Page 42 of Marked

The most intense sessions they had tried were those involving reflex and emotional shadow work.

These moments were when Damien had to trigger his shadows without thinking, without calling them.

Blake threw stones, slashed close with dulled blades, and whispered things Damien didn't expect.

Mostly nothing, unless Blair was involved, initiating the shadows.

"What is it about Blair that makes your shadows react like that?" Blake muttered during one drill .

Damien's hands flared dark, a reflexive burst of shadow spearing up to deflect Blake's lunge. "Because," he said, breathing hard. "She's mine."

Blake didn't respond. He just nodded. They could at least use that to their advantage.

On the fourth afternoon, the sun broke through the trees in a rare, golden streak. They set up by a shallow stretch of calm and clear river, just off the training site.

Blair had left early that morning after making breakfast, bound and determined to find somewhere to wash their clothes. "Try not to destroy each other while I'm gone." she had said, kissing Damien and winking at Blake.

Blake gave a two-finger salute. "Can't promise anything."

Training resumed shortly after. Kicks and dodges. Shadow strikes. Blake ducked low, then threw a palmful of dirt up, grinning like a devil. "Think fast!"

Damien blocked, grimacing. "You fight like a drunk raccoon."

"Only when I'm winning."

They kept at it until Blake, panting, wiped the sweat from his brow and staggered toward the riverbank to refill his flask.

Just as he stepped through the brush, a movement made him pause, and he looked up, catching sight of a very naked Blair who dove beneath the surface with a quiet splash.

Her bare skin gleamed as her back arched, the setting sun catching her tanned skin.

Blake froze .

"Damien’s gonna kill me." he groaned under his breath, turning quickly back towards camp.

As he took his first step, he sensed Damien's shadows moving at him.

Jumping backward, Blake tried to explain himself.

Damien glanced past him up the river, seeing Blair.

"She's– look, it was accidental, I swear!

Uh, and I," Blake stammered, catching on his own words.

Damien stepped out of the shadow and pushed him.

Blake stumbled back, half-laughing. "You can't be mad at me! I was just getting water!"

The whites of Damiens eyes darkened, leaving just the icy blue circles of his irises. The shadows curled along his jawline, his arms tense, fists twitching with reined-in fury.

Blake raised both hands. "Whoa, whoa, easy. I'm not writing poetry about her spine. I'm telling you; I accidentally got flashed."

Damien stepped forward, a spear of shadow materialized aiming at Blake.

"DAMIEN!" Blake shrieked.

Another splash from the river caught the attention of both the men. "Blake? Damien? Is that you?" Blair's voice rang out cautiously.

In one swift motion, Damien kicked the back of Blake's leg, causing him to fall to his knees.

He then used his shadows to push Blake's face into the mud as Blair popped her head up.

Damien pushed harder as Blake flailed his arms, and his muffled complaints were quickly stifled.

"Yeah, just passing through. We're almost done with training.

" Damien then winked, as Blair smiled and dove back into the water.

As soon as she was far enough away, Damien released Blake.

He immediately spit mud out of his mouth and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. “You are ruthless and that was disgusting."

“I want you to burn that mental image of her.” Damien said, his voice thick with annoyance.

“Well, considering mud is now burned into my retinas, that won’t be a problem.” Blake joked back but just as he opened his eyes enough to see Damien, the look on his face made him cringe. Blake took that moment to Shadowstep behind Damien, taking off in a mad dash back to camp.

Within minutes, Blair appeared back at camp, wearing dry clothes and a towel around her neck. Her eyes quickly found Damien and she moved next to his side, kissing his cheek. “Where’s Blake?”

“He was a little dirty from training, he chose to wash off in another part of the river.” Damien responded, wrapping his arm around her.

“Was it dirt or blood because I don't have the necessary tools to heal him if the damage is too bad.” Blair joked, nudging Damien with her shoulder.

` "No blood," Blake said, walking up behind them, his voice, an octave too high. "Just training-induced hallucinations and possibly a near-death experience."

Damien pulled Blair closer, his shadows trailing at his back like loyal wolves. “Don’t forget about the mud you ate.”

