Page 40 of Marked

The sun was rising, its light casting fractured shadows across the map that was once again in between the three of them. Blair crouched over it, eyes narrowing as her fingertip traced the two x-marked locations like they might spring to life and bite her.

"So, the next one is Keithston?" Blair asked, tapping on the map.

Damien nodded where he sat across from her, one knee up, a hard line of concentration drawn across his brow. "If they have any inclination of an attack, they'll be expecting a full assault."

"Good," Blake said from where he was lying back on his pack, arms behind his head. "We'll disappoint them with our underwhelming numbers."

Blair ignored him. "If Blake is right and there’s more than one- We don't need to fight all of them. We need to out-think them. Pick the right time and hit hard."

Damien nodded. "It worked last time."

Blair looked up at him, an idea sprouting. "What if we trained as we travel. Anything to help us in fights? Speed drills. Endurance. Reflex skills. Shadow work. That way, we can be ready for anything we can come across."

"Why endurance ?" Blake sighed, rolling to his side. "Can't I try to be the morally complex one who stays hot and mysterious and doesn't have to run laps?"

"You're already morally complex," Damien said dryly. "Now, be useful."

Blair looked between them, then added, "We'll rotate sparring, too. I want both of you to push each other. No holding back."

Blake raised a brow. "So, we beat each other senseless and call it progress. Love this plan."

"Harder to kill you if you're harder to hit," Damien said simply.

"And what about you, Blair?" Blake asked suddenly, his voice lighter than his eyes. "All this scheduling for us, but what happens when the shadows start swinging? You gonna duck and hope for the best?"

Blair blinked at him. "I'm not helpless."

"Didn't say you were. But you're not a fighter, not like us. And these aren't petty thieves. These are trained killers." Blake relented.

Blair shifted so she could access her sheath. "I'll be fine, I have.." She went to pull out the dagger, but a shadow moved over her hand and stopped her, urging her to release and move back into a sitting position. Her eyes glanced in Damien's direction as a look of confusion passed her face.

Damien straightened next to her, "She has me, and she won't be in the front line. "

"I'm not saying she should be," Blake said, sitting up now, "but she shouldn't be a liability either. And she doesn't have to be."

Blair's eyes lit up as an idea formed in her head, "What if I didn't have to be?"

"Meaning?" Both the men said in unison, a cautious glare in Damien's eyes.

"Have you ever tried shadowstepping with more than one person?” Blair asked, a genuine smile spreading across her face. "What if you could take me with you? Through the shadows?"

"No," Damien said immediately, dismissing the idea before it became concrete.

Blair frowned, tearing her eyes from Blake's hopeful face and landing on Damien. "Why not?"

"I don't like that idea," Damien said, shrugging. "We don't know how it could affect your body."

"It's my body, and I want to learn," Blair interrupted, turning her attention back to Blake and sitting up straighter.

"Besides, I won't be the one actively using the shadows.

I'll just be tagging along." Her eyes then bounced between them, a sadness lurking in the connection.

"You've both had training since you could walk.

But if there's something I can do now that can help me to survive this, I'm not going to turn away because it's risky. "

Damien's jaw tightened. His shoulders coiled like he wanted to shield her with his entire frame.

"I still don't like it. "

"You don't have to," she said softly. "But I do, and I hope you would respect that."

A tense silence hung between Damien and Blair as they held each other's gaze, both of them rooted in stubbornness.

Blake broke it with a sigh, leaning into Damien. "Look, big guy, I get the protective thing. Really. She's smarter than both of us combined, maybe more reckless, but still, they won't think twice."

Damien didn't answer.

Blake stood, brushing off his cloak, and gave Blair a nod.

"I can try it. Take her in short jumps. This would be a controlled environment, allowing us to assess the risks as we proceed.

Before getting to any of the dangerous places.

Just enough to let her feel what it's like.

You can monitor her the whole time, oh fearless guardian. "

After a long moment, his eyes never leaving Blair, Damien clenched his jaw, his voice firm as he spoke to her, "I told you I wouldn't take away any more of your free will, and this is your choice so, I won't fight you on it.

" His expression softened on the last few words.

“With that being said, if it hurts or is uncomfortable in any way, we stop.

I can find another way for you to help."

Blair met his gaze, her expression grateful as she nodded.

Blake grinned. "Look at us, compromising like one big, happy family."

Damien exhaled through his nose. "You talk too much."

Blake winked. "Just always compensating for your brooding silence. "

Damien rolled up the physical list of names and locations, slipping it into his cloak pocket. The visual map was laid out below them in the mud. His eyes traced the carved lines and caught on the marks that they would be infiltrating.

"It's smartest to move at dawn. Travel as much as we can during the day and take timed breaks to train when the sun is the highest."

Blake scoffed at that, his reply laced with a thick layer of sarcasm, "You do know we want to be stronger, right? Training when there's barely any shadows sounds like a big fat no thank you to me."

Damien ignored the sarcasm. "That's exactly why we do it in daylight. Shadows are weaker then. Thinner and less willing to bend. If you can shape and command them at their weakest, you'll be twice as effective when night falls, and that's when we'll attack."

Blake opened his mouth, paused, and then actually looked impressed. "Huh. That's... not a bad point."

Damien continued, "The first bunker falls within six days. We should get plenty of practice before then."

"Sounds good to me," Blake asked.

Blair looked up at him, eyes hard with purpose.

"They won't even know what hit them." she said with an encouraging smile.