Chapter 23
CHAPTER
The village greeted us like a held breath.
Cracked stone paths were choked by black dead vines, and windows gaped like eyeless sockets. The dust was thick enough that each step felt like a trespass. A few structures still stood proud, bones of what once was, but the rest slumped into themselves in scorched piles.
Every corner seemed to whisper old screams.
“It’s empty,” Faelin murmured, voice thin.
“Demons don’t leave places empty,” Lionel countered quietly. “They leave them waiting.”
Goosebumps prickled down my arms.
“I’ll get the first kill,” Malakai whispered, pulling my attention away from the haunting village.
“You’re on,” I whispered back, a spark of adrenaline waking under my ribs.
He smirked, challenge accepted.
Behind us, Nate stumbled when a loose stone shifted beneath his boot. Ashley reacted instantly, reaching a hand towards his chest. His breath hitched, but he brushed her hand away before it landed and his jaw tightened.
I froze, not knowing whether to intervene or let them sort it out themselves.
“You okay?” she asked, voice confused.
“No,” he said defiant. His gaze locked on her. “We haven’t spoken about what I said… You know, back in the forest.”
Ashley froze.
“You’re bringing that up now?” she hissed, trying to deflect it. “We’re in the middle of a ghost town, Nate.”
“I lost a lot of blood, my mind is foggy,” he scoffed. “I might die within the hour if you’re lucky.”
She gave him a cold glare.
Nate leaned a bit closer to her, enough to trap her between his body and the wall behind her. Not forceful, simply determined.
“I told you that I love you,” he said, voice low but steady. “I thought you’d understand that it was me… But I guess I would also think only a dumbass demon would confess something like that in the worst possible place.”
Ashley swallowed hard, her eyes screaming ‘flee’ as they focused on his. “You should focus on healing, not—”
“I am,” he said. “You’re part of that.”
Color rose in her cheeks, whether she was blushing or growing angry was unclear. “You’re delirious from blood loss.”
His lips quirked. “Falling for you has nothing to do with my injury. Trust me.”
Her brows furrowed as she let out a breath, caught between a laugh and panic. She pushed his face away lightly. “Walk. Before I drop you.”
Nate let her guide him back into motion, but his fingers lingered around her wrist, reluctant to let go.
The conversation wasn’t finished, merely paused for the moment.
I felt a bit awkward that all of us had heard their entire conversation—it hadn’t been for our ears. But Nate was Nate; he didn’t care what others thought of him, and that in itself was respectable.
When I faced forward, Lionel, Malakai and Faelin had already walked a couple of paces ahead of us. Well, perhaps I was the only eavesdropper, then… I shifted and saw Jaden and Eve lagging behind, admiring some structurally impressive ruins.
He slunk closer with a dramatic sigh.
“So, Eve, apocalypse wedding? You and me? Think about it, matching soldier outfits. White is out of fashion anyways, right?”
“Denied,” she said without hesitation.
“Cold. I like it,” Jaden grinned.
Eve rolled her eyes, stepping past him. “There’s already another soldier on my radar.” Her voice lowered.
Jaden’s brows lifted exaggerated. “Tall, brooding, emotionally constipated?”
Eve didn’t respond, but the corner of her mouth twitched, before her eyes locked in on me.
What in the hells was I doing? I shook my head as if trying to wake myself up and continued walking.
“Let’s go, we’re falling behind,” I muttered to them when even Nate passed me.
Jaden hummed off to the side, glancing deliberately towards Lionel, who was inspecting a collapsed rooftop like it was a puzzle he could solve by glaring.
“Nope,” Jaden muttered cheerfully. “Still zero reaction. He’s got ice in those veins.”
“He’s focused,” Eve replied, though her voice softened around the edges. “And… still figuring stuff out.”
Jaden softened too. “Yeah? Well. I’ll keep annoying you until he thaws.”
“Good luck with that,” she said blankly.
He winked. “Luck is my third middle name.”
“What are the first two?”
“Danger and Hot.”
She snorted. “Please trip over a rock, and pull Nate down with you.”
When we finally gathered again, we decided the rest of the squad would guard our backs, posted in the middle of town while Malakai and I scouted around nearby, keeping ourselves in their line of sight in case anything decided to appear.
Malakai and I ran off, competing over who would find a target first… but mostly racing each other for fun.
He jumped a crumbling fence first. I slid under a fallen beam faster. He smirked and vaulted through a broken window, but I created a fire cage around him when he landed, keeping him locked down until I was on the other side, tapping his shoulder and rescinding the flames.
“That’s cheating,” he accused.
“That’s clever use of resources,” I corrected, breezing past him.
He rushed ahead, boots skidding across the grey sand. “You’re adorable when you think you’re winning.”
“I am winning,” I said, slipping through a narrow crack in the walls, to get back into view of the others again.
