Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Five
Demos
Demos was tired but it was a good tired. He had no idea how much he had missed serving the people of Titus, how rewarding it was to use his knowledge and talents to make a difference in the lives of others. To facilitate healing, to mend, to give succor to those who needed aid. It was a part of him, this ability, an ability that couldn’t be hidden away within himself, stifled in darkness. It was meant to be used on the outside, in the light. It was one of the many reasons being a Servant had called to him, his gift that could only be shared and spread, not used for himself alone.
He sat in front of the fire, his knees drawn up, arms resting atop them. He stared at his hands, marveling at their significance. Tools, hands were. Whether for destruction or creation. Comfort or pain. Healing or killing. He had put his hands to good use today, and he sent a prayer of thanksgiving to the Mother for Her guidance. Long ago he had stopped asking Her why She allowed such atrocities in the world, like what had occurred here in this village of such hardworking, humble people, people whose only crime was that they weren’t wealthy enough to have prevented what had befallen them.
The life of Man was an unfair, unbalanced thing. But we still had choices, Demos said to himself. All of us had a choice, had a will, and because we were powerless to the tides of circumstance and Nature, our best selves could only choose the best course.
“…you hungry?”
Demos shook himself and turned his head. Sierra was standing beside him, a plate of food in her hand in offering. “My apologies, I was…”
“Deep in thought?” she offered with an amused smile.
“Something like that.” He took the plate and patted the floor. “Come sit. You need to rest.”
With a lovely sigh, she sat down at his side and leaned against him. “I am tired. But the good kind, you know?”
“I do indeed. Was just thinking that myself. It was good to get back to my duties as Servant. Thank you for assigning me that role today.”
“And thank you for accepting. We did some good here, but not enough, I am afraid. I don’t understand how someone could do this. I’ve read about such things in books, history and literature, of course, but I had no idea it happens.”
Those marauders had done so much damage. Raping, pillaging, stealing, killing. Sierra had learned a lot today about the world. “The majority of people are good, though, Sierra. But sadly, knowing that small handful of evildoers isn’t the norm doesn’t help us feel better, I know.”
“I’m glad we were able to help them, glad that we ended up in this village. I knew as soon as I saw that blacksmith answer Lucius’ greeting that the Ongahri weren’t welcome here. I had hoped seeing me would change the man’s mind.”
“Which it did.” He kissed her head.
“It was good of Lucius to offer aid. I still don’t know him as well as I want to, and seeing him so… altruistic warmed my heart. The Ongahri could do so much if they didn’t hide themselves away and only exist in children’s nightmares.” She laughed.
“I agree.”
“Eat, love.” She kissed him sweetly and then stood. “I need to speak with Lucius. Find me before you’re ready for bed?”
“I will.”
After she left, Phobius joined him. Demos could feel the cold coming off his brother’s body. He had been outside with the other men who had been searching for all the livestock that had run off, the sheep and chickens the marauders hadn’t stolen.
“Hungry?” Demos waved his plate in Phobius’ direction. It was some stripped meat, two fluffy hot biscuits, and some cheese.
Phobius chose a biscuit and stuffed it into his mouth with a grunt.
Both men ate in silence. Around them were a few warriors from the Halifax tribe. Demos had gotten to know a little about those Ongahri males from the east. Fine men, quiet, not as raucous as the men from House Trajan and House Dega. In fact, they seemed intrigued with Demos enough to venture up more than a “hello” to him.
Even though Demos was centuries-old, these past few months were the longest length of time he’d ever been in their presence—sharing food, shelter, words. Now that he was mated to Sierra, it looked like his future would be tied to the Ongahri from now on. There weren’t many blond-haired, blue-eyed Ongahri males, but if Sierra could fit in, then he could as well. Although he would miss days like today, where being a Servant felt like coming home.
“What are your plans when all this is over, Phobius?” He’d been wondering for some time what his enigmatic brother had been up to all these years, but especially wanted to know where he’d go from here.
Phobius wiped his mouth. “Odessia. Join Lucius. Sorry to tell you, but I think you’ll be stuck seeing my beautiful face for another year at least.”
Demos wasn’t one to roll his eyes, but he was tempted. “I admit, the thought of visiting a warmer clime sounds good about now. Well, relatively warm in these conditions.”
The mention of Odessia’s tropical setting reminded them both of its opposite—snow, frigid temperatures, starvation.
