Page 13 of Marked

Blair's eyes opened to an unfamiliar canopy of leaves.

The shapes faded in and out as her eyes became adjusted to the darkness.

The air around her smelled of damp earth and pine.

Her head throbbed painfully as she tried to recall where she was.

Groaning, she brought her hands up to rub her temples and tried to re-focus her eyes on the sky above her.

She attempted to sit up, but the world tilted beneath her. She held onto the soft, moss-covered ground for stability. A sharp breath escaped her lips as she finally focused on her surroundings. Her gaze stopped short, landing on a tall figure a few feet away.

The moonlight was almost a spotlight on Damien.

As clouds moved, so did the light, highlighting the black, long-sleeve he now wore.

The silver light then moved to his face, which was set in stone.

Small areas of soot still covered his skin, now mixed with lines where sweat had fallen.

He was sitting on the ground, a couple feet from her with his back to a large tree.

Giving her mind a minute to register the darkness, Blair realized how late it was.

Which meant it had been hours since she had fallen asleep.

Was that what had happened? Had she fallen asleep?

The last thing she remembered was arguing with Damien.

Her shoulders tensed at the thought, and her body went on alert as if she were alone with the enemy.

Damien was looking at her with a quiet, intense expression. His posture was relaxed yet alert. His eyes bore into her with a mix of curiosity and caution.

"You're awake." He said softly, crossing his feet and leaning back into the tree behind him.

Blair's mind flashed back to the moment before she lost consciousness, the urgency she felt, the screams that echoed to her, the absolute wall that stood in front of her as she tried to return to the village.

Like a defense mechanism, her hand slid to her thigh for her dagger.

Finding the empty sheath with her fingertips, her eyes widened, and her mouth went dry.

"My dagger. Where is it?" Her voice was fierce but underlined with desperation. Her brow furrowed as she narrowed her eyes on Damien. Blair's eyes ignited in anger as she slowly stood, holding onto a nearby rock for support. "What happened?" Blair shouted.

His eyes flickered in response to her growing rage as he stood and replied with an indifferent tone, "Your dagger is in your bag. Along with a spare set of clothes and a canteen of water."

Blair's fury escalated as she focused on him.

"Damien. What is going on? What happened back there? Why are we in the middle of nowhere?” She stepped closer to him, pointing with each annunciation of her words.

"Why were you asking me about the dagger ?

!" On the last question, she shoved into him, using force to send him a message.

As her hands made contact, his body didn't budge; instead, she saw a flicker of movement.

He said no words as his nostrils flared, and a flash of black grew across his neck.

He closed his eyes, breathing deeply, and after about three seconds, he opened his eyes.

The blue dark with restraint. He stared at her for a long moment, his face unreadable.

Then, with a deep sigh, he folded his arms and pushed into her space.

"The Hunters noticed you. You were in danger.

As for me being here with you? It turns out we are both now wandering around because our home is no longer safe.

" Her rapid-fire questions still hung in the air.

Those were not answers. At least not the answers she deemed acceptable.

Blair's eyes focused on his neck and the darkness that receded back into the collar of his shirt as he continued, "The other questions you are asking don't have simple answers.

In order to explain it, there are other things that you have to know first." Blair backed up, crossing her arms and nodding, clearly waiting for the explanation.

"First off, what do you know about hunters?"

The question threw Blair off. That's where he was starting? She scoffed and straightened her stance, keeping a reasonable distance between them.

"We were told they are here to protect us. They showed up and started patrolling," she paused, thinking of the bakery, "... and investigating. I'm guessing they might be looking specifically for people who have shadows."

Damien nodded, wiping a piece of dirt from his leg as she continued .

"Would you know anything about that, Damien ?" she asked, raising her eyebrow.

"I know that Hunters have one job, and it is not to protect: it's to hunt. The king sent them to hunt down all shadows." Blair barely made out the movement in his face as he clenched his jaw and continued, "They are here to look for people with shadows, yes, but not in the way you think."

Blair looked up at the moon, registering his words. After a second, Blair froze, remembering the shadows she thought she had witnessed at the forge. Returning her eyes to Damien, she narrowed them.

