Chapter Ten

 Zarek must have been too exhausted to even dream, his mind not even capable of sparing that energy. He had succumbed to his fatigue almost the moment he had laid down, the weight of the past few days dragging him helplessly under. It felt like only minutes had passed before the sounds of shuffling woke him.

 He slowly blinked open his eyes, his vision blurry and out of focus. He reluctantly reached up, rubbing the sleep from his face before glancing wearily around the small cabin.

 The dusty interior was gray, with early morning light seeping through the warped, murky window. Vepir was crouched before the small fireplace, snuffing out the last of the embers with his bare hand.

 Zarek groaned softly, forcing himself to sit up. His body ached as he pushed himself up against the thin mattress, his back stiff and protesting the movement.

 Vepir stood just then, hefting his bag over one shoulder. He spoke without even glancing in Zarek's direction.

 "Time to move."

 Zarek sighed heavily, but didn't bother to protest. He carefully rose from the lumpy mattress, stretching out his stiff limbs. He wasn't so much irritated at Vepir's usual bluntness, more just reluctant to leave the bed, however uncomfortable it was. "You sure know how to wake up a guy," he muttered.

 If Vepir had heard the comment, he made no indication. He strode confidently over to the door of the cabin, pulling it open without hesitation.

 Zarek gasped, staggering after the incubus. "H-hey! Wait up!"

 His legs seemed to still be half asleep, because he nearly stumbled over the threshold as he raced behind Vepir. The early morning air was cool and crisp, nipping at Zarek's skin as he caught up, unable to do anything more than glance back at the cabin one last time before Vepir disappeared into the trees. Zarek hesitated, unwilling to leave the safety and comfort of the old shelter, but the incubus gave him no choice. He rolled his eyes, groaning inwardly before hurrying after Vepir.

 He quickly fell into step behind the incubus, who was light-footed and confident as ever. Birds were just waking overhead, beginning their morning songs. "You could have at least given me a chance to wake up," he grumbled bitterly. "Why are you in such a rush, anyways? It's not like anyone could find us there, what with the shadow veil."

 Vepir ignored Zarek, stepping nimbly around a dense growth of foliage.

 Zarek huffed, rolling his eyes. "Could you at least tell me what the plan is for the day, then?"

 "Well, my plan is to get to Overdale and keep laying low," Vepir stated, his tone guarded as ever as he glanced over at Zarek. "You can do whatever the Hell you want."

 Zarek felt a grudging resignation build inside him alongside the familiar irritation. It seemed the incubus was back to his usual self. "Oh, thanks," he replied sarcastically. "And what if I want to tag along with you?"

 He had said it sarcastically, unwilling to admit that he wasn't quite ready to leave the incubus's side just yet. He silently told himself it was just for the sake of the protection Vepir offered, and not because he actually gave two shits about Vepir or what trouble he would decide to get up to next.

 He expected Vepir's usual quip. He was bracing himself for yet another insult.

 Vepir suddenly looked away, shrugging nonchalantly, though his body seemed to tense immediately. "Then I guess I can't stop you."

 Zarek reeled, his weary steps faltering for a moment. He couldn't hold back his shocked response.

 "What??"

 Vepir purposefully ignored Zarek, not slowing his pace as the demon hesitated. His mind was whirling with confusion, and he was almost too wary to admit aloud that the lack of Vepir's hostility wasn't unwelcome. However, he couldn't shake the feeling that Vepir was only leading him on again, building up for another one of his jabs.

 "Is that so…?" Zarek challenged cautiously. "And here I thought you'd be trying to get rid of me at every chance you got."

 Vepir huffed, carefully avoiding the question. "You're the one following me around like a lost puppy."

 "Hey, I can take care of myself," Zarek insisted irritably, unable to hide the indignation in his voice. "I don't need you to babysit me, you know. I just thought… I don't know…" He hesitated, almost too scared of Vepir's reaction to even say the next words. "I thought maybe we could work together or something, you know…?"

 Vepir went eerily silent as Zarek trailed off. The incubus's steps were light and silent as ever, even through the dense foliage and scattered leaves and twigs. "Work together, huh…?" His voice was as hard as stone, his expression unreadable.

