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Clara stares blankly before slowly smiling. Her sweet smile and calmed gaze warms my chest.

Then I look at Clara's neck wound, exhaling before getting up from the bed. “Let me get you situated. I should've gotten you taken care of earlier.”

“Kids come first,” she says softly before sucking air through her teeth. “I'm good with coming last if that means the kids get better first.”

I give a short chuckle. “And yet, you seem to hate it when I say the same.”

“I care about your safety, but I understand now that you also needed to put those kids first too.”

“Yeah. Of course.” I say before leaving to find some medical supplies. I come back with a damp towel, some ointment, a sterile medical thread and needle, and bandages.

I stand beside her and hold her chin up so I can take care of her eyelid. She doesn't budge and smirks almost deviously as I focus on cleaning it.

She groans as I dab the blood off her forehead with the towel. I wince as she squeezes both eyes shut. It must be painful. “It's okay,” I murmur. “I got you.”

“I know. It just stings.”

I frown. “I still feel that you should see a doctor.” I insisted she’d go when I realized she hadn't been taken care of, but again, she refused. “Why don't you think the hospital is safe?”

She shrugs. “Personal reasons…”

“You still won't tell me?”

She grunts, her head heavy in my hand. “I'm afraid I can't.”

I slowly nod, still cleaning off the blood. I didn't see her at all in the fight, yet she's so scratched up. Maybe she was in another room.

Maybe she ran off then…

I dab the towel over her eyelid.

The dreamscreecher I saved. She got scratched in the same spot, over her left eye.

Is she…

I shake my head. She couldn't be that dreamscreecher.

Could she?

“Is everything okay?”

I flinch at her voice. “Yeah of course.” I smile forcefully.

Clara narrows her eyes. “You have something on your mind.”

“It's nothing.”

“Is it actually?”

I shake my head. “No. It's fine.” I don't want her to worry about me. Nor do I want her to get upset from the idea in my head. “I’m just thinking about the attack.”

“What about it?”

I squint, thinking to before the attack. There was something I wanted to know from Clara, wasn't there? She was already irritated and worked up.

My heart jumps. That was a minute after the invasion started. That was a coincidence, right? Maybe…

“Did you know?” I murmur.

“Huh?” Clara cocks her head slightly, as I bring the towel away from her wound.

My stomach drops. I can't just accuse her of something that can get her killed

“Oh, nothing. Just… gibberish…”

“Did I know what?” She looks deep into my eyes, burning through my soul.

I gulp. I guess now I have to explain. “Oh… yeah… it was a dumb question.” I grin reassuringly. “I had the idea that maybe you might have known about the invasion before it happened. But you didn't. I mean it's not like-”

“I would never plot against you or any of those kids in the orphanage.” A scowl slowly forming on her lips.

“You wouldn't,” I whisper, drawing in a deep breath. “I'm sorry. I'm just concerned about what you were tense about before the whole thing. It was probably just a coincidence.”

It falls silent as the flame in Clara’s eye calms. Her gaze shifts to the floor.

I bite my cheek and force my tapping foot down. I shouldn’t have said that.

“No… actually…” she says, barely above a whisper. “I heard something…”

My lips twist. I don't recall there being any noise at the time. “You must have good hearing.” I give a smaller chuckle. “Almost like those dreamscreechers do. O-of course I'm only joking!”

She gets quiet again, completely staring at the floor now. My laughter drifts. Probably not the best joke for the situation. “Yeah… bad joke…”

“What would you do if I was a dreamscreecher?”

I raise my brows. “Huh?”

She looks into my eyes again. “What would you do if I was a dreamscreecher?”

“Well…” I take a second to think. “I… I think I would… be shocked honestly.” The image of her being the dreamscreecher feels both wrong and right.

“I wouldn't tell anyone… and I would want to learn more about these attacks…

and how to stop them… I don't want more kids to be caught in the middle of everything. I would help you solve the problem… and figure out why you came here.”

She gives a slow nod, the end of her lips curling up just slightly. “Okay…”

“Why? Are you one?”

She shakes her head. “It would be funny… wouldn't it?”

“Yeah.”

Clara's slight smile grows as I stop laughing. Her amber eyes all aglow again. No matter what I do, I'm instantly drawn to her eyes. There's so much character in them. One poke at the ring of fire, and it's ready to burn whoever dares to talk against the ones she loves.

“Flame…”

She perks her brows. “What about flames?”

“Your eyes. They’re like flames.” I'm certain her gaze is burning my cheeks.

She scowls again, her eyes glossing over. “Why flames? What about me makes you think of fire? Am I destructive to you?”

“No! Not at all. I didn't think of it in that way!”

She sighs and looks away. “Fire is destructive, destroying everything in its path, leading to everyone's devastation.” She scrunches her nose. “It’s not a good thing to be compared too.”

My foot tapping becomes more prominent as I try to gather some thoughts, choosing my next words carefully. “Well… fire isn't always destructive. It can be beautiful.”

She turns back to me with her eyes squinted, leaning in as if to tell me to continue.

“Fire may be destructive when out of control, but when handled properly, it can keep you company. It will keep you safe and warm, shielding you from enemies that try to snap back against it. It shields against the cold. It can be… protective. Like a campfire.”

Her gaze softens. “I never thought of it like that…”

“So when I look into your amber eyes, I feel like I'm looking into a warm calmer fire that's been started to keep her loved ones safe.”

She blushes in a way that makes my heart jump. I realize that my statement might have sounded more like a flirtation than I meant it. Or did I mean it as that?

Is it okay if I did?

No. I can't. Clara is amazing in so many ways, and she deserves to have her soulmate. One day, she'll find the person that matches her and be happier with them

They will admire her beauty. They’ll admire her courage and empathy. They'll match in ways I could never achieve with anyone.

If I want Clara to be happy, I can't fall for her. I'll be in the way of true love. I’d be selfish, and I can't prevent her from getting that joy that love brings. If anyone deserves a soulmate, it's her.

A grin tugs Clara's lips. “I've never thought of fire like that.”

I pull my lips into a smile too. It hurts to feel this way about her but as long as she ends up happy, it'd be okay. “Okay… Let's get you cleaned up.”