Page 30 of Blood and War
He fastened the remaining buckles, securing his armor against his chest. With a slight nod in his direction, Demitriaquietly left through the door after the man, leaving Kellan alone with his thoughts.
Seventeen
DEMITRIA
The air around them was something fierce. On any normal day, the community would have been teeming with life as residents milled about their daily tasks. Today it was like a ghost town, and Demitria knew the reason was the Horseman at her side. He walked with an unearthly grace that she wished she possessed. His face was hard, devoid of all emotion as he took everything in. The cracked streets, the buildings boarded down. If she was being honest, Solis wasn’t much to look at. But she was proud of her home and what they had built.
Demitria didn’t know what Eden was like for him, or how he lived his life there. Seeing the way they lived was probably just another thing he found disgusting about them, but they hadn’t always been like this. Earth had been beautiful once. Maybe not like he was used to, but beautiful nonetheless. The Horseman was silent as they walked the street, and she couldn’t help but wonder what could be going through his mind. What he was really thinking? This must have been so odd for him, being there, walking like they were… so…mundane.
There she was being held hostage by this being for days, and now she’d taken him to her home. Practically giving him the grand tour of it all.
She hated having to do it. Being forced to make that decision.
Yet, he’d been different than she’d expected. Different from their initial encounter. Did he take pity on her? The poor human girl who’d done nothing but protect her family from beings that threatened them, and now had a price put on her head. An entire High Council wanted her dead. She hadn’t done anything important enough to warrant it, at least not in her eyes. Had killed no more than the next Guardian in other communities, she was sure. But somewhere, along the way, she must have fucked up badly. She didn’t see it like that, though. Because if it came down to it, she would do it all over again and again if it meant the people she loved were safe.
“Traitor.”
Ripped from her thoughts, the two people she hated most came around the corner before them. She had really tried to like them once upon a time, but they saw things too differently.
“Demon-loving bitch.” Will sneered, both he and his twin glancing from her to the Horseman beside her. Their eyes narrowed, shoulders squared as if in challenge.
The muscle in her temple twitched. Well, that did it.
“Before you go spewing your idiotic mouths I’d get your damn facts straight.” Her temper flared, and made no inclination on dying down any time soon as she stepped into their path. “You should be groveling at my feet for the sacrifices I’ve made. You’re safe because of me.” Finger pressed firmly into his chest, Demitria shoved Will so hard he toppled to the ground. The color drained from his face and the quick flash of the whites of his eyes was a wondrous feeling that she could have basked in for hours, but Sam was quick to help his brother up. The two uttered a string of insults as they glanced sheepishly at Kellan one last time before slinking back into whatever hole they’d crawled out of.
There were residents on the street now, watching her. Whispering to one another. To them, it probably looked worse than she’d intended.
Gods, maybe they all thinkthe same.
“You’ve created quite the commotion.” His voice drawled in a low whisper, close to her ear. Her entire body shuddered at the closeness as the warm breath ghosted over her ear. It took everything in her to suppress the shiver that threatened to crawl down her spine. “Some of the things they’re saying…”
She was doing this for Jace. She was doing this for Jace. She was doing this for Jace.
Demitria repeated the words in her head over and over. She just had to play the game for two more days until they left. Pretend that she wasn’t actually being kidnapped and forced to go with him to his siblings. That he wasn’t actually trying to kill her. Because if Jace had any idea of what was really going on, it would be an absolute blood bath. One she knew Jace wouldn’t walk away from. Neither of them would walk away from it, because she’d fight tooth and nail until she was battered and bloody to protect him. She’d fight until her last breath.
It was no surprise that he and Kellan didn’t get along. For more reasons than one. It was the only reason she was showing the Horseman around the community in the first place. Keeping them apart had been her only goal. She couldn’t have him killing off the only family she had left and if their only interaction was any indication, neither one of them was ready to back down.
“I couldn’t care less about what they’re saying about me. You and I both know it isn’t true.” She stared ahead anyway as she kept walking, her hands clenched into tight fists at her sides. They passed a few buildings, but no one called out a greeting like they usually did. Instead, the whispering continued, or they turned away from her gaze. Refusing to meet her eyes. Even after all she’d done for this community. For the sacrifice she’dmade to keep them safe. Putting herself on the front lines during every attack…It’s fine. They were just nervous about him being amongst them. At least, that’s what she told herself, anyway.
They passed a number of empty buildings. Ones they’d been using as storage for extra repair supplies. There was no one working in them today.
The tavern was nearly empty as well.Odd. During the day it doubled as the towns’ meet- up spot where they served varying brews of Stella’s famous tea.
Stella. The older woman was rounding the corner when she stopped at the sight of them. Her face held in a grim line as she watched, head tilted slightly to the side. She wore her usual billowing skirt and blouse, but today the colors had been soft earthy tones of greens and maroons. She’d left her hair down for the first time in months, and it cascaded around her petite face in gentle waves. She stared at Kellan, and he stared right back. Demitria couldn’t place the look in her eyes. Something flashed across his face, but when she blinked, it was gone. Fast enough that Demitria thought she imagined it.
Finally, Stella smiled. Bright and boisterous. Infectious, as she found herself reciprocating and smiled back at them. Stella nodded at the Horseman before disappearing into the darkness of the greenhouse.
Demitria was grateful for the woman’s reaction. The one soul in the entirety of the community who wasn’t condemning her for a split-second choice she’d made while beyond the gates. Stella had always been the kindest soul she’d ever met. One she would miss quite dearly when she was gone. Her knowledge of the world was astronomical, and she was a person Demitria often found herself gravitating toward when she wasn’t with Jace. Quite often the woman would teach her about gardening, and she truly did love every moment of their time together.
“Is there anything else you’d like to see?” Demitria turned her body back toward him, pulling her gaze from the greenhouse.
“Anything I’d like to see? I didn’t even want to do this to begin with.” Kellan scoffed. He spoke as if he had some sort of entitlement because of who he was, but she didn’t buy it for a second. Horseman or not, she could care less. “Being stuck with you has been less than appealing.”
“Excuse me?”
Don’t do it, Demitria. Don’t do it.
“In case anyone has never told you before, you’re a grand asshole.” After going above and beyond for him, she was done. Probably exploding more than she should have, but the events of the day had pushed and pushed her until she had needed that release. All of it could be summed up to the fucking Horseman at her side. “Find your own way back.”
