Page 6 of Blood and War
“I’m sorry.” He finally broke, stopping in a secluded area. “You don’t have to keep going out there. To keep fighting. I don’t want you beyond the wall.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “I get why you do it, I do. I just—I hate watching you put yourself in danger to protect these people. I want you safe behind these walls where I know they can’t get to you as easily.”
“You know I can’t do that.” She whispered. “You know why.” Something in her voice cracked. It was barely audible, but sheknew he’d catch it. He always did whenever those ironclad walls wavered as they threatened to break.
“Then you understand why I say the things that I do.” His arm slowly dropped from around her shoulders as he moved to face her. His hand gripped tight to the sleeve of the fitted dark shirt she wore as the other tucked a stray hair behind her ear.
“I do.” Before either of them could say anything stupid, he embraced her. Arms wrapping around her small frame as he held her body close. Demitria couldn’t help but unravel in the warmth of him.
Home.
Jace had been her home through it all. Her family.
“Every time you go out a little piece of me goes with you. Every time I even fathom that you’re out there, putting your life at risk when I’m not…” His grip tightened, fingers biting into her skin. Shielding her as if the longer he held on, the less chance he’d have of her going out those gates. She didn’t move away.
“You think it’s easy for me when you’re gone for days?” Her voice quiet, muffled from his chest, she didn’t break from him. “Not knowing if you survived the night, or got caught in a raid at another community?” The sigh left her lips and she didn’t try to stop it. “I hate it. I hate every second of it, but I do it. Because the thought of losing you to one of those…things.” Demitria saw them every time she closed her eyes. Remembered the feeling of the attack as she watched on helplessly.
It was early evening when they came. She remembered the sun's rays barely lighting the sky as it descended behind the mountains, casting the world around them in a magnificent red glow, one of the most beautiful sunsets she’d ever witnessed. It wasn’t until everything went dark that her parents knew something was wrong, and by then, it was too late. Her parents had shoved her small body inside a low wood cabinet in the living room. The slates in the doors were just big enough thatshe could see out. Jace was shoved in after her, the cabinet barely able to contain both of them as they watched silently while the monsters attacked. Darkness seeped into the house like an ominous mist, engulfing everything it touched. Demitria rememberedhereyes when the creature came upon her mother. Seeking her daughter’s as she begged her to stay. To not make a sound. Her blood pooled underneath her mother’s body, staining the thick carpet. Eyes dull. Lifeless. Demitria’s mother didn’t scream once as the monster ate her alive. As it killed her. Demitria knew she’d done it for her. Back then, she hadn’t known what they were when they’d first come, only that they were something from her nightmares. Demons, she’d found out shortly after.
“You’re going to be ok.”Her mother’s lips whispered without making a sound. She was in pain, but her mother remained silent to make it easier on her. So she wouldn’t have to remember the screams.
When it was finished with her mother, its eyes found hers. Crimson. They were raging pools of death. They haunted her. Taunting her with their power. The demon slowly crawled its way toward the cabinet but stopped short. It was her father that screamed, she remembered that too. The wail that escaped him at the sight of his wife lifeless on the floor still echoed in her ears. It turned into horrific shrieks as the creature tore into him, too. Jace’s own father was there with them, right behind her dad. But she closed her eyes then, unable to watch her only remaining parent die at the hands of this creature.
Demitria couldn’t save her mother. She couldn’t save any of them, and it haunted her every single day. She was right there. Mere feet away as her family took their last breaths as they tried to shield her from the horrors that befell them. Her mother’s outstretched hand reached for her daughter one last time, her sleeve forever stained with her blood, her father’s blood…
The demon was almost upon them when something caught its attention, the shadowy figure receding on unnaturally fast legs as it disappeared from the room. Jace had pulled them from the cabinet then. Through the carnage in her home and out the backdoor as they ran away from the screams of terror that echoed through their little town. He’d mentioned only once since that he’d seen his mother’s lifeless body in the yard, but he kept running. Dragging her away from the pain that coursed through her.
With a shuddering breath, Demitria blinked the haunting memories away. She didn’t deserve Jace. Didn’t deserve anyone for that matter. Since the attack, she’d struggled letting anyone in. She couldn’t hurt if she didn’t love. Love had proved to bring the highest form of pain. Jace had been her one exception. Her rock time and time again. The one soul she could lean on, no matter what happened around them. He was there when she hadn’t been able to muster the strength to help. When she couldn’t move a muscle and watched it tear both their families away from them. She could have done something.Shouldhave done something, anything, to stop the attack from happening. The guilt ate at her every waking moment. Like an infectious wound that refused to heal.
When her shaking body finally stopped, Demitria stepped into Jace. Fingers clenched into the fabric of his shirt as she took a step closer to him. Breathing him in. Needing the comfort until the memory finally stopped repeating itself.
“I can’t even begin to comprehend the thought of losing you.”
“Maybe I’m selfish,” He whispered, nestling his head into her dark hair. She felt his long intake of breath before he continued. “but you’re the only one that matters to me here.”
“I guess that makes two of us.”
Four
DEMITRIA
The room erupted with boisterous laughter that echoed off the walls of the building. The other patrons around the makeshift establishment shot glances toward the back of the room, as if startled by the sudden outburst at the table. Along the walls, a number of oil lamps and candles lit the tavern, high enough along the walls should any foolery happen, they wouldn’t be knocked over and cause a fire.
“If you don’t do it, I will!” Demitria’s hands lay flat, fingers splayed across the wooden table beneath her as she shouted. From the chair beside her Jace laughed, shaking his head as the chuckle left his lips.
“He’s terrified, he won’t do it.” From her left another Guardian spoke up. His unkempt, wavy red hair peeking out from under the hood of his dark cloak.
“I’m not scared.” Tyler piped up. Demitria knew he was. Could tell in the way he carried himself. From the way he nervously thrummed his fingers along the table to the way his blue eyes darted back and forth around the group. She knew he didn’t want to come across as afraid, especially with the twins, Will and Sam, present. She knew it was a losing battle and felt bad for him.
Almost
“Prove it.”
His smile contorted into that of a sneer, and Tyler stood. Not before taking a large swig of the ale in front of him. He wouldn’t admit to himself that he was nervous, and she knew the mouthful of liquid courage was a necessary feat.
Snaking her gaze from side to side, Demitria eyed the men around the table. Cory and Jace sat on either side of her while the others sat adjacent around the small table. There were five of them tonight, plus herself. The other three Guardians were on duty, staggering their nights off. One stationed beyond the wall, the other two inside. The night off was greatly welcomed. Especially among the company surrounding her. Most of them, anyway.
“I still say he’s going to chicken out.” Sam laughed, leaning back in the chair as he crossed his arms behind his head. Nearly identical to his brother, his chestnut-brown hair fell disheveled around his face.
“Give the guy some credit, Sam.” The redhead spoke up once more. “At least give him a chance to man up.” Never one to truly get into the nonsense that usually followed the twins, this night had been different. Once in a while, Cory would let loose.
