Page 29 of A Fate in Flames

“Mmm.”I exaggerated my reaction, closing my eyes as if to savour it.“So good.”

Theo, poor trusting soul that he was, encouraged by my act, took a large bite.

Big mistake.

His face contorted in a series of expressions—horror, betrayal, and disgust all rolled into one.He gagged between each laborious chew before swallowing it down with a painful-sounding gulp.

“What thefuckwas that?”He glared at the offending piece of meat like he had been personally betrayed.

I burst into laughter, just managing to swallow my own mouthful.“No one told you to take such a big bite.”

He groaned.“You made it look so good!”His face went pale and his eyes unfocused.“Why is it so dry?It tastes like shit.”

I laughed harder, wiping a tear from my eye.Despite the horror of our meal, there was something comforting about this moment.

We forced down the rest, barely even chewing.It was a miserable experience, but at least the ache in our stomachs dulled.

The sun continued its slow descent—the sky tinged with hues of orange and pink.Zaheera’s pull grew stronger with every step, an invisible force pulling me deeper into the unknown.

By the time we reached a lake, our exhaustion clung to us like second skin.The cool, shimmering water too tempting to ignore.

“We should take turns,” I suggested, eager for some privacy.

Theo grinned.“Or…”

“No.”

He pouted but didn’t argue.

I win.

We were pulled from the depths of sleep by the unmistakable sound of leaves crunching nearby.My eyes shot open.Theo—equally startled—bolted upright, meeting my gaze in the glow of the small fire.

“Did you hear that?”I whispered.

Theo nodded, shifting into a crouch.He tilted his head towards the sound, ear almost touching his shoulder in an exaggerated pose.

“It’s coming from over there.”He gestured towards the trees behind us, where the darkness seemed to shift and stir.

“Okay then.Go check it out.”I gave him a small shove, sending him tumbling sideways.

He scrambled back, leaves stuck in his hair.“Are you insane?”he hissed, picking twigs from his sleeve.“Why don’t you go?”

We bickered in hushed tones, our words little more than frantic whispers, hands motioning wildly at one another.I jabbed my finger repeatedly at the woods while Theo kept pointing at me then back at himself, shaking his head vigorously.

Then we both felt it; that prickly sensation of being watched.

We turned our head in unison, Theo’s mouth hanging open mid-sentence.

A man stood a few steps away, watching us with an expression torn between amusement and intrigue.He leaned against a tree with ease, as though he’d been there for some time, listening.

“Sorry,” he said, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.“Didn’t mean to interrupt…” He waved a hand between us.“This.”

I shot to my feet, pulling Theo up beside me.“Why are you here?”

A stupid question really.I didn’townthe forest, but the words slipped out before I could think of something better.

Theo squared his shoulders.Setting his jaw like that alone should have been enough to intimidate the stranger, but the man didn’t so much as blink.