Chapter 37
Thirty-Seven
DEMITRIA
D emitria watched the entrance with bated breath, listening as the argument raged on beyond the entrance as she leaned against Jace. She could hear Eire shouting as the siblings fought and had a growing suspicion it was over what happened last night between her and Kellan. Her people had been none the wiser, the Horsemen were different.
Demitria didn’t know how to go about the morning. The sun had broken over the horizon nearly an hour ago, yet they stood waiting in the cavern as the embers of the nights fire died into nothing, sucking the remaining warmth with it.
When Kellan rounded the corner, her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. She could see his narrowed gaze from where she stood. The scowl on his face as he all but stormed through the entrance. He didn’t look happy. She felt her body take a step in his direction. His eyes met hers. She should say something. Anything. Neither of them had said a word to each other after last night.
“Morning.” Not exactly what she’d had in mind, but it was something. Absently, she took a step away from Jace. Putting distance between them.
“Good morning.” His gaze didn’t break. Staring at her. Into her. Like he was reading every thought. Like he knew exactly what she was thinking. It took every ounce of strength she had in her to not take those few steps forward. To throw her arms around him and press her body flush against him like she wanted.
Stop.
Her mind screamed at her. Scolded her for even thinking it. They’d agreed it wasn’t right. That they couldn’t pursue anything between them, despite that tether pulling them together. But the way he’d felt last night. The warmth of his skin beneath her fingers. The feel of his hands on her as she?—
Enough!
“I take it we’re leaving?” She had to look away. Her body would betray her if she didn’t. Any moment, she’d lose.
“Your little tiff with your sister over?” Will laughed. She was thankful, for once. His outburst had drawn Kellan from her. Pulled those azure eyes away, and she could feel her breathing even. Her heart slowing.
“Get your things together.” He huffed. She could hear the hardness in it. He was angry. He wanted to say something, but he wouldn’t. Demitria imagined fighting with his siblings drained him. “We’re leaving.” All she could hear was the thud of his boots along the rock as he left once more. She should go after him. Talk to him. Figure out what exactly had been bothering him.
She didn’t.
Jace looked at her, his brow raised in question. She couldn’t tell him what had happened with Kellan while he slept. Didn’t think he’d understand any of it. Hell, even she didn’t, really.
She must be sick. Twisted, somehow. Kellan had tried to kill her merely weeks ago, but she’d let him touch her last night. Hadn’t wanted him to stop when he’d pulled away as quickly as he had. She’d contemplated begging him to come back as that feeling pooled within her.
Demitria just shrugged. “We should probably head out. Gabriel said we leave at dawn, and we’re already late.” She took another step away from Jace, placing one foot in front of the other until she was passing between the stalagmites at the entrance, and out into the early morning air.
The siblings sat atop their mounts, waiting for her and her people with hard expressions on their faces. Gabriel’s lips held in a firm line, while Eire scowled toward the entrance. At her, it almost seemed like. Kane was the only one looking away, his piercing blue eyes fixated on the canyon before them.
Kellan stood beside his mount, holding his reins in one hand while the other held Atlas. He whispered something to the horse. Atlas nudged him softly, blowing a soft breath from his nose as if in understanding. Curiosity spiked within her, and Demitria found herself wishing to know what he’d said, and if Atlas had truly understood.
The silence was unnatural. For hours, the air had been tense. The Horsemen had split themselves among the group. Gabriel took up the front, Eire at the rear. Kane rode silently in the middle. Evan, Cory, and Jace walked together, but neither of them spoke. The twins conversed quietly behind. Laughing over something that she didn’t care to know about. Demitria rode alone on Atlas, but Kellan wasn’t ever too far off. She stole a glance toward him, only to find him already watching her. She couldn’t help the smile, and his features softened. Eyes gentle.
“Is everything okay?” She asked, voice barely above a whisper, but he heard her. Kellan only nodded. “Would you tell me if it wasn’t?” Nothing. Didn’t shake his head, just continued watching. Her sigh was loud as she glanced away.
“I would tell you.” His leg brushed hers as Kellan pushed his mount up beside her. So close their shoulders nearly touching. “Always.”
“What’s going on?” She wouldn’t meet his gaze. Could feel the eyes of the others as they burned into her back. Watching. Straining to hear the conversation being had between them.
“Nothing I can’t handle.”
She could hear the amusement in his voice. Demitria stole another glance at him. He was looking straight ahead, but the smile was there.
“Kellan.” She sighed again.
“She knows.”
She knew who he was talking about. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise after last night. “That’s what it was about. She knows, and she lost it.” Demitria stayed silent. Waiting for him to continue. “Threatened to turn me into the council.”
“She can’t!” She didn’t think as her hand reached for his. Enclosing around it as her heart near stopped. She remembered what he’d told her about his parents. How the council slaughtered his mother because of the choices his father made. Would the council kill him, too? “She wouldn’t do that!” Pulling Atlas to a halt, body whirling around in the saddle so she was facing him. Not daring to let go, or caring who was watching.
