Villainous [Wattys 2021 Shortlist]

27: Watched

"You were both Made, not born. The Seer told me. Your father and your uncle did this, turned you from innocent children into who you are now. You let them win. Don't you feel like you want to do the opposite - be good people? Defy those who once held sway over you."

Delilah crossed one boot over the other. They'd made camp for the night in a small hollow, and to her relief Safir had permitted a tiny fire, which she and Dante huddled close to now. A fragile shell of orange kept the impenetrable darkness of the forest at bay.

"How many speeches do you think you're going to give until you give up?" Dante was picking his nails.

"Being a good, pure-hearted person is harder than giving in to temptation." Safir crouched on a thick branch that just cleared their heads.

"I agree," Delilah piped up.

Safir and Dante stared at her.

"For example," she went on, "I'm struggling not to give into the temptation of hanging you from that branch with your own intestines."

"I saved you," he said, sounding sulky.

"I don't care."

"Please don't go through with your plan. The Seer said your fates were tied to that of The four nations - don't destroy this world for your own gain. There are many beautiful, natural, precious things here."

"You Rtko are no saints," Dante argued. "You're only trying to change us because the Seer said you'd have to go into shadow, whatever that means."

Safir bit his lip. "It means that if I can't convince you, I have to help you."

"Excellent."

"No - I'm doing this for my people. I -"

"Tell me what will happen in my future, soothsayer," Delilah interrupted.

Safir gave her a wounded look before slinking off his branch and into the trees, muttering about keeping watch.

Dante grinned. "You finally got rid of him."

"He'll be back with a new argument soon, I'm sure." She sighed, running her fingers through her hair in an effort to untangle it. She began weaving it into a plait, noticing Dante watching her - although his gaze kept flicking away.

Delilah curled into her cloak and closed her eyes. Safir was a problem, but they would deal with him once they had the Earth Opal.

The next morning, after a breakfast of provisions from Il-Falan-Nur, Safir led them on through an invisible path. Delilah grew bored and her mind wandered, so she jumped when Safir unexpectedly stuck his head out of the leaves above the trail.

"Delilah, look!" He waved his hands and started to swing. Dante moved a branch aside to reveal the boy hanging from a tree by his toes.

He wobbled - and crashed to the floor in a crumpled heap at her feet.

"You're an idiot," she said.

"I was trying to make you laugh. Or smile." He jumped back up, and despite herself she marvelled at his flexibility - he didn't even seem bruised.

"Why?"

"Because I want to find some good in you."

"Am I a lost cause, considering you've been ignoring me?" Dante asked with a glint of humour in his eyes.

"Perhaps, Night Bringer."

Delilah remembered Aki as they kept walking. She remembered the shred of longing and regret she'd felt, his blood that had stained her old boots. She remembered Mala's soft, forgiving voice, and the shard of her heart that had cried out in sorrow for Finias when the bridge between them collapsed.