He came through a heartbeat later, pressed too close, grin sharp and wicked.
“We’ll tally points later,” he murmured. “I like long games.”
Heat flickered up my neck. I shoved him lightly and took off again, his laughter chasing me.
When we got back to the others, Nate was standing against a wall, pale, sweat covering the sides of his face.
“Alright,” Malakai muttered, stepping in. “That’s enough.”
Before Nate could protest, Malakai easily tossed him over one shoulder.
“Hey! No, I can walk!” Nate sputtered, kicking the air.
“You were walking,” Malakai corrected. “Badly.”
“I hate this,” Nate muttered, still wiggling in defiance.
“And you’ll live to hate me even longer if I carry you.”
After a moment of futile squirming… Nate sagged. Tired and embarrassed.
“Thanks,” Nate murmured in defeat. “I think.”
Malakai’s jaw softened just barely. “You’re welcome.”
Ashley stuck close, eyes flicking between them. She looked ready to argue on Nate’s behalf, or collapse, and Malakai noticed.
“Firecracker,” he told her, voice firm. “Breathe for a minute. Walk with kitten, I’ve got Nate.”
Ashley glared defensively. “Don’t tell me what to do! Besides, I’m fine.”
“You’re vibrating,” Malakai shot back. “Take a break.”
She looked like she wanted to fight him, but she also looked exhausted, and scared with a mixture of gratefulness, though she’d rather eat her own boots than admit it.
I slipped my arm through hers. “Come on. Walk with me. If we stop moving, Jaden might start giving inspirational speeches.”
Ashley made a noise of pure horror. “Absolutely not, he’s becoming a cheaper version of Nate.”
Behind us, Jaden gasped. “You wound me, my speeches are very inspiring.”
“Your speeches are crimes,” Eve said flatly.
“War crimes,” Faelin added softly, trotting beside her.
Jaden clutched his heart. “Betrayed by my own squadmates.”
“You’re surprised?” Eve asked. “We only need one jokester in the group.”
Jaden considered. “No, I enjoy the dramatics that comes with two.”
Nate grunted, looking miserable hanging off Malakai.
Lionel led us towards a sturdier structure, jagged roof partially intact, walls thick stone instead of rotted wood. He tested the frame with a few heavy slaps. It held.
“This’ll do for tonight,” he said.
We squeezed inside. Dust covered forgotten tables and a cold hearth waited in the corner like a memory of warmth.
Nate wriggled, trying to slide off Malakai’s back.
“I can stand now,” he said. “My pride is broken, not my legs.”
“Yeah, you’ve got very little of that left,” Malakai answered, but helped him down carefully anyway.
“Ouch,” Nate muttered bitterly. “You carried me half the way, that doesn’t mean we’re bonding or anything.”
Malakai shrugged. “Tell yourself whatever you need.”
A bit of tension cracked, just enough for breath.
While the others settled, Malakai nudged my shoulder, chin tilting towards the darkened rafters.
“So,” he murmured, “who won?”
I crossed my arms. “Pretty sure it was me.”
“You’re adorable when you lie.”
“I’m always adorable,” I countered with a sly smile.
Malakai dipped his head and landed his lips on mine, soft and tenderly. “I guess I’ll surrender this once.” He grinned, the dangerous, competitive kind. “I’ll win tomorrow.”
“You can try.”
“Is that a challenge?” He smiled against my lips.
“It’s a promise.”
He chuckled and kissed me again. “Oh? I can’t get too soft on you, after all, you tend to have the opposite effect on me.”
My cheeks heated. “Arrogant demon.”
“Better get used to it, I’m not going anywhere,” he said caressing my cheek. “As insane as you make me… You can’t get rid of me.”
I let myself lean against his shoulder, arms wrapping around him. “Good, I don’t want to.”
In the dim silence of the abandoned village… we found a moment that felt alive.
I had trouble sleeping, my eyes kept peeking open every now and then to scan my surroundings.
Eve patrolled a slow, precise circle around the center of the ruined home. She moved like a shadow with sharp edges, rifle in hand, every step light and careful.
Jaden sat on a pile of rubble along one of the walls, picking at a loose thread on his gloves, glancing between Eve and Lionel, like he wasn’t sure if he was supposed to speak or stay silent.
“So…” he attempted, voice cracking slightly from the forced hush. “Do you, uh… like missions like this? The creepy ones?”
Eve didn’t look at him. “I like missions where nobody dies.”
Jaden blinked. “Right. Yes. Good preference. Very… practical.”
Lionel, leaning near the doorway, shouldered his rifle more tightly and scanned the dark outside. He didn’t intervene, watching the exchange like a silent buffer. He shifted, head turning towards me and I quickly shut my eyes.
I was supposed to be sleeping, and if they caught me awake Eve might smack me with her rifle to make sure I got some shuteye.