Page 2 of Within the Flames
“Go to him,” Jared said once they’d broken apart. “I know you need to.”
“Thank you.” She kissed him quickly, before tearing herself away and retreating to the room Malan had assigned them.
“Hey,” he croaked at her.
“Hey,” she whispered. “How are you feeling?” She stood completely still, unable to move either way into the room. It was just too painful seeing him lie there without any way of helping.
“Empty.”
Macey swallowed the guilt she was feeling. She’d sent him off to deal with the Seelie and this was what had happened. She wished she’d been able to do more, but hopefully she could rectify that.
“I’m going to try and make things right,” she told him.
“I know,” he replied.
“How much time do you have?”
A thoughtful look crossed over his face. “I don’t know. I’ve never been without my magic before, but as far as I’m aware, I don’t need it to live.”
“But?”
“But nothing,” he defended.
“No, not but nothing. I could hear it in your voice.” She crossed her arms under her chest and gave him what she hoped was a stern look.
“But nothing.”
“Flint.” She gave him a stern look, and he sighed.
“I’m pretty sure I’m human right now.”
“As in…”
“I don’t have any magic, so I’m a little bit more…vulnerable.”
She gave him a blank stare, not quite knowing what he was getting at.
“I could die, Macey. Pretty easily as far as I can tell. Some of the things we’ve been through together, I wouldn’t be able to survive at all.”
“Fuck.”
“My thoughts exactly,” he joked.
“What can I do?” she whispered, closing the gap between herself and the bed, taking his hand in hers.
“What was your plan?”
“The lampads.”
Flint gave the statement some consideration. “That might actually work. If you can bring one of their flames back, I can use it to try and kickstart my powers.”
“You can’t come with me?”
He shook his head. “No, I won’t be able to. I’m human. If I look into their light…well, it’s not worth thinking about. But also, to get to them, you’ll probably have to pass some kind of test, and you won’t be allowed to take anyone else with you. If you have help, you fail automatically.”
Macey swallowed the lump that was resting in her throat. Her task had just become a lot more difficult.
And it wasn't helped by having a horde of allies waiting outside, ready to be sent into battle. She couldn't really tell them all to go home, but she also couldn't start the fight against the Mahoun without Flint's powers. She instinctively knew that they were going to need all seven Wardens to be able to succeed.
