IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIScarletIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

We start walking back the way we came. I stumble a few times when we descend, and Kal takes the path down slowly. He holds my hand the entire time, and he glances back with a worried expression every few minutes.

I don't blame him. I've lost a lot of blood, and though the symptoms of my concussion are gone, by body still doesn't want to respond properly.

The sun's setting, and the forest is a shade darker than what it was. Noises have returned- the chirping of crickets and birds, the rustling of small animals moving under the thicket. There's a small stream nearby, and we wash up in it before hiking back down the path.

I still feel terrible, and it hurts to walk. My mind keeps picturing Kal's face when he found me on the ground. Does he really care that much about me? And where did he learn magic like that? I may be dead if it wasn't for him.

Kal breaks the silence, and his voice is hesitant as he says, "I'm-I'm sorry- about the date. You almost got you killed."

I blink in surprise. "I actually had a lot of fun," I reply. Except falling several stories. And getting a hole in my leg. There was something satisfying challenging someone to battle, and it had been awhile since I've gotten this injured. "Sorry I got blood all over you."

"Psh, don't worry about that! I'm just glad I could help." He pauses, and his voice drops as he adds, "But I wouldn't call seeing you fall fun." He chuckles suddenly, and I frown.

"Why are you laughing?"

"My roommate worked on a couple of missions with you," he says, "and he said you were difficult to work with." He helps me down from a rock and we make eye contact. "But I think we make a good team."

I smile, and he squeezes my hand. Pain flashes under my skin, and I wince and pull away. I didn't even realize he had grabbed the bad one.

"What's wrong?" There's alarm in his voice now.

"I think I sprained my wrist when I fell." I cradle my hand in the other. It's starting to swell, but it's not too terrible. I'll have to ice and bandage it when I get back.

"I'm good," I say. "Let's keep going."

But then I stumble. Kal catches me, and I curse under my breath.

"Slow down," he says. "You don't have to prove yourself or anything."

If I were on Illusa, my parents would have ordered me to get back up, to not show weakness. They would have sent me to my room without dinner just for wincing. But they were training up their child to be a witch, one of the darkest that's ever been known.

I glance back up Kal. Does he see the witch in me, or the fairy?

"C'mon," he says. He turns away and gets into a crouch. "Get on my back."

I take a step away. "Excuse me?"

His voice is firm as he says, "You're exhausted, and you've just fallen three stories. I'm taking you down the rest of the way."

I shake my head. "We're both going to end up tumbling down the mountain."

"The more you argue, the darker it'll get, and then we're both going to be in trouble." His tone is stern.

It is getting dark, but I don't reply. It's silent as we challenge each other. An owl hoots, and Kal remains crouched. He looks like a dork.

Finally, I sigh. "Fine." I grab my phone out my back pocket and turn the light on. "But I'm not letting us walk in the dark."

It's incredibly awkward, but soon his hands are under my thighs and I'm against his back. "See," he says, "that wasn't so hard."

I roll my eyes as he starts back down the path. I only have one arm around his chest, since I can't lock my hands. We're flush against each other, and his hair tickles my check. "So," I say, "who's your roommate?"

"Oh yeah." He turns his face slightly towards me. "Spencer- tall, dark hair. Overconfident, makes lots of jokes, dates dozens of girls."

"Oh, him." I roll my eyes and lean my head on his shoulder. "He's always wanting to charge into the situation, and I'm the one that has to bail him out and complete the mission."

"Sounds like him," Kal says. There's a pause, as if he'd debating something. But then he adds, "I think I know someone else that knows you. A monster of a guy named Jack."

My eyes widen, and my breath catches in my chest. My fiancé.

"So you do know him," he says. My silence spoke for me.

"Both of our planets have an alliance," I say. "The ruling families come together every year for discussions and to host a gala in celebration. That's how I know him." I can't tell Kal I'm engaged. I mean, I'm only going to get married if I become a witch, and I refuse to let that happen. So what does it matter? It'll only ruin everything.

"Wait," Kal says, "Mohawk Jack's a prince?"

I raise my eyebrows. "You didn't know?" And he still hasn't changed his hairstyle?

His voice is hard as he says, "I mean, I don't really know the guy, but I've sparred with him a few times in class. So what were the galas like?"

The path widens, and Kal picks up his pace as it levels out.

"Pretty awful," I say. "My parents always made me go and put on a show. They'd make me do terrible things in front of everyone, and every year Bellatore would test their new weapons on me, so see if I was stronger. It's sort of planetary competition." The last one had been some type of biological that had made me hallucinate for hours.

Kal immediately stops walking. "Scarlet, that's terrible- like, that's sick. Who makes their own daughter do that?"

"Kal, I grew up on a cursed planet and was trained up to be one of the most powerful witches. To them, I'm their answer to conquering all of Magix," I say.

He shakes his head. "But doesn't that piss you off? Your parents treated you like a weapon instead of their child."

I can't look at him, not when all the horrible things I've done come flooding back. "Of course it does," I reply. My voice is as hard as his. "Why do you think I enrolled into Alfea behind their backs?" I shake my head. "That's why I have to end this stupid curse and become a fairy."

There's a moment of silence. Kal's voice drops. "I-I want you to know that I'm here for you, alright? You don't have to do everything on your own anymore."

I shake my head. My curse puts people in danger, and I don't want him involved like this. Or am I putting him in danger already? "It's better if I-"

"No," he cuts me off. "You've probably been taught not to rely on others, that having allies puts you in a position of betrayal. But you're not at Cloud Tower, and you're not on Illusa. We're friends, right? Friends work together and trust each other."

"It's because you're my friend that I don't want to put you in danger," I reply. "What if I can't let go of this darkness inside me? What if I hurt you?"

He adjusts his hold, and his hands slide to behind my knees. "I trust you."

I flatten my eyebrows. "You're not helping."

He laughs, and we finally come out on the main path. He turns right, and hidden behind some bushes is his motorbike.

I slide off of his back and say, "Well, that was an adventure. You think we'll see that witch again?"

"I sincerely hope not," he replies. "That was not the date I had planned."

I tilt my head and ask, "What did you have planned?"

He waves his hand. "I was going to have a picnic up in this cavern I found. Animals have probably eaten all the food by now, though." He smiles and rubs the back of his head.

"Wait, you already had everything set up?" I shake my head. "I'm so sorry. You've hiked twice today?"

"It's not a big deal," he shrugs. "I just really wished you hadn't gotten so hurt. You're gonna bandage and ice your wrist, right? And you should probably take a warm bath to relax your muscles- but definitely take those splinters out first. Your aura or whatever's going to go back to normal soon, and you're probably going to pass out."

"Um..can you text me all of that?"

His phone is already in his hand as he replies, "I'm doing it right now."

I step up to him and kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you, Kal."

He blinks, and his hand goes to where I kissed him. His dimple shows now as he says, "So the date wasn't a failure?"

"Not in the slightest," I smile.

And then I pass out.