Page 18 of Blood and War
Demitria’s gaze drifted toward him, seemingly fast asleep at the entrance to the cave. His body bathed in the moonlight as it penetrated inside, as if chasing away the darkness that threatened to escape.
What have I gotten myself into?
She didn’t know how to get out of this mess. Still didn’t quite understand how she’d fucked up badly enough to have gotten into it in the first place. Humans had been fighting back foryears. So why her? Why now?
Glancing over at the sleeping figure of the Horseman once more, she sighed.Great. Just great. Demitria knew he’d purposely stationed himself at the mouth of the cave, knowing she’d try and get away from him. To escape when he’d least expect it, but even that would be a slim chance. Demitria had no weapons to defend herself with. She could just make out the hilt of her sword on the other side of him, in the center of the entrance. Nothing would work.
Think.
Demitria edged closer. Silently sliding her feet across the smooth rock floor. Her dagger had been haphazardly tossed on his side—closest to her. For a supposed Horseman he was an idiot. What kind of being left a weapon within arm’s reach of their prisoner?
Her body inched closer and closer. Ten feet. Five. Two. Demitria held her breath, fingers stretched to their limits as she reached for the dagger before snatching it back and retreating to her spot at the back of the cave in a heartbeat. She hadn’t dared a single breath until she was safely tucked back where she’d awoken. Acquiring the blade had been a small win, but a win regardless. She would take whatever she could get right now.
Her eyes never left the blade as she toyed with it in her fingers. Could you even kill a Horsemen? He’d claimed she had done immeasurable damage to the beings of the Underworldand Eden. Archangels and demon lords alike, yet he seemed different. Like he was on a completely different level than the others she’d faced. Could she even do it? Or would she just be wasting her life—not like she currently had much going for her anyway. She had to at least try. On the off chance that she could do it and get away,she had to try.
Slipping undetected even further into the cave, she readied Atlas. His bridle had been discarded off to the side when they’d first come in, and she retrieved it quickly. Slipping it over his head, her fingers trembled as she fumbled with the buckles, but managed to do them up without making a sound. The horse huffed as his soft, velvety nose nuzzled into her in greeting. Demitria didn’t dare speak, but softly rubbed his favorite spot in the middle of his forehead. For the first time since she’d run into the Horseman, she smiled. Even if she didn’t go back to the community, she was grateful to at least still have him.
It seemed like hours before she finally had the courage to leave her perch, but had only been a matter of minutes. Having taken her far longer than she would have liked to talk herself into going through with the idea of killing him. To stab him as he slept. It wasn’t honorable, but killing never really was. Did that even really matter with creatures like them? Like him? He’d threatened her family. Almost killed her. Maybekillinghim was the honorable thing to do.
War’s chest rose and fell in rhythmic beats, breathing even. Her body crept closer; dagger held before her. Ready. Waiting for her moment to strike, the hood on her cloak pulled up over her head, shielding her from the moon’s luminescent glow. He didn’t stir as she advanced, and soon found herself mere inches from him. So close she could feel his breath on her skin. It was warm, an unwelcome feeling as her skin crawled. Demitria held the dagger to his throat, the deadly edge pressing ever so slightlyinto his skin. She watched as a single bead of crimson bubbled to the surface.
Azure eyes met her own, and her entire body froze at the intensity in his gaze. “You’d be making a grave mistake should you go through with that.” The Horseman leaned in closer. Pressing the blade deeper into the sun-kissed flesh beneath her dagger. “Do it.” His lips curved, teeth near bared in a feral smile as another bead of crimson trickled along the edge of the cool metal in her hand.
She hadn’t realized he’d gripped her wrist in an iron hold before it was too late. Hand squeezing so tight she thought the bones in her wrist would shatter completely. The dagger clattered loudly to the floor, echoing in the near silence of the cave. He didn’t let her go. She was held prisoner in his grasp.
His eyes bore holes into her very being, face turned to stone. Unreadable. For someone who had almost been killed he made no inclination of anger. Demitria wasn’t sure what startled her more, the sheer power he seemed to possess or the innate calm that washed over him as his eyes never left her. “How did you know?”
