Page 14 of Marked

"Because you couldn't even install the lock on your door, and I'm trying to help," he replied, one of his eyebrows lifting in humor.

"I was intending to give this to you anyway.

" Blair continued to stare at him, flabbergasted, and backed up.

Fighting back tears, she sat down on a log near her.

She hung her head in her hands and sighed, looking at the ground.

The anger she felt moments ago seemed to suffocate as the situation sucked the air out of lungs.

Dizzy, she closed her eyes and inhaled loudly.

"How did you know he was waiting for me and how did you know about the lock?" She looked up after a few moments, a realization settling in her eyes. "Have you been watching me?”

“Yes." Damien replied, moving to sit next to her. He placed the dagger and sheath on the log beside her leg.

"Why?" she asked, still seething with emotion but picking the items up and holding them. Goosebumps pebbled her skin as a cold gust of wind blew by. She wrapped her arms around her in an attempt to ward off the chill that groped her body.

Damien noticed her and threw her bag at her. "I think you should be more focused on the fact that I saved you."

Blair rolled her eyes in response, "You didn't save me. You dragged me out, unconscious and without the ability to fight back. Kidnapping would be a better term, actually and now I'm stuck with you in the middle of nowhere with no answers about anything."

"Ashwood. We're near Ashwood." Damien responded as he once again turned and walked away from her down a dark trail.

With his absence, Blair could finally breathe a little.

Unfortunately, that was cut short when she realized she was alone in the darkness.

The growing fear from that was shattered when she repeated his words in her head.

Ashwood ?! That was a whole town over from Silverdawn.

How long had she slept?! Once again, her blood pressure rose, and she hung her head in her hands again, elbows balancing on her knees.

After several long moments, a click in front of her made Blair raise her head.

She could make out the outline of Damien, and he was holding onto something.

She focused as much as she could through the darkness that consumed her vision.

She held her breath as Damien moved suddenly, and then there was a small flicker of light.

A couple seconds later, another spark, and she realized it was from a stone hitting a stone.

This happened two, then three more times.

After a moment, a flame ignited, lighting up the face responsible.

He blew into the flame that sat on top of a pile of kindle, and the flames easily grew, eating the small bits of grass around it.

Damien sat back on his knees and placed several small twigs at the base, causing the fire to grow.

His eyes raised to Blair's, and he pushed back from his knees into a sitting stance.

One knee was up, bent with his arm dangling over it, and the other lay crossed in front of him.

Even in the dark, he demanded too much space.

"I thought you might like a fire." he said casually, staring at the fire.

Blair narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't flatter yourself. I didn't. I would like more answers" but as the words left her mouth, the heat warmed her skin, and she pulled her arms away from her face.

"Mhmm. I guess someone is going to have to learn to communicate better," he said into the flames as he watched her shoulders relax. He then threw a few small branches on the growing flames.

Blair gaped at him and then snarled, standing up in front of him with her chin raised in defiance. "I can communicate just fine. For example, I would rather find all the answers I need on my own ."

Damien's eyes dropped to Blair's foot, his eyebrows raising. “Yeah, I’m sure you could totally do that on your own," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, as he pointed to where she had kicked dirt on the fire, putting out half the light.

Her face flared in embarrassment, and she pulled her foot back from the fire. Turning herself away from him, she walked a few paces away. “You’re infuriating.”

"Also valid," he called after her, "but you'll get used to it."

She shot him a look over her shoulder, "Don't count on it."

He laughed this time, his shoulders rising and falling with the sound. Despite the anger, despite her desire to throw him into the fire, a part of her knew she wasn't getting out of this alone.

Blair's thoughts were interrupted as Damien grunted, pulling his bag over to him.

Placing it on his lap, he used his hands to turn it towards him and motioned with his head for Blair to sit next to him.

"Come back over here before you hurt yourself.

" Blair scowled at him, and he sighed. “I’ll give you more answers.”

Blair moved closer at this but still kept as much distance as possible between them. As Damien looked back at his bag, he unlocked the small clasp that held the material closed. Blair noticed a small diamond symbol etched on the metal. She squinted, trying to remember where she had seen it before.

"I have small things to keep our strength up, but we will need to find a food source soon.

" He produced some dried meat and a few pieces of bread, offering half to Blair.

She stared at his hand, wondering how many other items were in his bag and how they all fit.

Ultimately caving and knowing she needed nourishment, she accepted the bread and ate it quietly.

“Honestly, the rest of what I have to say isn’t what you want to hear.

But the truth is, I don't have the answers. All I know for sure is that the Hunters are after you. If they find you, they'll kill you, just because you had the dagger. If they find me, there’s a good chance they’ll try to take me out too.

So, right now- what I know, is that we have to stay together, at least until we figure everything out.

” Damien looked up, taking a bite out of his bread.

Blair continued to chew as the minutes passed, her attention resting on Damien.

He had finished his portion and had methodically gotten to work.

His hands were steady despite only having the light from the fire.

With only a thin, weathered sheet and a single metal rod, she watched as he made a tent to sleep in.

He drove the rod deep into the earth, angling it just right to support the makeshift roof, then stretched the sheet over it, securing the corners with rocks and carefully knotted twine.

The fabric billowed slightly in the breeze, but Damien reinforced it with additional stakes fashioned from broken branches, tightening every edge until the structure held firm.

The sheet draped low enough to offer privacy, its edges tucked carefully to keep out the creeping chill of night.

Satisfied, he stepped back, surveying his work.

He then turned and laid another sheet down within five feet of the tent. He stopped then, moving his attention to Blair .

"I can take the first shift. Why don't you go to sleep in the tent, and I'll sit out here by the fire." Damien spoke with a blank expression.

Blair contemplated that and shook her head slightly, "I'd rather watch first. I'm not tired anyway.

" He nodded, then grabbed his satchel and took out two pieces of clothing, bundling them up and placing them on top of the sheet that lay on the ground.

He lowered his body onto the forest floor, laying on his side and turning toward Blair.

"Give me four hours. I'll be right here if you need me. Don’t get us killed." With that, he closed his eyes and rolled over.

The first hour passed quickly, most of which Blair found herself watching the fire consume itself over and over again.

She spent the second and third hours reciting the names of her students.

Recalling their little faces and the personality that she had come to love.

Memories of lessons that left the students in bewilderment and surprise.

The determined look in their eyes as they faced a new challenge and the heartbreak when they felt defeated.

This collection of thoughts brought tears to her eyes, and she took a deep breath.

A silent tear fell as she realized what she left behind.

The life she built, the children she loved.

Wiping the tears and returning her focus back to the dancing flames, she sorted her thoughts and weighed her options. Damien had claimed they were safer together, but it didn't feel right. Not when she wasn’t sure what had happened to her town or if she could trust him.

She needed to get away from him .

She needed to go back.

She would just have to wait for the right opportunity.

Around the four-hour mark, Damien began to stir, and his eyes opened in a sharp movement.

He registered her, the fire she kept alive, and the darkness around them.

He said nothing as he sat up and looked toward the tent, motioning her to go inside.

Once she gave him a few moments to fully wake up, she stood and entered the tent.

Like outside, there was a small bed made of cloth on the floor, but she was suddenly thankful for a moment of solitude.

She lay down, letting the tears fall silently.

She cried until her body was weak and begged for sleep.

It wasn't long until she gave in, offering herself one of the only things she could control.