14. Sariel

14

SARIEL

I stroll through the dimly lit corridors of the training facility, my wings tucked tight against my back. The sound of my boots echoes off the cold stone walls. Humans scurry out of my way, their eyes downcast. Good. They know their place.

A hushed conversation catches my attention. I pause, cocking my head to listen.

"Did you see what happened to Mira during the last challenge?" A trembling voice whispers.

"Yeah, she hit like a wall of air. But it should've been impossible. I saw Iona run through the path right in front of her."

"Almost as if they wanted to stop specifically her. I've been seeing the same thing during training, too. I'm telling you, something's not right. It's like they're setting us up to fail."

I clench my jaw, anger simmering in my chest. These pathetic creatures dare to question the trials? My fingers twitch, itching to teach them a lesson.

But I force myself to remain still, to keep listening.

"My brother swears he saw one of the overseers tampering with the equipment before the physical trial."

"Sabotage? You really think they'd go that far?"

I almost laugh. If only they knew the truth. The trials were never meant to be fair. Never meant to be won.

I should put an end to this. Crush their foolish hopes and remind them of their place. But something holds me back. Lyra's face flashes through my mind, her determination, her fire.

I shake my head, trying to dislodge the image. What does it matter if one human suspects something? They're all doomed to fail anyway.

But as I turn to leave, another whisper reaches my ears.

"We need to be careful. If they find out we're onto them..."

The voice trails off, heavy with unspoken fears.

I clench my fists, torn between duty and... something else. Something I can't quite name.

These humans are nothing. Their suspicions mean nothing. I repeat these words in my head, trying to convince myself.

But as I walk away, leaving the whispers behind, I can't shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach. The image of Lyra, her eyes full of hope and determination, refuses to leave me.

What am I doing? Why do I care what one human thinks? Why do I care at all?

I'm lost in thought, replaying the whispered conversation in my head, when I slam into something soft. Fuck. The impact knocks me off balance, and I instinctively reach out to steady myself. My hands grasp warm skin, and a familiar scent hits me.

Lyra.

Her blue eyes widen in surprise, her lips parting slightly. My body reacts instantly, a jolt of electricity coursing through me. I should push her away, snarl at her for daring to touch me. But I can't move.

"Shit." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where—" But then she looks up and sees it is me and her gaze hardens.

Why the fuck does that bother me?

"Watch where you're going," I growl, but my voice lacks its usual bite. My hands are still on her arms, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my palms.

She tries to step back, but the narrow corridor leaves her nowhere to go. Her back hits the wall, and I find myself moving closer, crowding her space.

"I said I was sorry," Lyra snaps, anger in her voice. "You weren't exactly paying attention either."

I should put her in her place. Remind her that she's nothing but a human, unworthy of even breathing the same air as me. But as I look down at her, all I can think about is how her body felt pressed against mine that night in the hall.

"You need to learn some respect," I say, leaning in closer. Her breath hitches, and I can hear her heart racing. It matches the pounding in my own chest.

"Maybe you need to earn it," she whispers, her eyes challenging me.

I slam my hand against the wall beside her head. But she doesn't cower. Doesn't look away. And fuck if that doesn't make me want her even more.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, little nexari," I growl.

Her eyes flash at the nickname, a mix of confusion and something else. I've been avoiding using it, and it seems to have triggered something more in me. Something that makes my blood burn.

Lyra squints up at me. "I might have an idea." She leans closer, a sneer on her face. "Would it have anything to do with the sabotage in the trials?"

I freeze, my hand still pressed against the wall beside her head. How the fuck does she know about that?

"What did you say?" I growl, leaning in closer.

Lyra's eyes narrow, a spark of defiance lighting them up. "You heard me. The sabotage. The 'accidents' that keep happening to specific candidates. It's not exactly subtle, you know."

I scoff, trying to mask the unease her words stir in me. "You're delusional, little nexari. The trials are fair. It's not our fault you humans are too weak to handle them."

"That's taura shit," she spits, pushing against my chest. I don't budge. "I've seen it with my own eyes. The way some candidates breeze through challenges that leave others incapacitated. The 'malfunctions' that only seem to affect certain people."

I grab her wrist, pinning it to the wall. "Watch your tongue, human. You're treading on dangerous ground."

"Am I?" Lyra challenges, her face inches from mine. "Or am I just getting too close to the truth? You're setting us up to fail, aren't you? These trials were never meant to be won."

Her words hit too close to home, and I feel a flicker of guilt in my chest. I push it down, hardening my expression.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," I snarl. "The trials are a gift. A chance for you pathetic creatures to prove yourselves worthy."

"Worthy of what?" Lyra shoots back. "Being your entertainment? Your playthings?"

I tighten my grip on her wrist, anger and something else I can't name coursing through me. "You should be grateful for the opportunity. Do you have any idea how many would kill to be in your place?"

Lyra laughs bitterly. "Kill to be set up for failure? To be humiliated and broken for your amusement? Some opportunity."

Her words cut deep, stirring up doubts I've been trying to ignore. I open my mouth to argue, to put her in her place, but the words die on my tongue.

Just then, I hear voices coming from down the corridor. Glancing that way, I decide that I can't have anyone else hearing her. One of the other overseers might kill her if they knew she was accusing me of this.

Gripping her wrist, I drag Lyra into my quarters, slamming the door behind us. My heart pounds, a mix of anger and something else I can't name coursing through my veins.

"You want to talk about sabotage?" I snarl, pushing her against the wall. "Fine. Let's talk. But not where every pathetic human can hear your wild accusations."

"Can't handle the truth getting out?" she demands through gritted teeth. "Or did you bring me here for another reason? Planning to shut me up?"

I lean in close, my face inches from hers. "Maybe I should. You have no idea what you're messing with, little nexari."

"Stop calling me that," she snaps, but I see the way her pupils dilate, the slight catch in her breath.

"Or what?" I challenge, pressing closer. The heat of her body seeps through my clothes, igniting something primal within me.

Lyra's hands come up, pushing against my chest. But she doesn't push me away. Her fingers curl into the fabric of my shirt, holding me there.

"You're playing a dangerous game," I growl, my lips brushing her ear. "These accusations... Do you have any idea what would happen if the wrong people heard them?"

"I'm not afraid of you," Lyra whispers, but I feel the slight tremor in her body.

I pull back, meeting her gaze. "You should be."

For a moment, we're frozen, locked in a battle of wills. The air crackles with tension, thick enough to choke on. I should step away. I should throw her out, report her for insubordination. But I can't move.

"What are you going to do?" Lyra challenges, her voice barely above a whisper. "Kill me to keep your secret?"

The words hit me like a physical blow. Is that what she thinks of me? Of us? I open my mouth to deny it, to tell her she's wrong. But am I? Isn't that exactly what I'm supposed to do?

"I should," I snarl, my voice low and dangerous. "It would solve a lot of problems."

But even as I say it, I know I can't. The thought of harming her makes my stomach churn.

Lyra laughs bitterly. "Go ahead. Prove me right. Show everyone what you xaphan really are."

Her words cut deep, igniting a rage I can barely contain. I lean in, my lips almost brushing her ear. "You have no idea what we are. What I am."

"I know exactly what you are," she spits. "Cruel. Heartless. Playing with people's lives like they mean nothing."

I pull back, meeting her gaze. The fire in her eyes matches the inferno raging inside me.

I snarl. "You think that's an insult? You know nothing, little nexari. Nothing about me, nothing about the trials, nothing about what's really at stake."

But what I hate is how the lie curls around my tongue. She seems to know everything… All except one thing.

I won't kill this human.

No, I will consume her. And I'll destroy myself in the process.