Emberlight

21. Get in the Bush

Kelsey

Nikkitah led them through the forest and away from the bunker with her feet light and nimble, closer to the edge of the barrier, closer to where witches could reach them. A rumble filled the air with a warning growl like a lion. The wind kicked up dirt into tiny twisters on the path.

"Follow me," Nikkitah ordered. She deviated from the beaten track. Feya followed, resigned to her new leader.

"Hold up!" Kelsey protested. She reached for Nikkitah, but the girl dodged without looking over her shoulder. "You mind explaining what happened back there? Does Oliana's gift not work on you or something?"

"I thought it was obvious, no?" Another gust of wind jangled the trinkets on Nikkitah's hip, and she waited for it to pass before speaking. "Oliana ordered her Embers not to move. I'm not hers—I'm a Revellette Ember. We're different. Now let's go."

"Revellette?" A new web of confusion covered Kelsey's mind; she stuck out her arm to block Feya's path. "Why the hell would we follow you after what you did to Tristan?"

Nikkitah halted. Finally. She turned around and strode to meet Kelsey, lithe as a cat, ducking under a branch and closing the gap between them. Kelsey felt the shiver in the girl's breath as she said, "There isn't time for this. Oliana will notice you're gone—we have an hour, maybe two if we're lucky."

"Notice we're gone?" Kelsey repeated, choking on a scoff. She staggered sideways for some breathing room.

"Are you not here to rescue us?" Feya asked.

"There's something I must show you, and then you must return and pretend as if nothing has changed. Feya, your morning lessons with Martel must continue. Until we're ready to act, Oliana's barrier will protect you."

"Oliana's a dangerous Bloodwitch—that much is obvious," Kelsey said. "We can't stay here."

"She's not a Bloodwitch, not yet. She's just tarnished." Nikkitah checked one of her trinkets, a feather in a vial, her eyes skimming it like a watch. She looked even more irritated. "An Ember's decline isn't instant, but she will be susceptible to dark magic now. She'll be moodier, erratic, and volatile. But her barrier will be stronger, as will her desire to protect you."

"Are you sure?" Feya asked.

Nikkitah relaxed her frown. "Of that I am certain. Emberlight is the safest place for you—I learned that the hard way. Now move."

"I'm supposed to be meeting someone here," Feya said, scouring the empty fields. Her eyes flickered downwards to her wrist.

"Oh, girl," Nikkitah said, a pitying look on her face. "I asked him to send you that message."

Feya's face journeyed through an array of emotions, flinching between confused and upset.

Nikkitah turned to lead them again, but Kelsey grabbed the 'Revellette' by the wrist and yanked her to a halt. "We're not going to follow you blindly until you give us more answers."

Her bright emerald eyes flicked up to Kelsey. "I thought you don't care about any of this? You wanted to hide away, no? All the fun and danger, none of the responsibility."

Kelsey liked to think she wasn't that easy to read. Her fingers slackened at Nikkitah's accusation and Nikkitah wriggled free. "Get out of my head," she threatened, before swallowing the lump in her throat. For a moment, she reminded herself of Finn. Maybe he had his reasons for being a perpetual grump after all.

"I can't read minds because I'm not a twin," Nikkitah said. "I'm an empath. My gift is subtle, like a twist in the gut I can always trust. I sense motives. But Oliana is smart and made me look like a crazy one with an invasive gift."