 Zarek's footfalls were less than graceful. Even with a night's sleep behind him, his clumsy nature was getting the better of him, causing him to nearly trip on every root that protruded from the ground. He staggered after Vepir, envious of the other demon's grace and ease of movement.

 "Yeah, work together," he repeated. "You know, share information, watch each other's backs, that sort of thing… It's not a foreign concept, you know."

 He was trying to feign nonchalance as he had seen Vepir do, but he was almost certain that it was only coming across as desperate. But Vepir chuckled darkly as he responded. "Trust me, I'm the last guy you want to 'work together' with. You're barking up the wrong tree."

 A pang of disappointment made Zarek bite his lip. His hand instinctively reached up, grasping the pendant around his neck for comfort as he continued his attempt at a sarcastic and indifferent façade, just as Vepir did.

 "Oh, really? And why is that? Because you're just too cool and aloof for teamwork, huh?"

 "Because I have enemies, dumbass." Vepir's words were harsh and almost venomous, and yet… buried beneath that was a tone of concern, a blatant warning. "Trust me, I'm the last guy you'd want to get tangled with."

 Zarek felt his heart skip a beat, his mind fumbling over Vepir's words. Enemies? The weight of the incubus's warning seemed to suddenly weigh him down, as if his feet were dragging through wet sand. Zarek's irritation melted away, pushed aside by an unsettling fear. Vepir wasn't just brushing him off with his usual sarcasm – there was a deadly seriousness in his tone that Zarek couldn't ignore.

 The forest seemed to grow darker around them as Zarek's thoughts spiraled.

 Zarek's line of sight narrowed for a moment, focusing on Vepir as the incubus prowled silently between the trees away from him. He couldn't stop himself from imagining a target painted across Vepir's back.

 Who the Hell had Vepir crossed?

 The air around them felt heavier. Suddenly, the crisp morning breeze, which brought with it the scents of nature and life, became dark and ominous. Zarek's hand tightened instinctively around the pendant at his neck, his grip so tight it was almost painful. He didn't know what shocked him more – the thought of Vepir's enemies hunting them down, or the fact that Vepir had actually warned him.

 Why would he care?

 Zarek swallowed hard, realizing he still hadn't responded to Vepir's warning. He knew the incubus saw him as weak, and he was suddenly desperate to prove that he wasn't. "I can handle it," he insisted, feigning confidence. "I've been in worse situations, you know."

 It was a fib, and a weak one at that. Vepir was quick to see through it. "You couldn't even handle the black market seller," he pointed out bluntly. "What in Hell makes you think you can handle this? And either way, I haven't seen even a smidgeon of your demonic powers. I'd almost think you didn't have any…"

 Zarek stifled a gasp. Vepir had hit the nail on the head, and suddenly, the incubus was frozen in place, whirling around and locking his wide silver eyes with Zarek's.

 "You…" Vepir sputtered, his expression creased with disbelief. "You don't have any, do you?"

 Zarek felt his face grow hot with shame. He remembered all too well the agonizing binding spell that Kaldryn had performed against his will, sealing his magic out of reach.

 He could still hear his own cries for mercy, and he was grateful that Vepir couldn't hear them as well.

 The truth hung between them amidst the following silence. Vepir's accusation cut deeper than any blade. Zarek felt overloaded with shame and embarrassment, not just from having his deepest vulnerability exposed, but from the fact that Vepir had figured it out without Zarek needing to say a damn thing. The humiliation felt suffocating. Zarek's entire body stiffened, his fists clenched at his sides as he tried to swallow the rising tide of anger and shame.

 Zarek's jaw tightened as he glared at the ground, unable to meet Vepir's gaze. He wanted to lash out, to defend himself somehow, but the truth was too stark, too painful to deny. He felt trapped, his voice caught in his throat as a bitter laugh threatened to escape. I'm just a liability now.

 The silence stretched between them. Zarek braced himself for Vepir's inevitable barrage of insults.

 He decided in that moment that he would walk away. He refused to let himself be belittled further, not at something that had been done to him against his will. Not with something that he had held so precious to him – his abilities as a Shadowmancer – being stripped from him and being tossed out in the world.

 Liability, Kaldryn hissed in his ear.

 "Why…?" Vepir finally managed to question aloud. "What happened?"

