Igniting Sparks

The compound was quieter now, though tension still clung to the air like the lingering scent of smoke. The meetings with the enclaves had gone as well as expected—meaning, terribly. Half-hearted alliances, suspicions thick enough to cut with a knife, and the creeping sense that they were on borrowed time before Jace and Ellie's people struck.

Leila felt the weight of it pressing against her skull, making her temples throb. The orange glow of lanterns flickered weakly against the cooling air, casting shifting shadows along the makeshift barricades and reinforcing the uneasy atmosphere.

The night had a dampness to it, the kind that settled in her bones and refused to leave. She pulled her jacket tighter around her shoulders, rubbing at her arms as she made her way toward one of the more secluded spots in the compound—the half-collapsed wall near the north side. It was quiet here, away from the murmurs of frustration and paranoia still spreading among the survivors.

She just needed a moment. A damn second to breathe without someone demanding answers she didn't have.

Settling onto a low stack of cinder blocks, she stared out over the darkened landscape beyond the walls. The fields stretched into obscurity, swallowed by the shadows of trees and distant hills. There was no sign of movement, but that didn't mean nothing was out there.

Her hands curled into fists in her lap, knuckles stiff from hours of gripping weapons and clenching through another round of meaningless negotiations. If Jace and Ellie's band was really gathering strength, if the enclaves were too paralyzed by their own fears to stand together, what the hell were they supposed to do?

The soft scuff of boots on gravel behind her barely registered. She knew who it was before he even spoke.

Kai.

He didn't say anything at first, just approached with his usual measured pace, stopping a few feet away as if sensing she might bolt if he came too close.

"Mind if I join you?" His voice was low, steady—lacking the exhaustion or irritation that had laced most of their conversations with others today.

Leila exhaled slowly through her nose. "It's a free camp."

Kai took that as permission and sat beside her, leaving a small gap between them. Not much, but enough that she didn't feel suffocated. He leaned forward, forearms braced against his knees, gazing at the distant treeline as if he could see something she couldn't.

For a while, neither of them spoke. The quiet stretched between them, but it wasn't uncomfortable.

Leila focused on the sound of the night—wind rustling through skeletal tree branches, the distant creak of wood as someone adjusted a watchtower post, the occasional muttered voices of the late-night patrol.

She should say something. Acknowledge his presence, at least.

Instead, she let out a dry laugh. "I think today was one of my greatest hits."

Kai tilted his head slightly, glancing at her. "How do you figure?"

"Oh, you know, nothing like being accused of harboring a traitor and being doubted by the same people who expect us to pull off a miracle defense against Jace's scavengers." She ran a hand through her hair, letting out a frustrated sigh. "At this point, I don't know why I even bother trying to convince them."

Kai was quiet for a moment, then said, "Because you don't want to see people die when it could have been prevented."

Leila snorted, shaking her head. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just too stubborn to let them prove me wrong."

Kai's lips quirked, but the amusement didn't fully reach his eyes. He studied her in that way he always did—like he was measuring her pulse without touching her, gauging the depth of the wounds she never spoke about.

Then, after another beat of silence, he said, "You don't have to carry all of it alone."

Leila stiffened.

She didn't look at him, just focused on the far-off treetops, the way they swayed slightly against the night sky.

"I know you're not Jace," she said after a long moment, the words slow, careful. "I know that up here." She tapped her temple with two fingers, then dropped her hand back to her lap. "But knowing it and trusting it… those are two different things."

She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to just—let my guard down again. Not after everything."

Kai didn't react right away. He sat with the weight of her words, absorbing them like he always did. When he finally spoke, his voice was even, calm.

"I get it."

That was all. No push for her to try harder, no empty promises that it would be different, no frustrated sighs like she was something to be fixed.

And somehow, that was worse.

Because he did get it. And that made it so much harder to keep the distance between them.

She let out a slow breath, her fingers twitching against her knee. "You don't have to keep trying, you know," she muttered.

"Trying what?"

"This." She gestured vaguely between them. "Waiting around for me to magically get over my shit."

Kai studied her for a long moment, then leaned back slightly, shifting his weight. "I'm not waiting for anything, Leila."

She frowned, finally looking at him.

He held her gaze, unreadable at first. Then, softer, "I'm just here."

Leila's stomach twisted, something warm and aching curling around her ribs.

God, why was this so much harder than any fight she'd ever been in?

She could go toe-to-toe with the undead, could make ruthless survival decisions without hesitation. But sitting here, next to him, with the quiet understanding in his eyes and the steady warmth of his presence?

It made her want to run.

Her fingers twitched again, barely brushing the edge of his where they rested between them. For a split second, she thought about closing the gap, about letting herself take the tiniest step forward.

But she didn't.

Instead, she exhaled sharply and looked away. "You have a weird definition of 'not waiting,'" she muttered.

Kai chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "Maybe."

The moment passed, but something lingered in its wake. Not quite spoken, not quite resolved, but there.

Leila stood first, brushing imaginary dust from her pants. "Get some sleep," she said, her voice steadier than she felt. "Tomorrow's going to be a long one."

Kai didn't argue. He simply nodded, watching her for a second longer before standing as well.

But as she turned to leave, he called out, just soft enough that she almost missed it.

"You don't have to let your guard down all at once."

Leila hesitated.

Then, without turning back, she nodded once and disappeared into the night.

Kai watched her go, exhaling slowly as he raked a hand through his hair.

A step forward. Small. Barely noticeable.

But still a step.