Hell Fire (Wild Fire: 2) (FINISHED)

27 - Hiding in the tree

It was clearly around eleven o'clock or midnight, Ember could tell with how high the moon was-if that even was a sign.

She'd been lying under here for hours, holding herself, shaking.

The fire was still there, but calmer, and she could feel the pain of her scratch marks now.

They felt like they were fire itself.

She didn't know what she was thinking... that she could get the magic out by creating wounds? How would that be possible?

Well... it could've drained from her, but that clearly wasn't the case.

She let her mind wander to drown out the pain.

Physical and emotional.

Since her magic was calmer, she curled up a little more and set her feet onto the edge of a stump.

But she was cold... it was freezing out here.

And she was... starving.

Her stomach had been growling all night, but it stopped growling eventually, and replaced with a cramp mixed with dry nausea.

Right before she closed her eyes, a shadow moved from the door of the stump.

She shot up, screaming.

"Hey-hey," he said, raising his hands innocently as he stepped up to where she was hiding. "Just me, Max."

She froze.

He came back?

The tremors spread worse through her, and she pressed her back against the tree as he kneeled by the hole she was hiding in.

"Calm down," he soothed. "You're alright."

When he shifted his weight, she backed away.

"No! Don't get close to me! Keep a distance!"

He stopped, staring down at her with concern.

He nodded then, suddenly very calm. "Alright." He then settled down in front of the stump, crisscross. "I bought you this. Thought it might help." He pulled out a plastic wrapper from his jacket pocket, holding it out to her.

A popsicle.

Her face cracked at his kindness, and somehow-with her dehydration-tears slipped down her cheeks, and she took it from him, making sure their hands didn't touch.

After unwrapping the popsicle, she stared down at it through her blurred vision and watched it start melting with her hot grip.

So she just bit down onto it, letting the sweetness bleed into her tastebuds and feeling her body cool with the ice in her mouth.

She took slower bites after, knowing that if she ate it the right way, it would've melted completely by now.

Max watched her softly as her skin faded back to its normal color, eyes dimming to their ocean blue, and now he could see the sorrow in her gaze.

How broken she looked.

She licked the last of the popsicle softly, as if in a daze, but then took it off the stick and chewed it.

"Thanks..." she whispered, setting the stick near the door of the tree.

He nodded in response as she pulled her legs to her chest, the sugar and water that now entered her body soothing her stomach.

They were both silent after, and Max watched her with dark eyes as hers started glistening with tears again.

"Max..." she said then, voice soft, "are you afraid of me now?"