Page 4 of Blood and War
Two
DEMITRIA
Despite the anger that had settled into the pits of her stomach, their silent streak had not lasted long. She was still upset, but the anger dissipated with each beat of Atlas’s hooves, and it wasn’t long before she and Jace were both in significantly better moods than hours before. She always struggled with the thought of being mad at him, and knew he felt the same. But deep down, she agreed with his words. She could have started a war.
They rode side by side to the tall metal gates that surrounded their safe haven. Its large walls had been built two years prior and had taken months to complete. Those that had been able spent hours salvaging scraps from around the area and helped construct them. The days had been hard in the months it took to build them with so many bodies beyond their community and not enough Guardians to protect them. She had felt safer when they’d been able to spare two for the trips to the decimated cities beyond, but more often than not, whatever group had been out scavenging would only have one. The gates had been the saving grace their community had needed to survive in that new world of nightmares, and they’d done it together, Standing at nearly fifteen feet tall, the gates were the best barrier between themand the creatures that roamed outside, their first line of defense against the nightmares that came crawling.
Demitria reined the horse in beneath her, slowing his gait to a walk before bringing him to a halt. She turned in the saddle as she waited for Jace to bring his bike up beside her.
“Did we get what we needed?” She asked.
His shoulders lifted in a shrug. “It’ll have to do.” She already knew that the supplies on that counter wouldn’t sustain Solis for nearly as long as they needed.
“Were you at least able to get anything more?” If he hadn’t, it was because of her. Because she’d acted like an absolute idiot and nearly started a war between their communities.
“A few things, but nothing as important as that medicine would have been.” He said, hand rubbing down his face as the sigh slipped from his lips. “I did get a few things for Stella in the greenhouse, though. So that’s a win?”
“Food is always a win. We eat, we get to see another sunrise.” Demitria forced a smile.
“Maybe.” He chuckled, but it didn’t meet his eyes. They could have all the food in the world, but the minute those monsters came crawling, it wouldn’t matter how well fed they were. Many demons killed to eat, but even more did so for sport. For the thrill of the hunt. And with fangs and talons, food was the least of their worries at that point.
“Maybe…” Demitria let her voice trail off.
Solis wasn’t large, by any means. The smallest in the area in fact. With only twenty-five inhabitants inside, it was easier to look out for one another. Most communities that surrounded them had far larger numbers, containing hundreds of people within their walls. Up until now, those places had never really been hit hard. The sheer power of their Guardians, people who had been trained by any means necessary to wield a weapon and fight, was a deterrent to the onslaught of raids following theAscension. But the smaller numbers had its perks as well, fewer mouths to feed, fewer people to keep safe and healthy. As a community, they had decided to take the risk if it meant no one had to starve or die.
Demitria glanced around them, scanning the terrain to make sure they hadn’t been followed. Nothing moved. They were surrounded by miles of dirt and rock that was seemingly their new normal, with the odd bush dotting the horizon. The only plants that still seemed to grow around these parts were inedible and did nothing more than act as cover for the small creatures that scurried around at night. She’d been lucky to find Yarrow a few times, but it had been nearly a year since she’d last seen the plant. Granted, she hadn’t spent much time beyond the gates or wandered far enough out to look. Their area hadn’t fared as well as others had. She’d heard stories by travelers who’d stopped in for the night about communities far off in the distance that were filled with greenery and clear water. Technically she hadn’t seen it for herself, but the stories always filled her with the one thing she knew she shouldn’t feel. Something she’d lost long ago in the early years when that darkness had enveloped the world in its terrifying embrace.Hope.
Before the Ascension, her own home had been surrounded by breathtaking forests. She and Jace had lived in a little rural town that bordered hundreds of acres of natural farmland. It had been quaint, but they’d loved it. Swimming in the river and lake every summer, playing throughout the trees, pretending they were in some fantasy land with mysterious beasts. But when the mysterious beasts had actually come, they had wreaked havoc on their town. On the entire world. Gone were the games they had once played. In some ways, they’d all but come to life. They tore nations apart, splitting the world into a million different pieces that she didn’t think they could everrecover from. Pieces she tried to pick up time and time again, despite the agony it always caused her.
Hope that she could go back to something resembling her normal life. Hope that she would wake up from this never-ending nightmare to find out it was nothing more than some sick dream her mind had concocted from hearing far too many ghost stories her mother had told her and Jace. That she’d wake up to find her parents, alive, sleeping soundly in their beds. She didn’t dare to hope anymore.
Jace had founded the community a little over five years ago, and she hadn’t left once. In fact, she’d never done any traveling since the Ascension. Why would she leave when she had a safe place right here? As much as she tried to lock it away though, Demitria found her mind wandering. Longing for the old ways. Missing what it felt like to lay out on the beach and feel the warm sand beneath her feet, or swimming in the glistening pools of the crystalline water of the lakes that surrounded their home that was so far away from where they were now. As soon as the nightmare began, they’d run as far away from the little town they were supposed to grow up in. Away from every happy memory she’d ever experienced and the people she had loved. Demitria missed it all. They all did. More often than not, she found herself questioning if it was all worth it. The fight? The struggle? Sometimes she didn’t know anymore.
