Mateo sat awake as the girls fell asleep, he knew antagonizing Kashvi wasn't going to get him anywhere. He also knew she would probably die for Devon if it came down to it, but the burns on Mateo’s skin were starting to make him increasingly short-tempered. Also he was their prisoner, that they intended to sell, why should he be nice to her?
Mateo thought about Devon casting the spell, the flash of golden green light, the explosion of scents. He had sensed such a raw depth of power but then streaks of pain cut through it and Devon had screamed, falling, writhing to the floor before going unconscious.
It had smelled different to the other witches Mateo had encountered, less...rancid.
"Ugh. And I'm awake again," Devon muttered from beside him. "My headache keeps waking me up - this sucks so much."
"Come here," Mateo breathed.
Devon turned towards him, "Hey - you're awake too." The younger boy sat upright and felt his way closer to Mateo. Mateo couldn't sense any anxiety or apprehension coming off of Devon. It was foolish, but somehow it served to make Mateo feel warm.
"Wait. Why am I coming towards you?" Devon paused.
Mateo sighed, "Lean your head forwards now." Devon followed the instruction and stuck his neck out towards Mateo.
Mateo lifted up his hands and pressed his palms against Devon's forehead. It was clammy and feverish and the younger boy gasped at the contact.
"W...what are you doing?" Devon stammered.
"Taking your pain," Mateo replied through gritted teeth, the veins running along his arms started to prickle with hurt, working its way through his body like jabbing needles.
"Woah...Werewolves can really do that? Devon gasped.
Mateo let out a breath as the last of the pain ebbed away; Devon's eyes were wide and misted.
"When we choose to," Mateo replied, letting his hands fall away from Devon's skin and immediately missing the contact.
"My migraine!" Devon exclaimed. "It's totally gone! Oh my god you are awesome!"
Mateo gave a gruff laugh before Devon ruined it by adding, "I wish I had like a doggy treat or something!"
"One of your fingers might do," Mateo fired back, making a snapping sound with his teeth. Devon yanked his hands back but he was grinning.
"Nah, I reckon you're all bark and no bite."
"Want to untie me and test that theory?" Mateo grouched.
Devon smirked, "Well the last time we tried that you ended up with a chest full of arrows, so really this is for your own safety."
Devon drew back, sighing and laying his head against the moss, Mateo could hear him falling back asleep before Devon murmured, "Wish Kashvi would let me keep you...I'd take you for walks and everything..."
Mateo's lips curled into a grim smile. What the hell was going to happen when they reached the human settlement?
***
The next day they kept up a quick pace through the forest, Kashvi begrudgingly let Devon walk side by side with Mateo so that the wolf could push obstacles out of the way to enable them to go faster. However, she glared at him every so often and reminded him that on her command Ruby would put a wolfsbaned arrow in his head.
"Don't they just make a terrifying couple?" Devon whispered loudly to Mateo as they fell behind. Mateo chuckled, Devon may have been blind but he wasn’t oblivious.
"Where were you before the bombs?" Devon asked stepping through the pathway Mateo had just created by bending back the lower hanging branches.
Mateo paused, then answered, "I was with my little brother when the bombs fell, our family sent us away for safety, that was back when people thought there might be 'safe zones'."
"What happened?" Devon steadied himself on Mateo's arm as he slid across a root.
"My family were killed in the first wave. My little brother and I survived. He was killed a year later by witches during the territory struggles."
Devon let out a low breath, "Sorry."
Mateo frowned, "Everyone dies."
"Sometimes I wonder," Devon muttered, "If it would have been better just to go with the first wave you know? Never have to know the world as it is now, so warped and twisted. But..." he trailed off.
"But?" Mateo asked.
"But there's still good stuff you know. Like there are still families, not always by blood, but ones we've chosen for ourselves," Devon smiled, wide and cheerful.
Mateo thought of his pack.
"And there's still friendship, and I'm pretty sure there's still love out there somewhere, and roasted rat isn't that bad, once you get used to it."
Mateo snorted, "No Devon, roasted rat will always be bad."
Devon grinned and took Mateo’s arm for guidance again, the wolfsbane ropes were hanging loosely at their sides.
"Look!" Ruby called out from up ahead. Mateo and Devon drew up beside them, Ruby's crossbow was still trained on him.
"What is it?" Devon asked.
Mateo looked out through the dwindling trees towards the high walls in the distance, plumes of smoke rising into the sky.
"A human settlement," he replied grimly.
The ropes were pulled tight again.
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