 The shock at the absence of any malice in Vepir's voice made Zarek's heart race. He refused to meet Vepir's eyes, still afraid to see the judgement that surely flooded them.

 "I…" Zarek fumbled for words through his storm of humiliation and grief and shock. He couldn't figure out how much to reveal, unsure of whether or not Vepir would even care. "They were bound," he settled at last, the words quiet as they whispered past his tongue. "I can't use Shadowmancy anymore, and -" He took a shuddering breath. "And that's how I ended up at the black market in the first place."

 The silence fell between them once again. Vepir studied Zarek closely, perceptively scrutinizing every piece of body language and tone. He felt a pang of sympathy towards Zarek in that moment, and for the first time, it wasn't completely unwelcome.

 Even so, he refused to let it show.

 "Well, I guess I was right, then," he murmured, still watching Zarek carefully. "You are weak."

 Zarek's breath froze in his lungs. Of course… Of course, Vepir wouldn't care.

 He gritted his teeth, his muscles tensing beneath him. Tears brimmed in his eyes, but he had made up his mind. He couldn't just stand there and let Vepir mock him further.

 His heart couldn't take any more pain.

 But just as he shifted, ready to turn and walk away, ready to finally be rid of this cold, heartless incubus, Vepir's voice came again.

 "We'll just have to fix that, then."

 Zarek froze in place once again. His pale eyes darted up, finally meeting Vepir's as a tiny flicker of hope ignited in his heart. He glanced desperately across Vepir's expression, as if he were attempting to decipher a foreign scroll back in the Obsidian Archives. Vepir's expression was as unreadable as ever, but… but was that a good sign…?

 "Fix it…?" He repeated, his voice quiet and hopeful, yet puzzled. He felt like Vepir's offer was too good to be true, and he found himself putting up a guard of his own, eyeing the incubus warily. "What do you mean, 'fix it?'"

 Vepir shrugged, as if this topic was of no consequence. "Exactly that. Unbind your powers, and maybe you can get off my ass. Or be useful, at the very least."

 Zarek let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Vepir's words were cold and detached, but Zarek knew better by now. He had seen the façade slip in and out of place, and he knew – or at least, he desperately hoped – that beneath his casual demeanor, Vepir wanted to help Zarek for more reasons than the incubus had stated.

 Could it even be remotely possible that Vepir wanted to help him, simply out of pity, or even sympathy?

 "There's a guy I know in Overdale," Vepir continued. "He's a scholar of sorts. Absolutely obsessed with studying the arcane."

 Zarek listened carefully, nodding with growing enthusiasm. "A scholar? And you're sure he'll help?"

 Vepir smirked. He turned and began walking once again through the trees, the morning sunlight dappling his perfect form as he strode long. "Oh, I know he'll help. Let's just say he owes me..."

 Zarek scrambled, hurrying to catch up. He was too eager to hold back now, the hope that had ignited in his chest flaring quickly until his heart felt light with anticipation. He fell in step almost beside Vepir, gazing up at the side of the incubus's face.

 "He owes you?" He prompted curiously. "So he'll just… help? For free, just like that?"

 Vepir kept his silver gaze locked ahead of them, warily glancing through the trees as they passed them by. "He doesn't exactly have a choice, Sunshine."

 Zarek was taken slightly aback by Vepir's cryptic response. "What do you mean? Why?"

 Suddenly, Vepir snarled, glancing irritably back at Zarek, who was still gazing up at the incubus with wide, curious eyes. "You're too damn nosy, you know that? I'm willing to help you. You can either take that mercy or leave it."

 Vepir's hostility chilled Zarek, but the flames of his optimism at the prospect of getting his powers back quickly overpowered his irritation at Vepir's bite.

 "Fine," he muttered, looking away, though he couldn't keep the grin off his face. "If you say this scholar will help, that's all I care about."

 Vepir growled, clearly still annoyed by Zarek's questions as he grumbled to himself.

 "Ungrateful asshole…"

 Zarek huffed, rolling his eyes, but nothing could kill his mood in that moment, not even Vepir's typical anger. "I heard that."

 "Good."