“What’s on your mind?” Stopping in front of the gate, Jace held the bike upright with one hand as he got off, resting his other on her calf as jade-green eyes met hers. “You look troubled.” His hand was warm under that touch, but she didn’t move away. It was a welcoming feeling in the crisp air. “Is it the demon attacks? We’ll be ok, you and I.”
“Just thinking.” Her shoulders lifted and fell in a shrug. She slid her leg over the horse’s neck and jumped down in front of him. Jace didn’t take a step back, and they remained close.Feeling the warmth of his breath as it caressed her face, the familiar smell of mint filling her lungs. She tilted her chin up slightly to meet his gaze, his broad physique filling the world around her in their nearness. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear the motor of another bike. She hadn’t paid much attention on who was out patrolling, and she paid them no mind.
“About?” Jace pushed, nudging her softly with his shoulder. He could be persistent at times, but it was always for her own good. Demitria knew it was because he didn’t want her shutting everything out again. She’d done it years ago after a particularly bad raid when another had fallen on her watch. She’d done her sweep of the perimeter and hadn’t found anything within Solis. She’d cleared the building she’d told the young Guardian to station himself beside while they waited for the injured to be moved. How could she have known the demon had crawled inside after she’d left, waiting for its next victim. While it hadn’t explicitly been her fault, she’d taken it on and the pain and guilt had festered into something so much worse. Until she wanted to just stop existing. Those days she’d hardly left her rooms. Hardly ate. She had been nothing more than an empty husk, begging forsomethingto end the pain that coursed through her. Demitria knew it worried him every day. They’d spent a significant amount of time together, even before the world fell apart and went to literal hell. But that one time had been different, and the both of them knew it. Jace hadn’t left her side once, making sure she did enough to keep her breathing. To keep her alive, and she wasn’t sure she could ever repay him for what he’d done for her. She wasn’t sure if she’d even still be fighting if he hadn’t spent those weeks by her side.
“Everything.” Lifting the reins over Atlas’s head, she stepped away from Jace and brought her hand down hard on the gate. The pair waited in silence for a minute and slowly, the heavy gates began to slide open, hinges groaning as the weight shiftedand the entrance widened. They were greeted by the Guardian on duty, his boyish smile bright as he waved them inside.
“Come find me once everything is put away.” Jace told her, giving her shoulder a slight squeeze. Her head nodded in answer and they separated. Her job was to bring the other items to the back of the community where Stella, who had been unanimously chosen as the communities’ matriarch, lived and worked. She didn’t know how Jace had managed to secure the new seeds for the woman to grow, but she wouldn’t question his methods, either. She just hoped he hadn’t traded his beloved watch to get them, or even more of the medical supplies.
Demitria quietly led Atlas down the cracked cement street, his hooves thudding loudly behind as they slowly made their way to their destination.
She was lucky. Lucky for the friends she had, where she lived, Atlas. During these times, she was truly blessed. Demitria couldn’t count the number of people she’d witnessed with nothing. No family, no home. No one they loved. Absolutely nothing. It pained her to no end to see the suffering. The loneliness in the eyes of those around her. She’d never truly been alone. Jace had always been there. From the very beginning, he had always been at her side. She didn’t even remember a time when he wasn’t there.
“Stella?” Demitria’s voice echoed throughout the large greenhouse as she quietly poked her head inside. The building had been constructed partially underground to make it easier for the Guardians to protect the food supply. Atlas nudged her forward, and she led him inside. Mirrors had been installed along the ceiling to reflect the sunlight inside. It took two bodies to turn the panels that opened the roof. In doing so, it not only reflected the sunlight in, but on the days when the weather was poor, it let the rain in so they could save on the already dwindling water reserve. It was an ingenious invention a few ofthe inhabitants had come up with, and their hard work had more than paid off. They had been able to grow an array of different crops, and no one ever went hungry. They were one of the luckier communities when it came to agriculture. Their small numbers were the biggest factor.
The older woman smiled as she rounded the corner, making her way toward where Demitria and Atlas waited patiently. Demitria assumed that Stella was in her late sixties, and quite often tied the mop of messy gray curls into a loose bun at the nape of her neck while the unruly strands framed her soft face. Her long, green skirt flowed around her as she walked, white button up blouse softly blowing in the small draft that had crept in through the roof.
“Were you able to get some good items today?” The glee in her voice was something Demitria couldn’t describe. Stella loved her job. Gardening was something she’d done before the Ascension, and the woman had been thrilled to continue afterward. Especially if it meant doing her part to contribute to the community.
The older woman was reaching for the bags before Demitria had a chance to hand them over. Stella had been the light of the community since she’d arrived. It hadn’t ever mattered what was going on around her, she’d always continued to be the rock they all needed. Her positive outlook on life was infectious. Her demeanor, despite everything, had remained true to her ways, never letting any kind of bad news darken her thoughts. It was a trait Demitria wished she possessed, and she envied her for that very reason.
“Great stuff I’m told.”
The bag left her hands as the woman tugged it free. Atlas let out a soft nicker as he watched the exchange curiously.
