Chương 16: The Snitch’s Mistake
Chapter: 15
"Well, are you going to explain?" I asked, leveling my blade closer to him.
The boy didn't speak, frozen in place with his mouth half-open, staring between me and Abeni's weapon. His gaze flicked from our faces back to the blade and spear as he swallowed hard, sweat trickling down his forehead.
"Believe me, it will not end well for you if you don't," Abeni warned, her voice low and flat as she raised her spear just a little higher, enough to make her meaning clear.
He managed a nervous laugh, taking a step back, hands raised in a gesture of innocence. "He-hey now, let's not be rash! I… I was just taking a walk, you see," he stammered, his voice shaky, barely keeping calm.
"A walk?" I said, eyes narrowing. "And that walk just so happened to include following us since this morning? You thought we wouldn't notice?"
"What? I wasn't—I didn't… you're imagining things!" He stumbled over his words, his tone turning defensive, with a weak attempt at sounding indignant. "I mean, what could I possibly get from spying on the likes of you?" His voice wavered, eyes darting from me to Abeni, back to me. "I was just out here, stretching my legs!"
"Stretching your legs? Middle of the night, out here in a hidden clearing?" Abeni sneered, rolling her eyes. "Sure. So then, why have you been following us?"
He shook his head, forcing a laugh that sounded too loud, too forced. "You're both imagining things!" he repeated, trying to sound more confident but failing. "We're on the same plantation, aren't we? Bound to bump into each other here and there, right?"
"Right, of course. Just a coincidence," I said, letting my tone turn mocking. "So you're really expecting us to believe you're out here by chance?"
"Yes! Just a… a coincidence. Besides, it's not like I'm the only one walking around. You two are out here too, aren't you?"
Abeni raised her spear a little higher, her gaze icy. "Yeah, but we're here by choice. And as Kael said, nobody knows about this spot except for the two of us. So if it wasn't a coincidence, and it wasn't curiosity…" She leaned in, her voice turning sharp, "Then you'd better start talking. Now."
He looked between us, mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. For a second, I thought he might cave, that he'd confess, but then his lips pressed into a tight line, his gaze flickering with a new determination. "You… you don't know anything about me. I'm not… I'm not one of you." He lifted his chin, trying to stand tall, though his legs trembled slightly. "I don't need to explain myself to people like you."
Abeni raised her spear, glaring at him. "People like us?"
"Yeah," he replied, forcing a smirk that came out shaky. "If you two knew what was good for you, you wouldn't go poking into other people's business."
"And if you knew what was good for you," I replied, my voice ice-cold, "you'd quit lying. You think I haven't noticed you cozying up to the slavers, sneaking around, whispering to them when you think nobody's looking?"
His eyes widened, and for a second, real fear broke through his facade. "Wh-what are you talking about? I would never… you can't prove any of that!"
"Oh, so you were talking to them?" I asked, giving him a dangerous smile. "Thanks for confirming it."
His face went pale.
He stammered, trying to talk his way out of it. "No, I… you tricked me. That wasn't… that doesn't mean anything!"
"Of course, it doesn't," Abeni sneered. "Because if it did, you'd be caught red-handed for exactly what you were doing: trailing us to get information you can pass on."
He scowled, stepping back, defiance hardening his features. "And so what if I was? It's not like you two would understand." His voice dripped with contempt. "You're stuck here, you always have been. But I have options. I'm not just a nobody. My father is one of the slavers. You think I'd be stuck here like the rest of you?"
"That so?" I said, smirking. "And ratting people out is your ticket out of here, huh?"
His face flushed, but he didn't back down. "Better to get a chance at freedom than to rot here my whole life," he snapped, pride lacing his tone as he looked away. "If you knew what I did for them, you'd thank me. They'd thank me too—at least the ones who didn't get caught."
Abeni's eyes blazed with fury. "So you've sold out others, too?" Her grip tightened on her spear, flames flaring at its tip.
The boy shrugged, crossing his arms as he looked back at us defiantly. "It's better than what you two are doing. They'd be glad to have someone like me to look up to. At least I'll be remembered." He let out a bitter laugh. "Who's going to remember you?"
A cold fury settled over me. The desperation in his voice, the thinly veiled resentment, told me he really believed his words. To him, selling out others was a twisted way to elevate himself above the very people he came from.
"Go on, then," I said, my voice low. "Tell us your name."
He stared, startled by the question. He glanced between me and Abeni, hesitating.
"What's the matter? You got so much pride in what you're doing, don't you?" Abeni taunted. "Then tell us who we're dealing with."
"Ezekiel," he said finally, his voice laced with venom. "But soon enough, you'll be calling me Sir. You just wait."
Abeni and I exchanged a look, and I gave her a small nod. She stepped back, lowering her spear just slightly, creating a small gap between us.
"Right. Well, here's your warning, Ezekiel." I leveled my sword at him one last time. "Stay away from us. You so much as breathe a word about this to anyone, and I'll make sure you regret it."
He sneered, his mask of arrogance returning as he turned away, muttering under his breath. "Pathetic. Don't think for a second I'll take threats from you seriously." He laughed softly, the sound grating.
I glanced at Abeni, catching the knowing look in her eye. She barely inclined her head, and I caught the message in her gaze.
Ezekiel hadn't gone more than a few steps when I said quietly, so only she could hear, "Now."
Abeni's spear ignited, flames swirling along the length of it as she raised her arm. In one smooth motion, she threw it with deadly precision, the weapon streaking through the air like a comet, its blazing tip cutting through the darkness.
The spear struck Ezekiel square in the back, piercing his chest. He staggered, his eyes widening in shock and pain as he looked down, seeing the flames slowly consuming him from within.
"W-what…?" he choked out, his voice barely a whisper as he turned to face us, his face twisted in horror and confusion.
Abeni's expression was cold, unflinching as she watched him. "You should've kept quiet."
Before Ezekiel could respond, the flames erupted, enveloping him in a roaring pillar of fire. His scream was cut off almost instantly, the sound swallowed by the inferno. The blaze raged for a few moments before flickering out, leaving nothing but a small pile of ash on the forest floor.
Silence fell over the clearing, the air thick with the scent of smoke and scorched earth. I glanced at Abeni, who dismissed the remnants of her spear with a flick of her hand, her face as calm as if she'd just swatted a fly.
"Let's go," she said, turning away from the ashes.
I nodded, following her without another word. There was no need to speak; we both knew what had to be done. We would take no chances, not with the future we were planning.
As we walked away, leaving the scorched ground behind, I felt a strange sense of calm settle over me. One less threat to worry about. One step closer to freedom.
And in two days, we'd be leaving this place for good.
Chapter 15: End
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