Chapter Twenty-Nine
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ARKAS FELT BLEAK AFTER ending the tiny girl’s life. It had been a mercy killing, but he didn’t enjoy murdering children. Oaklie had taken it badly, but she didn’t blame him or hold it against him. She knew it had been necessary.
“It sounds like the hail has stopped,” he said, still caressing her silky hair as she tried to regain control of her emotions.
“Great, let’s go,” she said, finally pulling away from him.
“It’s still raining heavily,” Arkas warned her.
“I don’t care,” she replied. “I’ll swim if I have to, but I don’t want to stay here for a minute longer.”
Arkas didn’t like it when his female was upset.
Tears were still running down her face as she frantically packed her belongings.
He gathered his work in progress, the tools and his clothing.
She reverted the intricate carvings back to plain wood, then checked that they had everything before following him to their truck.
“Do you want to drive?” Arkas asked, placing the box of food on the back seat.
“You’re a better driver than I am,” she replied dully, tossing her bags onto the back seat.
Arkas stashed his gear in the back as well, then slid behind the steering wheel.
The rain wasn’t as torrential when he drove out from beneath the cover.
He took it slow as he headed onto the interstate.
At least the weather was too treacherous for humans to attempt to ambush them.
Lightning hit a tree nearby, blinding him momentarily.
The strike had set the tree on fire. The rain put the blaze out, but mother nature was relentless.
Dozens of lightning strikes lit up the sky, illuminating the pileups and obstructions ahead.
The storm finally began to abate late in the afternoon. They’d driven a few hundred miles and he needed to top up the tank again.
“I’m going to find somewhere safe for us to spend the night,” Arkas said.
Oaklie was poring over the map that was spread out on her lap. “There should be a small town a few miles ahead,” she said. Her mood wasn’t as dark now, but she hadn’t smiled once since leaving the motel.
He saw an exit ramp four miles later and took it. A gas station was the first building they came to.
“I guess we won’t be topping up the tank and jerrycans here,” Oaklie said dourly.
“I doubt there’s any fuel left,” he said wryly, skirting around the blackened remains of the gas station. It looked like an explosion had wiped out all of the fuel pumps and half of the building.
“There’s still people here,” his cambion said as he drove into the town.
“I’ll keep going until we find somewhere that’s secluded and vacant,” he decided. He wasn’t about to take any chances and risk her life.
Oaklie directed him to a private road that led to several huge properties.
He drove up the first driveway when the house appeared to be abandoned.
“The storms have been just as fierce here,” he surmised.
Windows on the right side of the house had been smashed by hail.
The lone vehicle that had been left out sported deep dents and shattered windows.
“The left side of the house seems okay,” Oaklie said. “They’ve got propane gas, so I might be able to have a hot meal tonight.” Her tone was still dull, as if nothing could cheer her up.
Arkas parked behind the ruined truck and they climbed out.
They could both sense the house was empty.
The door was locked, but Oaklie altered the frame to allow them to enter.
Musty, damp and smelly, the living room they entered had suffered extensive water damage.
The large picture windows were broken, letting the elements in.
“It’s not exactly going to be easy to defend,” Arkas said wryly.
“We’ll only be here for one night,” Oaklie pointed out, heading left into the kitchen. She tried the stovetop and was rewarded when the gas came on. “Can you check if the bedrooms upstairs are intact?” she asked.
He would have done anything to make her happy, but kept that thought to himself.
Oaklie Woods had somehow become just as important to him as his brothers were.
He knew it had to be due to the strange link they seemed to share.
It was unheard of for knights and cambions to become allies.
He wished their relationship could be far more than just friends.
He wished he could give her a life full of safety and happiness, filled with magical artwork and things that would bring her joy.
Trudging upstairs, he checked the bedrooms as requested.
The master was on the left, with a large ensuite attached.
None of the windows were broken and it was dry and mold free.
He couldn’t say the same for the other rooms. Opening the doors, he wrinkled his nose at the musty odors that wafted into the hallway.
“The master bedroom is dry,” he reported when he returned downstairs.
“I hope we don’t get attacked by any crazy people or any psychotic kids show up this time,” she joked.
