Maze girl

✧༺ 17. Newt ༻∞

The night had settled into the Glade with a soft, cool breeze, and most of the others were gathered around the fire, talking, laughing, and drinking. It wasn’t often we had nights like this—moments where things actually felt normal—but it was welcome. Everyone seemed in good spirits, letting the tension of the day fade away, at least for a little while.

I wasn’t much for drinking, though. Not tonight. I had too much on my mind, and besides, Rune had gone off to talk to a couple of the others, and I liked keeping an eye on things. I trusted her, of course. It wasn’t Rune I was worried about. It was the others—especially when they’d had too much to drink.

I was leaning against one of the trees, scanning the crowd for her when I finally spotted her, standing just on the edge of the firelight. She was talking to someone—Jack, one of the Runners. He’d been drinking more than anyone else, and from where I stood, I could see the way he was swaying slightly, the bottle dangling from his fingers. Rune didn’t seem to notice, though. She was smiling, laughing at something he said, and it sent an uneasy twist through my gut.

I watched them for a moment, my brow furrowing. Rune wasn’t the type to get caught up in this sort of thing, but the way Jack leaned in closer, his hand brushing against her arm, made my skin crawl. I told myself it was nothing—just a harmless conversation. But then I saw it.

Jack’s hand slid lower, down her arm to her waist, gripping her side. It was subtle at first, but then he pulled her closer, way too close. My heart dropped into my stomach. Rune stiffened, her smile faltering, but she didn’t push him away. She didn’t move.

What the hell was happening?

I pushed off from the tree, my breath catching in my throat as I watched Jack lean even closer, his lips too close to her ear, his hand still on her waist. Rune wasn’t laughing anymore. She looked... tense, her body rigid like she was frozen. But she wasn’t stopping him. She wasn’t pushing him away.

My chest tightened painfully. No. She wouldn’t do this. She wouldn’t… she couldn’t.

But there they were, standing too close, his hand still on her waist, and I couldn’t stand there and watch anymore. I stormed toward them, my heart racing, the blood pounding in my ears. I didn’t care if Jack had been drinking, I didn’t care if this was some kind of misunderstanding—I wasn’t going to just stand by and let this happen.

As I got closer, I saw it—Jack’s hand sliding lower, brushing against her hip. Rune flinched, her face contorting in discomfort, but she still didn’t pull away. My mind went blank, filled only with rage and confusion.

“Oi!” I barked, my voice sharp as a knife, cutting through the noise around us. Jack turned, startled, his eyes glassy from the drink, and Rune snapped her head toward me, her eyes wide.

For a second, I didn’t know who I was angrier at—Jack for touching her like that, or Rune for not stopping him. My heart was pounding in my chest, a sick feeling spreading through my stomach. “What the hell’s going on here?” I demanded, my voice shaking with barely-contained fury.

Rune’s face drained of color, and she opened her mouth to say something, but the words didn’t come out fast enough. Jack, too drunk to realize what was happening, laughed and slurred something under his breath, his hand still lingering too close to her.

I saw red.

Without thinking, I grabbed Jack by the collar, yanking him away from Rune. He stumbled back, almost falling over, and I was so close to hitting him, my fists clenched so tightly I could feel my nails digging into my palms. But I stopped myself—barely. I wasn’t going to make things worse.