32. Kami

32

Kami

" W here's Crash?" I ask as I feel normal once more.

Oz did his best last night to placate me, but it took a lot of groveling I know he didn't mean.

He enjoyed that battle with the elf, as much as Malkar apparently liked eating the banshee.

Ries is still ribbing him about that, though I don't know that it's all that funny one of our companions ate someone.

As a being who needs energy to survive, I'm not a hypocrite. Everyone eats something in this world. But I don't consume flesh and blood from intelligent beings. Fish, fowl, greens, and berries don't talk back, that I'm aware of.

"Who cares where Crash is?" Ries says. "I'm sure he's off raging somewhere."

Malkar frowns. "No, we should be concerned. He's not right." Malkar rubs his forehead. "I can sense something off about our hothead."

"Off?" The entire time I've known Crash, he's seemed off.

"More sad and angry than before. "

"I never realized he was sad," Oz says. "I just thought he was a dick."

Ries nods. "Yes, but not was. Is."

Oz grins.

I sigh. "We should fan and out find him." I take a step, but Oz grabs my hand.

"Wait." He cocks his head. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

Ries frowns, but Malkar nods. "Yes. This way."

We follow Malkar, hurrying from our comfy little respite that, I realize, wasn't real. Nothing is safe in this travesty of a competition. I need to up my game, be more aware of the world around me.

Though I don't trust the trees around us, I can always turn one to keep abreast of things if I can find one that's semi-normal.

Something I should have done the moment I'd landed in this weird forest.

"Hold on." Oz stops and nudges me behind the thick trunk of a forest oak. "Stay here, out of sight. Maybe, um, commune with the tree or something."

I nod. "Be safe."

He grins, the sight of his small fangs, so like mine, endearing. I pull him toward me and kiss him on the mouth. "Hurry back."

He leaves, and I scurry up the tree to get a good look at what they'll be facing. I don't commune yet, just in case the tree is carnivorous or closed off to me.

I brace myself and look out, only to see Crash bloodied and in a heap on the ground as more than two dozen fae and monsters, many clad in Godtown's colors, beat on him.

Frozen in fear, I watch as Malkar, Ries, and Oz descend on the horde. Despite the others having a werewolf and three vampires among them, my guys handle them with ease.

When there are maybe six or seven left, my guys organize.

They're developing a way to work together. Oz pounds on them to soften them up then tosses them to Ries, who crushes limbs and throats. If they're still moving, he gives them to Malkar, who just kills them.

A punch or foot to the face. He's particularly fond of crushing skulls.

I should be disgusted, but his efficiency is just. People die every day. Malkar and the others are defending one of our own.

As much as Crash annoys me, I consider him a temporary team member.

Seeing the battle mostly over, I hurry down the tree and rush to join them.

"Is he dead?" I kneel by Crash, looking for signs of life.

He isn't breathing.

"He's still there." Malkar crouches, puts a hand over Crash's mouth and nose, then nods. He slaps Crash hard.

" Malkar. " I scowl.

Crash groans.

"See?" Malkar grins, but as he studies Crash, his smile fades.

And I sense it. That feeling deep in my gut, a stirring of Death come for our fire fae.

"He's fading," I say sadly.

I'm not sure why I'm upset since Crash has never been very nice to me. But as I look on his handsome face, now soft and free of anger, I see the man he could have been. The sweet soul buried deep behind old hurts.

"You could help him," Oz says quietly, leaning over me. "With an apple. "

"An apple?" Malkar's eyes narrow on me. "Necromancers are partial to apples."

Silence settles over us, and I feel them staring at me.

I force a laugh. "Oh please. I found the seeds from an apple tree and grew some fruit for Oz. I'm not a necromancer, Malkar."

Ries snorts. "Yeah. If we had one of them on our side, we'd be out of here already. Or dead." He seems as if he doesn't care either way.

Malkar studies me and relents with a stiff nod. "Good that you're not." He flashes sharp teeth at me. "They're hard to resist. So tasty." He licks his lips.

"You're unnatural, Malkar." Ries turns his back on the demon and stands between him and me. "Don't worry about him. He should be thanking you since you're trying to find a way to save his boy."

A glance at Malkar shows him frowning. "Hmm. You're right for once, water mage."

"Gee. Thanks."

Malkar ignores him and bows to me. "My lady. Please accept my humble apologies. I let the demon in me ignore good sense."

Demon in him? What else is there?

That something else flashes bright blue in his eyes before dimming once more.

"Please save Crash. His life is mine alone to take." After another pause, this one deeper, he adds in a growl, "I will be in your debt."

"Well, when you put it that way," I say wryly, "how can I refuse?"