It was the first sign that her morose mood was lifting and he grinned in response. “We’ll sense them long before they can infiltrate the house, female,” he said.
He sat down to watch as Oaklie hunted in the pantry for food. She opened a can of meat and vegetables, then put it on the stovetop to cook. He got up to get a bowl out of a cupboard for her, then put it on the kitchen table.
“The water isn’t working here,” she said. “Could you grab some water from the truck for me?”
“Of course,” he said, pathetically eager to help. “What’s wrong with me?” he murmured as he searched the boxes on the back seat of their truck for water. He’d never felt this way about a female before. All she had to do was wish for something and he’d rush to make sure she got it.
It was worth it when his cambion smiled at him as he entered the kitchen. “You’re the best, Arkas,” Oaklie said.
“That’s what my brothers tell me all the time,” he joked. She snickered and he was relieved that her black mood was finally lifting. “Is there anything else you need?” he asked.
“You could box up the food that’s in the pantry so we can take it with us,” she suggested, stirring her meal so it didn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Glad to have something to do, Arkas searched the house and found some large plastic containers.
He piled all of the food and beverages from the pantry into it.
Oaklie sat down at the kitchen table to eat her meal.
She’d used an old kettle on the stovetop to boil water for tea.
The sun had gone down, but they didn’t turn their flashlights on.
The house was visible from the road and they didn’t want to draw any attention to themselves.
“I’m beat,” Oaklie said when she finished her meal. “I’m going to crash early. Maybe we can get back on the road once the sun comes up. If it doesn’t storm again, that is.”
“I suppose there’s no point asking you to lock the doors,” Arkas said wryly, glancing at the broken windows in the living room.
“I can lock our bedroom door if it makes you feel better,” she said teasingly.
His entire body went rigid. “You wish for me to sleep in the same bed as you again?” he asked.
“The other beds are wet and moldy, aren’t they?” she pointed out as she rose to her feet.
“They are,” he confirmed, glad the table was hiding his unruly hardon.
“Come on, then,” she said, crooking her finger at him. “I’m too tired to hump you into submission, Knight of Order.”
He let out a raspy chuckle, grabbing the duffle bags he’d brought inside. He held them in front of his body to hide his reaction to her comment. It wasn’t easy to banish the mental image of her humping his brains out as they climbed upstairs to the second floor.
Oaklie used the bathroom while he quickly changed the sheets.
She didn’t need to see the empty clothing that the raptured former owners had left behind.
He stuffed the sheets into the closet and fluffed up the pillows.
He got changed while she was still occupied in the ensuite.
He’d opted not to ask her to lock the bedroom door, just in case they needed to leave in a hurry.
Emerging from the bathroom, Oaklie stopped dead when she saw he was shirtless. His sweatpants were too small and hid nothing from her view. “I hope you’re not going to poke me in the back all night long with that weapon you’re hiding in your pants,” she said with a smirk.
“Have no fear, female,” Arkas said instead of the dozen inappropriate comments about poking her in other places that sprang to mind. “I’ll be a perfect gentleman,” he vowed.
“Remember what I can do with wood if you forget to keep your hands to yourself,” she said, then broke into laughter when he glanced down at his jutting shaft. The room was dark, but her night vision compensated for it.
“A lesser man would be emasculated by his female laughing at him,” Arkas said wryly. “Fortunately, my ego can withstand it.”
Oaklie pulled the sheets and blankets back and climbed into bed. “All joking aside, I’m glad you’re here, Arkas,” she said. “I don’t want to be alone tonight. Not after what happened at the motel.” She was silent as he joined her beneath the sheets. “Will you hold me?” she asked hesitantly.
“For as long as you like,” he vowed, rolling over to tuck one arm around her. He curled his legs up, cocooning the tiny cambion in his embrace. He also made sure he wouldn’t accidentally poke her in the back with his stubborn wood that refused to deflate.
“This is nice,” she said, already sounding like she was drifting off. “I could get used to this.”
“As could I,” the knight said beneath his breath, feeling sharp pain constrict his heart. It was agony knowing he would only be here for a short while. Once the war was over, he would return to the Void no matter whether they won or lost.