KYUNGSOO

“Explain yourselves!”

I slowly turned around, grabbing Shinhye by the arm to keep her behind me. I was still too tense and highly strung from the little adventure I had with the maiden. To be honest, I was ready to kill the hooded figure had it been any other person, but it was good that it turned out to be her after all. She was a handful and I didn’t know she was capable of such matters. A woman her age shouldn’t be thinking of such matters, but she did her own reconnaissance, stumbled into it, but still, she was very efficient when it came to matters as such. It got me to wonder what she really did in the human world. The possibilities were unnerving.

On the other hand, I wouldn’t deny that I had fun. It was one of the rare times I would really get to see into her. She was reserved most of the time and was too sardonic when we talk to her, but then, tonight, she showed me a side of herself she probably hadn’t with the others, not even Baekhyun whom she was always with. I had fun to say the least. We’ve been having problems, but none of those required us to use the kind of power exertion I had to do that night. I had Ahn Shinhye to thank for that. She was one of a kind and I was prepared to defend her tonight from the inquisition that was to come from my fellow nobles.

I heard her swallow from behind me and I gave her arm a light, reassuring squeeze. “Explain what?” I asked Suho.

Chan Yeol and Sehun hadn’t transformed back into their physical forms, both specters standing on each side of their formation like sentinels. It made the tension in the room even heavier and thicker as they eyed me with smoldering eyes, alight with whirlwinds and inferno.

Suho stepped forward. “Why were you out at this time of night?” He glanced at the timepiece. “It’s close to midnight.”

I pulled Shinhye forward and slung an arm around her shoulder. “We’re sorry. I just saw her at the stables, helping the foreman feed the horses and we’ve decided to just have a stroll by the hills.”

Kai eyed our shoes. “That doesn’t explain the utter lack of dirt on your shoes,” he said quietly.

I frowned. “We’ve spent most of the time on treetops. How can we possibly get dirt on our shoes?” I scoffed. “Why are we being interrogated for this?”

“We’ve problems approaching.” Sehun gritted his teeth as he transformed into his physical form. “I sent Aeolan spies to the city and they’ve reported that the purists were sacking the city, holding some prisoners.”

“I am aware,” I snapped.

“Do Kyungsoo, your actions suggest otherwise,” Suho scolded.

“It’s precisely why I kept Shinhye out of their way.”

“That doesn’t justify both of your recklessness.”

Shinhye scoffed. “I can handle myself perfectly. Had there been anything then I would have simply –”

“We know what you’re capable of, but you mustn’t court danger,” Sehun snarled.

“We weren’t doing such thing!” she retorted. She really wasn’t scared of them.

“You shouldn’t be out. They’re looking for you,” Chan Yeol told her.

“Precisely why I shouldn’t be here.”

“What?” Suho asked, trying to be gentle, but failing miserably.

“I shouldn’t be here.” Shinhye took a deep breath. “I they ever come looking for me here then all of you would be tangled in the mess. If they want me, they can try getting me.”

“Where else should you be then?”

“Anywhere but here.”

“We’re bound to protect you,” Kai said.

Shinhye shrugged. “I know that. I just don’t want to feel useless.”

“We’re not trying to make you feel that way.”

“But you’re not going to let me fight, correct?”

“You’re not going to do that, yes,” Sehun said firmly. “There’s no way.”

“Even if I’m an advantage?”

“If it only deems necessary,” he answered, still standing his ground.

I wasn’t into the idea of making letting her do it either, but I can’t hide the fact that she had potentials higher than any of us held at the moment. “Shinhye, it’s too dangerous,” I told her.

She glared at me. “You saw what I did. You know I can do it. At least let me help!” she ominously hissed.

Her statement stunned us all.

“I’m sorry, Kyungsoo. I just don’t like the idea of not doing anything while those hooligans do everything to destroy all that I care for.”

Only Baekhyun didn’t speak, but then, he stepped forward and took both of Shinhye’s hands, imploring. No one just can get through to her with scolding and I know that he knew that certain side of the multi-faceted Shinhye.

“Shin-Shin, what exactly did you do?” he asked her gently.

Before she could answer that, one of the spies that Sehun sent came into the room in a flurry of wind, appearing by the doorway. He bowed before all of us. All attention was on him the moment he straightened up.

“Speak,” Sehun commanded. At times like such, he didn’t seem like his age at all.

“The purists have camped at the southern border of the village.”

“Did you find them?”

The man nodded. “We did. We found them all lifeless, burnt and buried in a thin layer of earth right where their camp should be.”

“Pardon me?” Suho asked. “Dead? They were all dead? How many?”

“Two to three hundred bodies, all piled up. It was the troop from the north-eastern border.”

“And what of the prisoners?” Sehun demanded.

“All freed.”

“How in the world…” Beakhyun’s voice trailed off as he looked at Shinhye again. “You didn’t.”

“Half the credit goes to Kyungsoo,” she said bold