“Since you’re so keen to push aside everything that bitch said, are we going to talk about the fact that she called her out?” Braun had never said much during the meetings, but when he did it was usually an opinion most didn’t want to hear. “The demon knew her.”
“What are you trying to say, I’m one of them?” Demitria challenged, pivoting so easily from the topic before.
She’d tried to like Braun, truly. But his allegiance had always tended to fall with the twins, which was something she just couldn’t get behind.
“Who’s to say you aren’t?” Sam added, siding with the older man. “They took everything from me, and you dare say I’m one of them?” Demitria poured her focus into the unyielding grip she’d had on the table, knuckles turning white. It was the only thing she could do to not hit the stupid look on his face.
“Demitria is not one of them. This conversation ends now.” Jace commanded, his voice echoing throughout the room as his fist thumped down loudly on the table. He was good at that, commanding those around him, getting their attention when it tended to stray from the topic at hand. That was why he did so well as Solis’ leader.
“She may not be one of them, but we don’t know that she isn’t working for them.” Sam moved closer to the table, his arms clenched tight over his chest as he glared across the table at her, his mouth still curved up in that saccharine smile she hated so much.
She was seething under it. Her blood near boiling at the accusations he’d tossed out.
“How dare you.” She could be mean. Hell, she could be a monster if she so chose. She would use her own two hands to tear that fucking smirk off his face, but she reined her anger in. Sealing it within that ironclad wall where too many of her emotions went to die.
Across the table, Tyler sat stark still in the wooden chair. Refusing to meet the eyes of anyone in the room as his eyes darted around the small space, looking anywhere but at them. Demitria stole a glance, watching as he fiddled with his fingers. Gently drumming them along the table. He had something on his mind. Something that they sure as shit did not want to hear, she was sure. Waiting for the opportunity to interject. “Whose patrolling?” He whispered. Tyler may have intended to keep his voice quiet, but they’d all heard it as if he’d screamed it.
The room fell silent once more. No one wanted to patrol on a good day. It was dangerous and tiresome as you patrolled the outskirts of the wall alone. Beginning in the early hours of the morning and not ending until the sun rose the next day. Solis wasn’t big enough to station more than one Guardian outside, and together, they’d decided it better to have most bodies inside as the last defense. It’d do no good if they lost their numbers beyond the wall, before something even reached the community.
“Thanks for volunteering.” Sam said as he and his brother both sported matching looks, their lips turning up in a wicked grin as they stared Tyler down. How easy they must think this works. She felt bad for Tyler. The youngest out of all of them around the table, he trended on the quieter side. It made him an easy target for the twins, when it wasn’t her, anyway. Yet somehow, he’d still seemingly fallen into their grasp. Following along with whatever heinous thing they decided to do next.
“I didn’t volunteer.” Tyler’s eyes never left the floor, too uncomfortable to even look at the others after the question he’d posed.
“We’re not sending him out there.” Demitria drew the line at that. At fifteen, he was only five years younger than she was, and she couldn’t send a kid out there, alone, when he seemed afraid of his own shadow since the demon’s ultimatum. His parents would never forgive Jace if anything happened to him. She wouldn’t forgive herself, either. She owed that family far too much after Callum, the Guardian death on her watch a few years ago. Callum was a relative of Tyler’s they’d taken in during the early years of the Ascension after his own parents had died, and he’d quickly volunteered to be a Guardian upon his arrival to Solis. He hadn’t been much older than she was when he’d died. She still blamed herself for it every day, and she’d be damned if another member of that family died on her watch.
“Like you have any say in this.” Braun shot a warning look in her direction. He leaned back in his chair as it creaked in protest. She could feel the fire behind it, but refused to cower and back down like he wanted.She bowed for no one.
“You never even go out there.” He hissed, venom dripping from his voice as he made his true feelings known. “They seem to want you anyway. I say Demitria is patrolling.”
“Agreed!” Sam and Will shout in unison.
“NO!” Jace’s voice reverberated off the walls around them.
She could tell when Jace had hit his breaking point, shouting being the most obvious sign. He’d far surpassed that.
“She is not going out there!” He rounded the table in mere steps, hovering over the twins as he spoke, voice harsh. The favoritism he showed toward her was blatantly obvious, and Demitria knew they resented her for it. That was why Tyler wouldn’t look her in the eyes when he’d spoken. She was sure of it.
“What if it makes the difference in us being attacked? Her going out?—”
“I said no.” Jace didn’t give Braun the chance to finish.
“I just don’t understand why she never goes on duty beyond the wall when the rest of us do.” Will challenged. He was aware of the family history between her and Jace. They all were. It shouldn’t have changed anything with her duties, but it had. Despite handing her a weapon and being the one to help her train, Jace had begged her not to commit to the roll of Guardian when he’d founded Solis. He’d wanted her to be able to defend herself, but nothing more. But she wasn’t able to sit back and not help. Not again.
“Because I said so! End of story.” His voice had escalated to the point of yelling, and she flinched at its intensity. It was hard to get his temper going like they had, but when you did… you needed to steer clear. Jace’s reason was pitiful, and laughter burst from the twins at the audacity.
She’d heard enough. “Oh, for crying out loud.” Throwing her hands in the air, the chair she’d been sitting on tipped backward and fell with a loud thud along the tile as she stood, turning toward the door in a rush. Fastening the cloak around her neck once more, hood pulled up over her head. “I’ll do the damn patrol.” Turning the knob, Demitria left. Already tightening the belt at her waist to better position her sword.
Atlas had been silently napping near the greenhouse, but at the sound of her footsteps had quickly roused, trotting over with a soft nicker. “Time to go, boy.” He closed his eyes, letting out a loud sigh as she scratched his forehead. It was always a favorite spot for him. “Come on.” Patting his neck, he followed her down the short path toward their home. His bridle hung outside on a hook at the blue painted front door, and it took only moments to get him ready as she slipped the leather over his head, feeding the bit into his mouth. When she did patrol, Demitria preferredto leave his saddle behind. It was easier to be conspicuous at night. Hoping he’d blend in, as if nothing more than a horse that had been left wild.
Heaving her body onto his back, they started toward the gate. Atlas already knowing their destination without needing direction.
She’d reached the gate by the time the others came rushing out after her. Whether they’d been too stunned or were fighting amongst themselves she didn’t know. Didn’t care, really. Jace was sprinting toward the gate after her, his eyes wild with a fear she felt in her chest. Cory walked behind him, his pace brisk as he caught up. None of the others dared to come forward. The twins took one look at her, and without so much as a wave, disappeared down the street toward the back of the community. Tyler gave her a sheepish nod before following behind them. She turned away before she could see Braun or Pieter.
“You aren’t going.” Jace’s hand was firm on the sword hanging by her thigh, refusing to let go. Like that alone would keep her grounded. Like his hand was the only thing she needed to stay. “I’m doing patrol.”
“Let go of me.” She demanded. Jace had it completely wrong. Like hell she’d let him go out those gates after everything. “You’re not going out there, Jace. I am.” Demitria knew he wouldn’t want to hear what she was about to say, but he needed to hear it. They all did. “You are somebody that we absolutely cannot lose. Look around you.” A few of the residents had left the housing complex and stood back from the gate, surely roused by the arguing they’d no doubt heard minutes earlier. Motioning to the others and the community, she continued. “You keep this place going. You give this community something to live for. We’re better off losing someone like me, not you.” Her gaze on him never wavered. Piercing.
“I can’t lose you.” He responded, hand slowly leaving the sword and resting on her leg. The other tightened around the bridle, clenching so hard she could see the blood draining from his fingers. “You’re all I have left.”
