was thrown off just enough for her to squeeze by and duck back into the main hall. Then he was left alone, like he was used to. Like he had always wanted. But why did he feel this hole in his gut? This black thing chewing and biting, twisting inside. He wanted to run after her, but the monster’s claws dug into his throat, slashing any words before he could think how to form them. Or he was just too stupid.

Fuck. No, this was stupid. He’d known the girl not even a week, and he was wasting his time trying to sweet talk her? And while an army of pissed off Elves closed in at that? Fuck this.

She knew what she was doing, she was a grown-ass woman. He’d just gotten all turned around because of a little paint… covered up what was really going on. She was just a good lay and a bad attitude. Just another notch for the K-man.

The Viking hag appeared in the doorway. Shit, what the hell was he so mad at her for? Not his army she fucked up. He didn’t blame her for bailing. At least she wasn’t willing to die for a useless cause.

“Let’s go blondie,” she said, snapping her fingers. “Pallas said we have about 10 minutes to get down to the kitchen door.”

She whirled and trotted out into the hallway, not even checking to see if he followed.

Kyle slammed his fist against the wall one more time and trailed after her. As he turned to exit the main hall, he caught one last glimpse of the Captain, sloshing canteen water on her arms, scrubbing furiously. A puddle of red poured down her arms, crimson pooling at her feet.

Kyle tore his eyes away.