The bandit held up both his hands in surrender. "It's not what you think. We weren't doing anything."
Said the panicked nake man.
Sabastian crossed his arms across his chest. "Is it not? From where I'm standing it looks like you both are bathing together. Isn't that what's happening here?"
"No," the bandit blurted out. "We are bathing but not together. She's there and I'm here."
Oh, God, help this man.
Two lines pinched between the alpha's brows. "Are you trying to say I need glasses?"
The bandit gaped.
He was a lost cause. His fear of Sabastian was not healthy.
I sighed. "We are getting cleaned up. I'm sure that is not a problem. After all, you and Angel did the same thing earlier. If you want to sit and watch, you are welcome to."
The bandit shook his head and gave me a questioning look. The alpha was indeed scary at times, but we would get nowhere if we showed our fear. The bastard reveled in that.
I stood and the bandit looked away.
Sabastian arched a brow. "What are you trying to say?"
Whatever he wanted to think.
I washed myself. "I'm saying anything you and Angel were doing, that's the same thing we are doing now."
"Oh, and what if we were doing more than washing ourselves?" He stepped closer to the water. "What if we were—"
"Then, that's what the bandit and I are doing," I interrupted.
"Wait, what? No, I'm out here washing myself," the bandit insisted. "Nothing else."
Sabastian's gaze flickered from me to the bandit. "The bandit's name is Leo."
Okay.
I eyed the alpha. "Leo and I were taking a bath and getting acquainted with each other. After all, he's a nice guy. I wouldn't mind being touched by such a sweet guy like him. I can bet he knows how to—"
The rest of my sentence was knocked from my lips when Sabastian grabbed my face and thrust me into the water. I didn't have time to catch my breath before I was under the water. I fought to get up but he held me still. My chest burned and water filled my mouth.
Self-preservation kicked in and energy surged through my body. My fangs lengthened and my nails sharpened. I dug them into the flesh of his hand but he didn't so much as flinched. His grip was still too strong.
A barrier spell formed in my mind. It twirled with the excess energy from the adrenaline in my body. The barrier built shoved Sabastian away from me. I emerged to the surface with a half-gasp half-cough.
The shove from the barrier caused a semi-blast. Sabastian was drenched from the gush of water. Glowing gold eyes burned with irritation.
He moved towards me. Despite the water, his steps were fast. I attempted to dodge him but he grabbed my hair and yanked me back. I slapped into the water. One of my arms flew to his to ease the pain it inflicted on my scalp. The bandit moved towards us but paused at Sabastian's words.
Anger now blazed in the alpha's voice. "If you come any closer, it's the last step you'll ever make."
Sabastian dragged me from the water by my hair. Angel came out at the commotion. All the color from her face drained at the sight before her. She looked at the bandit. He kept his mouth shut.
Sabastian pushed me. I fell, scraping my leg on a stone. Now, it was my turn to be annoyed. A ball of the essence in the air formed in my palms. I threw it at the jerk. He didn't move but stopped it with a raise of his palm. The energy seeped into his hand.
My action ignited anger in him. He growled and came closer, towering over me.
Angel intercepted him. "Easy, big guy. We need her, remember? You made me a promise."
He looked at the Guardian Angel. The night grew extra silent as if someone told the atmosphere to calm and wait for the alpha's response.
He turned his focus to my tent. "I want it down."
Angel frowned. "What?"
He glared at her. "Are you deaf? I want it down. Now! Since she likes it so much out here, she should sleep here."
Angel's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. Instead of spitting a refusal, she complied. One snap of her fingers and the tent was gone.
Sabastian turned to the bandit. "Get in your tent, it's bedtime." He strolled to his. "Anyone help her and they will become an enemy of mine."
How dare he? I did not endure centuries of my mother's abuse just to take it from some asshole. No! I was freaking Scarlet Jones, daughter to the evilest witch known Deanna Cunningham, and to the most powerful vampire in the universe Nathan Jones. A quadbrid or not, I wasn't going to take this lying down. It was not the Jones way.
Hatred filled me with more energy.
Mother had a point. All men were scumbags. It was up to me to show them I was not weak. I would never be weak ever again.
I got to my feet. "Lahab alghadabi. Niran alalihati. 'unashiduk 'an taqridani quatuka. 'Aetini musaeadataka. 'Asheal alnaar fi kuli qibli." (Flames of fury. Flames of the Gods. I call upon you to lend me your power. Give me your aid. Set ablaze to all before me.)
The remaining tents caught a fire. The heat scorched our skins. Angel used a ward to protect her and Sabastian from the hungry flames. The bandit backed into the water to ease most of the humidity.
I watched as it all burned to ash then waved away the flames. Angel released the ward. Sabastian narrowed his eyes at me.
I flicked a lock of wet hair over my shoulder. "It looks like we all are going to have to sleep out under the moon. It's a good night to stare at the stars."
Sabastian advanced at me. Angel grabbed his arm. He raked a hand through his hair.
I went back to the water to wash myself.
That was what he got for pissing me off. So, what if he was stronger than me? I was not going to go down without a fight. My mother was a vicious woman but I would be a fool to not need her warnings. 'Men would always take advantage of you if they think you are weak.' The amount of time she chanted those words was far more than a child was supposed to hear them.
I learned one thing. Men weren't the only ones to prey on the weak. So did women. It was what predators did. Mother used my weakness against me. Her own daughter. Flesh and blood. I was just a tool to get her revenge from the minute she learned she was pregnant. I had been a prey for far too long. It was time to become a predator.
I just didn't want to be the predator that became as heartless as Mother. There was a thin line to cross. I was not evil and would never be. Even if it meant showing mercy to everything. But what I would never be was weak.
I conjured clothes. Lucky for the bandit, he brought his out here with him. A smart move or else it would have been torched with everything else.
It would be easy to summon another tent for myself but there was no telling when that alpha would prance. I could not be sleeping when it happened.
Angel made sure to keep Sabastian at a safe distance from me. Or maybe it was the other way around. None of us fell asleep. The alpha kept sending death glares over to me. Angel stayed up to ensure we stayed away from each other. The bandit was used to being up during the night. Before we knew it, the leaves of the trees changed to green.
Angel stretched with a yawn. "We'll continue north. We might run into some vicious beast. Try to be alert."
Like we weren't already traveling with one of those beasts.
The three went ahead while I lagged. I took a picture of the riverside as promised to the bandit.
Like before we walked until my feet grew numb. This time we covered more grounds than the first day. Sabastian's annoyed state pushed Angel to hike faster.
We tramped without an encounter with a beast. It had to be the mood that circled our group that warded off the animals. This was the case for the entire day. Just before dusk, our luck ran out.
"We will have to set up camp somewhere near here," Angel announced. "It's not a good idea to travel at night. Plus, I'm tired. I don't know about you guys, but I need rest."
"Where do we make camp?" Sabastian clipped.
Angel's face brightened. "We will have to build a camp in a big enough space for our tents."
"Tents?" The bandit hissed. "I thought they were burnt."
Angel smirked. "Please, who do you think I am, an amateur? We are on one of the most dangerous journeys in this universe. Of course, I'm going to bring extra."
I smile at the sly woman.
"Oh, we can camp there." Angel pointed at an opening.
Before I could head towards the space, something grabbed me.