Fire's Mage (Book One) Kyoko of Fire Country

Chapter Twenty-Six

If this was what a hangover felt like, then she never wanted to touch alcohol. No matter what Diana said to her about the subject, this one she would have to be strong about. Kyoko never wanted to feel like this again.

Her head felt like it had split in two, the world seemed to refuse to stay in one spot and Kyoko's neck was stiff from sitting in one spot for who knew how long. Sheikh was sitting in front of her, there was a blanket around her shoulders.

"Useless is back to the world of the living," Adrianne shouted from her spot from the other side of the field, making her headache worse than it already was.

"Look in the mirror," Kyoko told her, glaring at the idiot as Adrianne put her hand on the glass.

"We'll be staying the night," Winston told him, Stanley and Jakob talking to themselves near his boat. Sheikh passing her a cup of water. "Kyoko, you won't be taking any shifts."

"Useless," Adrianne told her.

"Shut it, Loser," Sheikh told her. Kyoko looked at the burnt earth, the sounds of their screams were ringing their mind. The bandits and another group of killers, all of them burning to death when she closed her eyes.

"Kyoko, you'll be staying in Sheikh's tent," Winston told her, holding up his hand to silence Adrianne when she opened her mouth to say something. "Eat and then rest, you'll be needed in the morning."

Kyoko nodded, before a bowl of soup was placed in her lap and she looked at Winston. Sheikh shacking his head, pointing to himself as another bowl was handed to him.

"Adrianne started the fire," Sheikh whispered to her, spoon left in his bowl as he watched Adrianne and Winston talk. "I cooked, while Winston spoke to Jakob and Stanley about their plans for tomorrow."

"I see," Kyoko told him when she finished eating, pushing herself from her chair. Sheikh walking behind her as she went into his tent, her own tent sealed away in her seal.

She didn't know how much sleep she was going to get, not with the images that were stuck in her mind. Fire was more dangerous then many thought it was, how quickly it would spread and quickly it would kill.

"Kyo," Sheikh said as she laid down in a sleeping bag, looking at the roof. She was surprised when he had handed her a cup of Dream Wine, the same wine she had stored in one of her seals, which the reason she thought she wasn't going to get any sleep.

That she was going to have to deal with nightmares and memories best locked away.

"Stanley wanted me to give this to you," Sheikh told her, his fingers going through her hair. Tugging her head to the side when he found a knot. "You saved his friend."

/B\

Winston watched as Sheikh walked out of the tent, a empty cup in his hand. Stanley accepting it, before he and Jakob pulled Sheikh into their conversation. This would give him enough time to talk to Adrianne about her behaviour.

"Adrianne, we need to talk," Winston told her.

"No thanks," Adrianne told him.

"It wasn't a suggestion," he told her, grabbing her arm and pulling her behind him.

"Let go of me," Adrianne screamed at him, trying to yank her arm out of his hand. "Mama will get you for this."

Pulling a rope from his bag, he let go of her arm. Adrianne glaring at him as she backed herself into the nearest tree, which helped when Winston tied her to it, even as she tried to escape.

This was the only way to keep her attention, she had ignored his last warnings. He would need to talk to Kyoko at some point as well, since he didn't know how she was taking her first kill and her thoughts about Adrianne.