Ignited by Desni Dantone

tree. 
    I scooted to the tree next to his and did the same. Only because I was that exhausted was I able to pretend the hard bark was a soft tower of feathers. I closed my eyes and, for a moment, thought I might even fall asleep. It must have been really late. 
    Hey, can you tell the time from the stars, too?” I opened one eye and turned it to him when he didn’t answer. “You don’t like to talk much, do you?”
    “No.”
    “No, you don’t like to talk much or no, you can’t tell the time from the stars?”
    “No, I don’t talk much,” he said drily. “Yes, I could tell the time from the stars. Or I could use my watch.” 
    I had forgotten about the watch. I considered asking him the time; decided I didn’t want to know. “So is there a plan other than hiding out in the mountains, because that doesn’t sound like much of a plan to me?”
    He rolled his head toward mine and met my eyes with a nonverbal plea to shut up. I pretended not to notice.
    “Is it a good time to ask you what’s going on?” I held my breath, waiting for an immediate rebuttal. When it didn’t come, I turned to him.
    He looked uncertain. Not like he didn’t want to tell me, but like he didn’t know how to tell me.
    “Let’s start with this…” I turned to sit facing him, my legs crossed in front of me. “Who are you?”
    He didn’t look at me. “I don’t know where to start.”
    “Maybe what are you would be better?” I nibbled on my lip. It was bold of me to go there, but I wasn’t stupid. Something unnatural was going on here. People were vaporizing. 
    Even in the dark, I could see his mouth curve into a small grin. He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “What are you trying to say? I’m not human?” 
    I refused to show my nerves. “I don’t believe in comic book characters, but there’s something a little comic book weird-like going on here.” 
    “Comic book weird?” I heard the amusement in his voice. He looked away, puckered his lips, and nodded thoughtfully. “Maybe you can handle it.” He opened his mouth hesitantly, and closed it without saying anything.  
    “I can ask,” I suggested. “You can confirm or deny.”
    His quiet answer barely reached my ears in the dark. “Okay.”
    “Are you not human?” I held my breath.
    He rolled his head, seemingly amused by that question, yet struggling to answer it. Finally, he shrugged decisively and said, “Ninety-five percent human.” He hesitated a moment before turning his eyes to mine.
    I composed myself well, I thought, and when he looked at me, my reaction was that of indifference. So I was in the company of someone not entirely human? Surprisingly, that fact didn’t freak me out. Well, not that much. What was the other five percent of him? I couldn’t bring myself to ask. Not yet. “And those other guys?”
    “Not all human either.”
    “But they’re not really like you?”
    He shook his head and spoke slowly. “We’re natural enemies. We’re similar, but not on the same side.”
    “And your side is?” I thought I knew the answer. Regardless, I was nervous as I awaited his answer.
    He rolled his head to me again. “I’m one of the good guys.” 
    I didn’t realize I had been holding my breath until I sighed in relief. 
    He raised his eyebrows. “Surprised by that?”
    I shrugged bashfully. “Not really,” I mumbled. “It’s just, I mean, what about Alec?”
    His eyes hardened before he looked away. “We’re not on the same side.”
    “So he’s one of those bad guys?” I couldn’t help the doubt in my voice. I knew Alec. He wasn’t bad. Not in this sense. And he wasn’t creepy like those other guys. He looked like Nathan and I—like normal. He had told me to stay away from the guys that had been in Gran’s house. Why would he do that if he was one of them?
    But then how did he know them in the first place?
    Nathan’s jaw tightened. “Yes, he is. He was using you. I don’t know why. I don’t know what