Blair choked, looking at Blake. “You make some questionable decisions but mud?! That’s too far. ”

Blake's eyes narrowed at Damien but then softened as he looked back at Blair, “It wasn't my fault. I slipped and fell face first. Turns out I learned my lesson quick though.”

She sighed, then smirked. "Maybe you should train with just me tomorrow. Less injuries. More focus.”

"Honestly?" Blake said, crouching down on the floor next to them to start a fire, "That sounds suspiciously like mercy. I accept." Blake tossed a twig into the flames and watched it shrivel into ash. “We should play a game,” he said suddenly, breaking the quiet.

Blair looked up from where she stood with Damien. “A game?”

“Yeah,” he said with a smirk. “To keep us from going completely dead-eyed and hollow. Or is that just my coping mechanism showing?”

Damien exhaled loudly at the idea and Blair smiled in the firelight.

Blake leaned back, “It’s simple. One question. You answer it honestly or I get a free day from training. No pressure.”

“You’re insufferable,” Blair said, though her lips twitched with the hint of a smile.

“And you’re deflecting. Go on then,” he waved his hand dramatically. “What’s your biggest fear?”

Blair’s smile vanished. Her gaze dropped to the fire. “That’s really what we’re starting with?”

“Straight to the soul, babe. We don’t have time for icebreakers in our world.

”Blair took a breath, then another.

The flames reflected in her eyes as she finally answered.

“Losing the people I love. Or worse, being right there and still not being able to protect them.” The words hung in the air like smoke.

Damien’s hand moved to her leg, and he squeezed her thigh.

Blake didn’t joke immediately. He watched her, eyes softer now. “That’s fair.”

She nodded and met his gaze. “What about you?”

He laughed, short and humorless. “Thought you’d never ask.

” Then he looked back at the fire, suddenly quiet.

“Being left behind. I act like I don’t care, but.

.. I do. I always end up being the one watching people walk away.

Sometimes without a word.”Blair reached across and placed a hand over his for a moment.

Blake didn’t look at her, but he didn’t pull away either.

After a pause, they both turned to Damien.

He didn’t look up. Just kept staring into the fire.

“Well?” Blake prodded, back to his sardonic tone.

“Mighty, brooding Damien. What keeps you up at night? Spiders? Commitment?”Damien didn’t answer.

The fire cracked again. Sparks danced into the air, but the silence was louder than before.

“Seriously?” Blake asked. “You don’t get to skip just because you’re the dark, mysterious one.

”Still nothing.

Blake opened his mouth, probably to make some snarky retort, but the look in Damien’s eyes shut him up. For once .

No one spoke for a while. The fire burned lower, and the night grew colder.

Blake broke it first, his voice low but not unkind. “Well. That wasn’t emotionally scarring at all.”

Blair gave a small huff of laughter.

Soon, dinner was served and eaten. The canned beans slightly burnt at the edge of the pot. Blair passed plates out and they ate quickly.

As she finished, Blair let her plate rest in her lap.

Her eyes went from Blake's silhouette to Damien, who hadn't moved and hadn't blinked.

His gaze was unreadable. After a long pause, Damien stepped forward.

He took Blair's plate from her hands, his fingers brushing hers. She blinked up at him in surprise.

"Come on," Damien said, voice low. "You need rest."

She nodded, letting him help her up, pausing slightly as she eyed Blake out of the corner of her eye.

"I'll be there in just a minute. I'm going to clean up really fast." He nodded and kissed her on the forehead as he headed into the tent.

As soon as he was out of sight, she turned her attention to Blake. “I just want to make it clear that we won’t leave you.”

Blake looked up at her, many emotions crossing his face. “I wouldn't say that just yet. I have yet to annoy Damien to the maximum level.” he said quietly, a sad smile resting on his face.

“You can hide behind the humor all you want but I wanted you to hear it from me.” Blair said sternly as she stood and brushed off the dirt that clung to her legs. “Do me a favor and clean up dinner."

Inside the tent, the air was warmer. As Blair crouched in, Damien lay on his back, waiting for her.

He was shirtless, with his hands resting behind his head and his feet crossed.

She lay next to him, laying her back gently on the padded bedroll.

She started to speak, but he brought a finger to her cheek and trailed it to her lips.

He then rolled over, straddling her. Using his hands to push her arms above her head, he motioned for her to grab onto the seam of the tent.