“I was awake before you even took the dagger.” He continued with that deadly calm. It unnerved her.
She was the stupid one.
The anger surged within her when he didn’t let her go. Struggling against him, she was inevitably stuck, as if her hand had been encased in cement. When he finally let her go, she fell backward, landing hard on her back. The air left her lungs in a rush, the wind knocked out of her upon impact. Demitria lay there a few moments before mustering the strength to get to her feet once again and retreating to the spot where she’d been sleeping earlier.
“Not going to take your blade?” He laughed. She was furious as the sound struck a chord in her. Building and building until all she wanted to do was hurlsomethingat his head. She hated him.
“Go to hell!” Her shout rumbled through the cave, echoing off the walls. Behind, the mounts startled at the sudden outburst. Their hooves thudded against the rock floor as loose pieces scattered beneath them as they skittered further back into the cave.
“Already been there.” Demitria could practically hear the smirk in his voice as he spoke, and she saw nothing but red. “Not much to see.” He was baiting her with every word, she realized. Like it was a game, knowing that whatever he’d say would make her angrier and angrier until finally, she’d snap. Biting her tongue, Demitria stopped responding. “Humans… such tempers.” He chuckled to himself. When he finally stopped mocking her, her mind wandered for hours. Wondering what was happening at the community. The Horseman had said the demons had nothing to do with him, so had they left Solis alone? What had happened when she hadn’t returned that morning? Had they sent someone looking for her? Did Jace go looking? Demitria hoped that in her absence, he had amped up patrol. That he’d seen the need to arm the other residents and teach them to truly fight. Because when a Guardian didn’t return, it always meant the worst possible scenario. She hoped Jace wouldn’t mourn her for long. That losing the last piece of family he had left wouldn’t break him. His last reminder of life before the Ascension. They’d made a promise to each other so many years ago that they’d never leave the other’s side. That no matter what happened, they would stick together. She hadn’t been given much of an option, but it tore her apart. Just another thing she couldn’t do. Another promise she couldn’t keep.
Another thing she’d failed at.
Stella’s words fluttered through her mind.Hope,she’d said. She needed to hope. Where the hell would that get her? Where was the hope in this? An assassination attempt, a kidnapping. How was one truly supposed to hope when all she’d ever known was blood and war.
Demitria’s head hit the rock behind her, chest heaving as the sigh left her lips in a quick burst. There was no hope. Not anymore. Not like this.
Any chance of hope had died the momenthecame into her life.
Ten
KELLAN
The moment dawn broke, Kellan was awake. She’d tried to kill him on multiple accounts. It had been the first time a human had ever attempted to. If she wasn’t his target, he’d almost be impressed. The look in her green-gold eyes as she brought the dagger to his throat with such confidence, like a wolf silently stalking through the woods, waiting for that perfect moment to strike. For a human, she was fire. It raised his suspicions further. Had him asking himself more questions than he had answers to. Why was the council so invested in her death? Why this particular human? Why even a human?Why wouldn’t they answer him?He’d tried summoning them three more times after the girl had fallen asleep, and they hadn’t come, refusing every call or maybe ignoring him, there was no way to know for sure.
Despite his direct orders, Kellan fumbled the assignment. She was to be killed on sight. Instead, he’d found himself a prisoner. He needed to find out why the council had found her so… special. Killing her could always come later.
Kellan watched her sleeping for a moment. Her lean body curled around itself as she slept soundly, unaware of his presence above her. The curves of her chest rising and fallingwith each deep breath. He didn’t understand the council’s infatuation with her death. Didn’t understand the allure of the humans in general. Such fickle, frail creatures they were. But the girl had shown a fire that none of the others in his experience had, and that troubled him more than anything.
With each rhythmic breath, he found himself fascinated with the woman, and unable to look away. Enthralled with the way this fair skinned being seemed to raise so many questions within him. She groaned in her sleep, breaking him from the thoughts swarming in his mind. He shouldn’t be so curious. Kill the girl, that’s what the council had said.