“You don’t know her.” He shook his head, eyes roaming over her. “There are things you don’t know. Things about her past—our past, that shaped us into who we are today.” There was more to the story, but she wouldn’t push him. He would share it if he wanted to.
“You really think she’d do that?” Demitria couldn’t fathom the thought of his own sibling turning him in. Couldn’t even grasp the fact. It was his sister. How could you do that to your own family?
“You have no idea the things we’ve seen.” His grip on her hand tightened, and she reveled in the feeling. The warmth of it against her skin. The sheer size of it engulfed around her own. She knew she should let go. Move Atlas away. Avert her gaze. Something. Anything to get herself away, but she couldn’t. Or refused to. She didn’t know anymore. Found it harder and harder to tell the difference as the days went on. The more time she spent around the Horsemen, the more confused she felt.
Demitria wouldn’t push him for answers. Knew well enough when to leave it alone. The look in his eyes said it all. Whether it was his story or not to tell, she wouldn’t question it. Question him.
“Okay.” It took a moment, but she finally let herself sit back. If Eire was really going to turn him into the council, it wasn’t going to be on her account. She didn’t know much about them. Actually, she knew nothing. But by the way he acted, and the brutality caused to his family. she knew it wouldn’t be pleasant. Having him turned in was the last thing she ever wanted.
“We should continue on.”
Kellan didn’t drop her hand at first, but after several heartbeats, he finally let it go. With a curt nod, he nudged his horse forward and walked off. She easily fell into step beside him. “It’ll be fine,” he said. “They can’t hurt me anymore than they already have.” Something in her hardened at his last words. The whisper of them as he wouldn’t look at her when he’d said them. The council had… hurt him? And Eire had still threatened it anyway?
They rode together in silence for another few minutes before Demitria finally broke it once more. “Has the plan changed?”
Kellan shook his head, “No. Everything is still as before. Finding the angels is our next target. Then we move from there.”
Demitria nodded. Once they found the angels, she didn’t know what they were to do. She had her own goal, that still remained. Jace was alive, thank whatever gods had made that happen, but she wouldn’t let the Dark King live. Not after everything. Her community. The surrounding ones. She would find a way to continue on with them, then she would end the being if it was the last damn thing she did.
For several hours they pushed on, until the sun was high in the sky. Regrouping briefly to decide on their route, with the consensus being to get above the never-ending rock walls surrounding them for a better view. Finding a spot for their mounts to climb up had been tedious and downright frustrating, but they’d managed. Somehow, without anyone getting injured. Demitria felt for the others making the tedious climb on foot.
As they crested the ridge, they came upon a densely wooded area of charred trees. They’d never climbed the canyon during their scouting missions, and neither of them had known what to expect. It called to her, whatever was up here. Pulling her toward it.
“Well, this is just great.” Sam grunted, crossing his arms over his chest as he stared out at the forest of ash.
“They’re leading us into a trap, and they’re going to kill us all.” Will added, glaring at each of the Horsemen before him.
Demitria rolled her eyes. She hated that the twins had come along, and wished they would have come across a community that hadn’t been ravaged, and left them there. Forever.
“Shut your mouths before I do it for you.” She snapped. Demitria had grown increasingly tired of their quips and had very nearly reached her limit on what she could take. The constant bickering. The talking down. She was ready to explode. One job. One goal. It was all she had, and so help her if they stood in the way of that…
“We need to decide our next course of action.” Gabriel met the eyes of each of them. “Something feels… off about it.” He turned, staring intently at the charred forest.
Despite being only human, she couldn’t agree more. Something about the woods. The eerie mist that seemed to hang unnaturally around it. Nothing about it seemed normal. Well, as normal as things got these days, at least.
But it beckoned her. Called out to something in her blood that she couldn’t quite explain.
“I vote we go through it.” Eire stated. “I can’t sense anything of the Fallen anymore. Not since we were down below. I don’t know if it’s the stench of these trees or what, but going through will be faster than going around.”
“That’s exactly why I’m voting to go around. It isn’t safe for them.” Kellan countered, toeing with his sister once again. A regular occurrence, it seemed.
“Why should we listen to you? You have been nothing more than a human-loving piece of shit as of late, Kellan. Have you forgotten your place so quickly?” She snarled.
“Have you forgotten yours?” Kellan matched her tone for tone.
Demitria dismounted, leaving Atlas as she took a step forward. Not toward Kellan. Toward the woods. Toward the siren song that called out to her from within. Tapping along the edges of her mind. She moved further. Away from her friends. From Kellan. She could almost touch it. Could feel the cool sensation of the mist along her body. Tingling—itching against her skin as it crawled around her. Pulling her into the thick of it. Before any of the others had noticed her, too engrossed in the conversation among the Horsemen.
“What are you doing?” Kellan shouted, tearing himself from Eire. Too far. He was too far away, and she couldn’t make her body stop. She kept moving, one foot in front of the other until she couldn’t hear them anymore, and the trees seemed to swallow her whole.