Separate Souls | #1 Tainted Series

Chapter Fourteen

"You want'o take me to Risen territory?"  

Makaria Reed:

The smell of burning wood and vegetables filled the air, far too inviting for Makaria's stomach. The wait between the cooking food and the actual eating tortured her, even though Ryder's intentions with the backpack were good enough, nothing could beat David's cooking. His knowledge of herbs and spices made any meal taste divine.

She stared at the small fire, at David's twitching, scrawny figure crouched over the boiling metal pot. Compared to Makaria's excellent posture, needed quite a lot of work, he always hunched over, even when it was unnecessary.

For the past few days, she was constantly given blow after blow. She could only watch, terrified, as her beliefs disintegrated before her. The two Risen refused to leave her mind: neither Florence's genuine expression, her thanks, nor Ryder's attempts to amuse her. She wondered if she could ever go back to the person she was after being treated so. Could she go back to wanting revenge against the Risen? The chances of it slimmed, especially since now the doubt engraved itself within her, shaking her very soul, that perhaps not all Risen detested Fallen.

It was odd to her, to consider Risen as anything more than the 'evil people who took her family'. Because of this experience, she'd humanized them, without ever meaning to. It'd gone against everything she was taught to believe... except, Kale and David helped Fallen as well, she wasn't the only one who'd twisted her views on Risen. Could she ever get used to this? To helping both sides? Maybe it wasn't so black-and-white after all?

I know Ryder's not all bad, she thought, but that didn't mean she trusted him either.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Florence asked, sitting next to her. "You seem angry."

"I'm not angry, I'm thinkin'."

Florence edged closer to her, a teasing smile plastered on her face. She raised an eyebrow and wiggled her shoulders playfully. "What angry thoughts are you thinking?"

"I'm not—" Makaria fell silent. Florence's thin body, long wiry hair, and hazel sparkling eyes reminded her of Ryder. They carried the same lively energy, and Makaria acknowledged the key differences in her own personality with Florence's. Despite being weak, and alone, Florence stayed cheerful, Makaria, on the other hand, grew colder, fiercer, and tougher. She felt she had to, but Florence kept her personality as optimistic as possible. With slight resignation, she admitted Florence must've been stronger than Makaria, despite appearances.

"I just don't know what to think," she confessed.

"Well, tell me about it. Maybe I can help."

"Did 'e really save you? Why were you runnin' from The Guilt? You're Risen. It just doesn't make any sense."

Florence's smile dropped. "I used to be Risen. I don't know what I am anymore. I like to think I'm halfway, you know? I'm here, I've been living with David for as long as I can remember, so I think I'm Fallen, but no Fallen thinks I am. So, I'm halfway."

Makaria narrowed her eyes, it was a nice thought, but she found no truth in it. Half-way didn't exist, for both sides.

"Either way, Ryder saved me. I remember waking up, without any knowledge of who I was, but I just knew I needed to get out. It was this feeling inside me, making me run. Do you know what I mean?"

Makaria thought back to when she fought Ryder, the strength she'd acquired in her worst of moments, and she nodded. "I think I do."

"I just... ran. Some Guilt soldiers were after me, and I needed to get away, and then several months passed, I was just on my own. I changed a lot since then, physically. I used to be a lot fuller, paler," she chuckled, "prettier, but not anymore."