Page 32 of A Fate in Flames

I mentioned what we would use if we ever got caught.Theo’s shoulders tensed, his nostrils flaring with irritation, but Tavrik nodded slowly, deeming it worthy.

I grinned triumphantly at Theo, who rolled his eyes.

Tavrik smiled.“Acting the fool will serve us better.If we offer an excuse that’s too calculated, they’ll grow suspicious.”

Both Tavrik and I turned to Theo, who threw his hands up with theatrical indignation.

“I won’t screw it up!”

We didn’t even manage to rest before setting off again, pushing forward under the bright sun that beat down on our necks.Trying to cover as much ground as we could before nightfall.The forest stretched endlessly, branches arched overhead in a tangled web, the smell of damp earth filling my lungs with each laboured breath.

Tavrik shared stories of his time in the king’s guard.The lavish events where royalty and the wealthy indulged in excess.The constant political manipulations that played out behind closed doors.The way men in power pretended their world was untouchable.They were blind to the truth.No palace and no amount of gold would shield them from the wrath of the Jinn when the time came.

We speculated on what awaited us beyond the Veil as we ducked under low-hanging boughs and stepped over twisted roots.Tavrik was more knowledgeable than either of us, and recounted what he had heard during his years of service.

“They treated the Jinn like myths,” he said.“Small details were buried in old texts, fragments of knowledge left behind by former rulers of these lands.”He paused, wiping the sweat from his brow.“I always listened.Maybe some part of me knew I would need it someday.”

He glanced at me, his lips quirking into a soft smile and eyes crinkling at the corners.

I smiled back, my feet carrying me to his side—drawn in by his words.

I couldfeelTheo’s gaze boring into the back of my head, the weight of it pressing between my shoulder blades.His mood soured with our every exchanged glance.His footsteps growing heavier—deliberately loud.

He didn’t like it when I spoke to Tavrik.He liked it even less when Tavrik smiled at me.

Tavrik continued, hands gesturing to emphasise his words.

“There are many forms of Jinn, but the most powerful are Firewalkers.They can summon flame from nothing and whisper into your mind without ever moving their lips.They can manipulate what you see—what you feel.They can touch you without ever lifting a hand.”He exhaled slowly.“At least that’s what the old books claim.It could be an exaggeration, or it could be that we still don’t know the full extent of their abilities.”

Great.And I was supposed to kill one of them.

We took short breaks along the way, kneeling by clear streams to splash water on our faces and quench our thirst.We gathered handfuls of berries from uneven growth of crooked trees.Theo and I stuffed as many as we could into our pockets, the fabric staining purple, grateful to have something to eat other than that horrifying rabbit.The taste was sharp and slightly sweet.I savoured the way the juice coated my fingers, licking them clean when I thought no one was looking.

Zaheera’s pull grew stronger with every step.

“You’ve seen the Veil before,” I asked Tavrik as I popped another berry into my mouth.“How much farther until we reach it?”

“Should only be another two days walk.”

A cold dread spread from my chest to my limbs.The flavour on my tongue turned acidic—bitter and burning.My mind spinning through the endless possibilities of what could go wrong.

Theo must have noticed.Without a word, he wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close.“We’ll be okay, Elira.”He lifted his pinkie to his lips, eyes holding mine.Our silent promise.

A single tear slipped down my cheek, tracing a warm path through the dirt and sweat.

Theo wiped it away with his thumb.

There was no point in overthinking.There was nothing I could do.I swallowed against the lump forming in my throat and kept walking.Hours passed in a blur of sore muscles and heavy footsteps.When we finally found a clearing, we collapsed, leaves crunching beneath our exhausted bodies.

The sky stretched above us like an endless sea of stars.Tavrik created a fire, which crackled low between us.Within minutes, Theo and Tavrik fell asleep, chests rising and falling in a steady rhythm.The fires glow cast a deep golden light over their sleeping forms.

The night should’ve been peaceful, the quiet a welcome reprieve, but silence had never felt so heavy.

Tavrik’s words echoed in my mind as I hugged my knees to my chest.The Jinn were more than just fire and shadows.Some commanded water, and others, illusions.Tricksters and dream-weavers.Whisperers and deceivers.

The odds were against me.

I exhaled shakily, my breath misting in the cool night air as I curled into Theo, stealing his warmth.He sighed softly in his sleep, throwing his arm over me and tangling his fingers in my hair.