"It's you . They want you." The brief nod that Blair received was all the confirmation she needed.

Her face flamed at the thought of her house, her things, and the distance between her and the town she loved.

" You are the reason for this. You are the reason my house is gone. The reason we had to run." Her voice lowered on the last word as her eyes grew in rage.

This time, it was Damien's turn to peer into the sky for an escape.

"That much is the truth, it’s because of me but.

. you had to come with me. Someone sensed my shadows, and I think they assumed they belonged to you.

If we hadn't left together, they would have found you eventually.

" His glacial blue eyes met Blair's as the moonlight highlighted his features once again.

He sat again, shifting his elbows to his knees. She was a few feet away now with her jaw clenched and her eyes fixed on the surrounding woods .

"As much as it’s my fault, I didn't mean for this to happen," he said finally, voice low, "I swear."

Her silence was heavier than a shout.

"I gave you the dagger to help and I think that’s what they sensed." He ran a hand through his hair, frustrated.

"All of this over a stupid dagger." she repeated flatly. Looking away from the dark woods, she turned her head to him, her expression sharp with disbelief. "Why would they sense the dagger? What is so special about the damn dagger?!

He met her eyes but didn’t respond.

A cold anger settled over her. "I need you to tell me everything, " she said, her voice rising. "I need you to tell me about the dagger. I need you to explain what is going on. You owe me some sort of explanation!"

"You asked for help," Damien replied, his voice clipped but sincere.

"To protect the students that you took me away from!" she yelled.

He flinched. Her voice cracked on that last word, raw with fury held too long.

"I asked you for help because I had no one else ," she whispered.

He opened his mouth, then closed it. The defeat in his eyes was apparent despite the darkness outside.

"I'm sorry," he said, quieter now. "I really am."

She turned, crossing her arms and staring at the sky. Her back to him.

"Keep your apology," she said. "It doesn't fix anything and unless you're ready to explain everything, I don't want to hear it." Blair bit down on her tongue, tasting the bitter hint of blood.

After a few moments of silence, Damien sighed and stood up as well, walking next to her and directing his attention to the stars above them.

"I’ve had the dagger since I was young, it always gave me a sense of security.

For some reason, everything in me was screaming to give it to you.

” Damien looked down at her, “I’m guessing the fire was set by someone who sensed the shadows in the dagger.

A cloaked Hunter was at your house waiting for you after work, but you never showed up.

I’m assuming he was going to ambush you. "

Blair shook her head in silence, not taking her attention from the stars. "How would you know that?” Her eyes still housed a fire of heated emotion.

Damien didn't answer, only beckoning her anger to rise.

Blair quietly shifted toward her bag and took out her dagger, turning toward Damien and attempting to swipe at him.

His reflexes pulled his body back, which was expected, but the blunt force that hit her wrist was not.

The dagger hit the grass floor with a soft thud, and Blair stared at the reason why.

Shadows had stopped her. Large tendrils of smoky, black lines appeared out of nowhere and hung close to his body, seeming to protect him.

As fast as they had shot out and defended his body from harm, they had curled back in, leaving no trace of what had happened.

Shadows. “Confirming my suspicions with a nod was one thing but that-”, she gestured to the area around him, “what the fuck was that?! ”

Damien bent, picked up the dagger, and blew off a loose blade of grass. “Blair, meet my shadows. Shadows, meet Blair.”

“How do you have any humor about this?” Blair yelled, her eyes wide with disbelief.

He then turned to his own bag and took out a sheath made of black fabric. "Because I don't know how else to handle it.” He offered the fabric to Blair, keeping his eyes on his outstretched hand. “I made you a new sheath.”

Blair stared at the cloth, not moving.

“Also, wanting to hurt me is valid. You can't , but I'll give you a point for effort." Damien said with a smirk, lifting his eyes to hers.

Blair glared at him, " Absolutely not! I don't even know who... or what you are . Besides, the last time I took anything from you, it ruined everything. Why would I want a nything else from you?"