“I had no idea things were going to be this bad,” Demos said, looking at the fire, memorizing its light and heat, for tomorrow and the next few days they would be once more out in the elements, where only an outdoor fire would burn, if they were fortunate.
“And so quickly.” Phobius lowered his voice. “We cannot dally, Brother. We need to get to her as soon as possible.”
He meant Boriel, Demos knew. “I know this.”
“Then you also know it would be best if we left on our own. Lucius knows now—”
“I cannot leave Sierra.”
“We could take her with—”
“Absolutely not,” Demos said with a growl. “Besides, we need her with us, I think.”
“Oh I don’t think, I know. The three of us should go right now.”
Demos shook his head adamantly. “No. I will not risk her life.”
“Demos?” Lucius called, shouldering the front door open, letting in colder-than-ice air into the room and making the fire snap to life.
Nodding his understanding, Demos stood and glanced down at Phobius. “We’ll arrive as planned. It will take longer, true, but it is smarter, Phobius. We must do it this way.”
He didn’t wait around to hear what his brother planned to say as Demos met Lucius and followed him outside.
“I want to run something by you,” Lucius said once they were far enough away from the cabin. He leaned against the wooden porch and watched as the snow fell in soft drifts. “I’m thinking of making a short side trip to Providence.”
“Providence?” It was the last thing Demos expected to hear.
“I had a conversation with one of the villagers. His cousin raises cervos. Has a ranch, and Ongar, could we use them.” He looked out to the vast snowy landscape. “Our horses aren’t going to be able to survive the further north we go.”
“Cervos?” Those giant stag-like animals would be perfect for the journey, built for cold, built for the terrain. “They’re in Providence, this cousin?”
“No. But we’ll be headed through that part of Titus either way. With cervos, traveling will be faster, smarter. And Demos… It’s getting too dangerous. This journey. If I know Sierra is safe and secure…”
“Ah.” Lucius wanted to leave Sierra behind.
Demos rubbed his chin and considered what Sierra being in Providence, in her parents’ care, would look like. It would look like relief. Constant Linden would protect her, both from the elements and from anyone who thought to harm her.
“What do you think?” Lucius looked at him now in earnest. “Not only do I respect your insight and wisdom, but you and I are bound just like she is to each of us. And, I think, you know her better than I do. If we do this, what will she do?”
He felt humbled by Lucius’ words, his trust. Surprised, even, at how their relationship had turned. Fate always surprised him. Just as Sierra had been glad to find a sense of generosity in Lucius, Demos was seeing the man in a new light. A man who cared for his wife and cared enough about her to drop any sense of pride by asking another man for advice, her lover, no less.
“I appreciate that, Lucius. I admit, you surprised me today. Helping these people.” He motioned to the area beyond the porch, where scores of windows burned bright from within, comforting and warming its inhabitants that had lost so much today. “A selfless act, taking the day to aid them.”
“I’m not always an ass,” Lucius said with a smug look.
“You would have made a fine king.”
Lucius straightened, seemingly taken off guard.
Demos saved him from commenting, though, and said, “I think Sierra would love to see her home, her parents. But making her stay? I can’t see that.”
Lucius sighed. “Can we convince her?”
Demos looked out into the frozen night. “We still have quite a while until we reach the nearest city. Let me get back to you.”
“Figured you’d say that.” Lucius chuckled. “I’ll let you get some sleep. Goodnight, Servant.”
“Goodnight, Chieftain.”
Lucius headed back out to wherever he had been prior. Demos watched him go. A few minutes passed before Demos felt his brother’s presence behind him.
He didn’t bother with preamble as he told Phobius, “Lucius wants to go to Providence, leave Sierra behind.”
“Impossible.”
“I know.” He ran a hand through his hair, eyes still ahead. “I agree with him, of course. But even if I wanted her to stay, tried to convince her, she’s too stubborn.”
“Good. We’ll make sure she stays that way.” Phobius walked off the porch and entered the cold night.
Now alone, Demos thought of his father, wondering if it really was possible he was corporal or if all this was just a memory in Boriel’s mind, her vision of the past, a past where one of the most powerful Seraphs in Titus’ history had fallen in love with Winter. An obsessive, violent love that had almost destroyed her. Before.
The question now was had Cael really returned? And if so, where was he now? And By the Wind, how had he escaped?