As they hiked on in relative silence, the sun climbed steadily higher, casting dappled light through the leafy canopy above. Morning slowly gave way to mid-day, the warm light of the sun seeping into Zarek's skin, and for the first time in what felt like an eternity, his spirits felt lifted. Every step felt lighter, as if the crushing weight of the last week had finally released him. The prospect of regaining his Shadowmancing powers made his heart race with hope. He could almost feel the dark magic flowing freely through his veins once again, like a stolen part of himself waiting to be released. The excitement brought electricity to his once-weary limbs.

 This was more than simply reclaiming his stolen magic. His bound powers had become a constant reminder of Kaldryn's betrayal; he could still feel the shadowy chains bound unyieldingly around his very essence. To be free from these invisible chains – free from the painful echoes of Kaldryn's control – would mean severing the cruel tie to the man who had shattered his trust.

 I'll be free of Kaldryn's hold for good.

 Zarek's eyes flicked to Vepir more times than he could count, who walked ahead of him with silent precision, his silver eyes constantly scanning their surroundings. The incubus had the same usual alertness about him, as if expecting an ambush at any moment. His usual arrogance was still there, but muted, overtaken by tension.

 And yet, despite Vepir's vigilance, Zarek couldn't shake the strange sense of gratitude. Vepir's offer to help had been so unexpected, and when Zarek looked at him, he felt the flutters of more than just admiration. There was more to Vepir than the cocky, violent persona he projected. The incubus could have left him to fend for himself, but he hadn't.

 Maybe he actually gives a shit about me… Maybe his mask of arrogance and apathy is hiding so much more than just someone who is constantly on guard.

 Is he capable of more? Of concern, or care?

 Is he capable of love?

 Zarek swiftly looked away, his cheeks reddening at the thought. His heart fluttered again, but he refused to acknowledge it.

 His eagerness to get to Overdale was quickly getting the better of him. It was all he could do not to skip ahead, but he couldn't stop the question that fell from his mouth. "How long do you think until we get to Overdale?"

 Vepir froze mid step, his eyes narrowing as he gazed into the trees.

 "Be quiet."

 Zarek felt surprise at Vepir's dismissive response. He tried to protest, "I was just asking -"

 Vepir cut Zarek off with a fierce shush thrown over his shoulder.

 All at once, the birdsong ceased.

 Zarek clamped his mouth shut. He shuddered, bristling with fear.

 Something wasn't right.

 An icy chill seared down his spine, the sudden eerie silence of the forest making the air thick with fear and tension. He found himself unconsciously moving closer to Vepir, seeking the incubus's confidence and protection without even realizing it.

 Vepir suddenly cursed under his breath. He whirled towards Zarek, his expression deathly urgent as he swiftly closed the distance between them.

 "Sorry about this…"

 Zarek could only gasp in shock as Vepir began to kiss him, the passionate touch of their lips momentarily stifling his growing fear, even as his hair began to stand on end.

 There was only one reason the incubus would need to fuel his power so suddenly.

 Vepir's moved his mouth sensually over Zarek's, pressing a firm hand on the back of the other demon's head as he deepened the kiss almost immediately. His tongue darted out, tasting Zarek's mouth in a hungry, lustful way.

 Zarek's mind was a blur. He shuddered, melting into the kiss, trying to tell himself that it was only because he knew what Vepir needed, desperately attempting to ignore the dangerous fluttering of his heart as his head spun with sensation. He found himself returning the kiss, matching Vepir's passion as their tongues tangled together.

 He was suddenly completely overwhelmed with the hunger and intensity of Vepir's kiss, the taste of his tongue against his own. The incubus tasted so unbelievably rich, like wisps of smoke and hints of worn leather, something dangerous yet irresistible, pulling Zarek in with each brush of their lips and tongues. He could feel his body flushing with heat in that moment.

 Even as Zarek gasped into the unexpected kiss, Vepir's free hand clenched at his side. He pressed closer to Zarek, their bodies now flush, knowing he didn't have a single moment to spare; he knew a fight was moments away, and these precious few seconds of intimacy could mean life or death. The incubus's movements were almost desperate as he felt the familiar power growing within him, surging into his limbs with each touch and taste of the lesser demon.

 It was then that the presence around them made itself known. A taunting female voice sounded behind Vepir, chillingly sinister.

 "Found a new toy, huh, Vepir?"