“Maddie!” Mae’s frantic voice cut through my grief. I blinked my eyes to rid them of my tears. Mae dropped to crouch before me.
As my vision snapped back into clarity, I saw Mae reach out to clasp my hands. In surprise, she ripped them back. “God… Maddie,” she hurriedly whispered, blood draining from her face. “What has happened?”
Four large silhouettes suddenly blocked our light as they crowded over Mae to see me. “What the fuck?” a deep voice proclaimed. I fluttered my eyes to meet the questioner.
Viking was looking at me strangely. His face was still as sad as before I had entered the cabin, but now his blue eyes were transfixed.
My eyes lowered to take in my hands. I raised them up. They were shaking. They were shaking so badly. Mae’s hand rubbed over my bent knee, as she asked, “Maddie? What happened? We heard Flame screaming, then it all went quiet.”
Feeling the nerve-wracking might of five gazes, I sucked in a breath and quietly replied, “I cut him. He wanted me to kill him… but… but I could not. I have to save him, like he did me.”
“He asked you to kill him?” someone asked in guttural tone, devastation dripping from each word. I glanced up. AK had stepped forward. I nodded and he stepped back, his lips parting.
“What?” Ky exclaimed as he stared at his brother.
AK shook his head. “He talked to her. For two days we haven’t been able to get anything from him. Not a fucking thing but him screaming and going psycho on the bed.”
My heartbeat leapt into a sprint at their words. Mae’s attention shifted from AK right back to me. “Maddie. Did you hear that? You got through to him.”
I nodded, eyes wide. I felt Mae’s hand take mine, despite the blood. I repeated my words, “I had to release the flames.”
Mae’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.
“You cut him?” Viking moved round Mae and crouched by her side. “You cut him with a blade,” he pointed at my hands, “that’s why you have blood on your hands?”
“Yes. I… I cut him.”
A stunned silence met my confession. My stomach knotted with guilt, but I continued. “I did not want to hurt him. But he was asking me to kill him. He said he could not take the flames anymore. That they were getting too hot. He was in pain, he was begging me with his eyes…” I trailed off as a sob spilled from my mouth.
“Shh…” Mae soothed as she moved to sit down on the ground beside me. Her arm came around my shoulders and I fell into her warm embrace.
“I have watched him for months, Mae. I have seen how he fights his inner pain. I have seen how he cuts his skin. I have seen how he does it. So I did what he does to himself. I cut him… I… I took the blade and I cut him… I had to release the flames.”
My tears flowed like a river, self-disgust filling my body. Just as I thought I would not be able to fill the pit in my stomach, Viking said, “You got that close?”
His question caught me off guard, immediately drying up my tears. Slowly lifting my head from Mae’s shoulder, I met Viking’s shocked expression and nodded my head.
Viking’s head turned quickly to stare at AK. AK’s brow furrowed. “And why’s he quiet now?”
Clearing my throat, I answered, “He is sleeping. The cuts released the flames. He is resting.”
AK’s eyes widened and he turned away, walking toward the trees, running his fingers through his long hair.
Sitting forward, I addressed Viking. “He needed to rest. But I told him I would stay. That I would be nearby until he is free from this torture.” Ky ducked away and chased down AK. My heart was in my mouth as Ky reached Flame’s best friend. Ky put his arm around AK’s shoulders, which immediately sagged.