“If he backs out, you’re taking his place then.” Sam shot him a challenging look. Demetria knew Cory would without a doubt. He trusted the group, her especially. Knowing she would be the first to volunteer. Demitria was sure he could see the glint in her eyes.
Tyler stood quietly, as if hoping that by keeping quiet the others would forget. She already knew they wouldn’t.
“We need an apple.” Demitria grinned, shouting as her mug hit the table after downing the remainder of her drink. Tyler groaned, and she mentally apologized for what she was about to do. “What, would you rather we shoot at your head?”
“No!” He shrieked, voice rising louder than intended, cheeks taking on a pale shade of pink.
“Gods help me.” Tyler muttered, positioning his body against the wall, Sam balancing the apple atop his head.
“There are no gods.” Demitria said as the dagger left her outstretched hand and the blade struck the old, rotting wood a hair’s breadth from Tyler’s cheek. A small yelp escaped before he had the chance to muffle it, causing a round of vigorous laughter to explode from around the table. She could see the raw fear in his eyes as he watched her. Too terrified to move. At least he’d trusted her enough to keep still and refrained from flinching. She took a step back, stumbling slightly as she did so. Another round of laughter coursed, and this time, an audible gulp passed through the clenched lips of the Guardian standing in front of her.
“Are you sure you’re coherent enough to uh… do this?” Tyler asked, having just watched her guzzle two full mugs of ale only minutes before. Knowing she was never one to back down from a challenge, no one made a move to stop her.
“I’m fine.” The giddy laughter escaped as she fumbled the remaining two daggers in her hands, dropping one to the floor as it slipped through her slender fingers. “Oops.”
Jace shook his head again at the look on her face. He knew her all too well, especially when she was fully prepared to scare the absolute wits out of Tyler as she played up her drunken state.
“Jace…” Tyler whimpered, flashing the whites of his eyes as Demitria closed one of her eyes, teeth biting into her tongue as she focused on the dagger and lined up her shot. She stumbled once more, and Tyler winced at her movement.
“Ok, now you’re just messing with him.” Jace finally broke, sitting himself up in the seat, eyes hovering in their direction.
“You ruin all the fun.” Demitria groaned. Before Tyler could react, her posture straightened. Both eyes opening as herdaggers flew simultaneously from her outstretched fingers. His body frozen in shock, mouth hung ajar as his eyes bulged from his head when the apple tumbled to the floor at his feet. Both of her intricately designed blades stuck side by side in the center. “Told you I was fine.” With a wink she sauntered over, plucking the apple up off the floor and her remaining blades from the wall behind the boy before resuming her seat once more. She silently cut into the fruit, taking a piece off the tip of the dagger slowly into her mouth, offering another to Jace sitting beside her as he laughed.
“Show off.” Sam grumbled from across the table. The glare had been instinctive. Something she couldn’t help. She toyed with the idea of saying something she would more than likely regret in the morning, but with the way Jace had been looking at her, an almost silent plea in his gaze, she wavered. It was a known fact that she and Sam did not get along. His twin brother had been no different. Finally, she let it go with a sigh, hopping to her feet.
“With that, I’m off to bed. You boys enjoy the rest of your night.” With a nod at Jace and Cory, Demitria turned to walk away. Leaving before things could escalate was the right move. When it came down to the twins it was only a matter of time before fists or other objects would fly, and she’d hate to be the one to destroy one of the community’s only establishments that brought the residents joy.
“I’ll walk with you.” Jace was on his feet, his hand warm on her back before she could manage a step or protest his departure. She wanted to tell him to enjoy his night off and leave her be, but he hadn’t given her a chance.
“I can walk myse—” He’d cut her off with a hiss in her ear, and she knew when to keep her mouth shut. They were silent as they weaved their way around the remaining patrons and tables. Some nodding or congratulating her on the impressive throw.Demitria didn’t break until they hit the cool night air. It stung her cheeks, and she was thankful for the drinks she’d had less than an hour before, the liquid tingling her body with a fiery warmth.
“I’m fine, Jace.” She huffed, shrugging out of his reach.
“It wasn’t you that I was worried about.” He chuckled, remaining close but not touching her. She didn’t look at him. “I know how you are when you get mad at those two.” Jace knew her too well. Demitria would have been the first one to throw a punch. Without a doubt, no questions asked. Years of bad blood lay between the twins and her. From the way Jace seemed to favor her around the community, to their opposing ideals on how patrol should be done, they agreed on almost nothing. Nearly every conversation they’d shared would turn into an argument.
“I’m not actually going to bed.” She caved, changing the subject before letting herself get even more irritated at the thought of the twins. “I just wanted to walk. Maybe go up on the roof?”
“I figured.” He sighed, already leading her in the direction. It was where she always ended up, even on days when she didn’t want to tear into the twins. It gave her a good vantage point above the community. But it was also calming. Being up high enough, away from the other residents, she was able to just… breathe. “I was ready to leave, anyway. Going to do my rounds.”
“Aren’t you off duty today?” She questioned as they continued on down the cracked concrete streets that lined the community. They passed a few rundown buildings. Some with boarded up windows with whatever solid material they could find, while others sat open, their doorless archways beckoning inside. Most of the buildings around Solis were used to house supplies they’d scrapped from the rubble of the larger cities that had fallen in the early years of the Ascension. A few ofthe residents had staggered their living quarters around the small town, but most tended to gather at the far end. Everyone helped one another. It was why they liked to live in such close proximity.
“I’m never off duty.” He sighed.
“Not even for one night?” The street was nearly dark aside from the small lanterns that lined the road every ten feet. Flames shielded from the wind by thin panes of glass that surrounded them. They flickered slightly, the design not quite perfect as the chill breeze still found its way inside.
“Do I really need to answer that?”
He didn’t. She knew as well as he did that a night off just didn’t exist for them, despite how badly they wanted and truly needed it. In the hellish world that was now their home, a day off could mean death for everyone around them.
They quieted once more as they pushed on. Listening to the world around them. Something scurried far off in the distance, and her hand instinctively attached to the hilt of her weapon. Demitria couldn’t help the laugh that echoed into the night, knowing full well that the noise had been nothing more than a mouse.
Right, some night off.
Always watching. Listening. Scouring the community for any sign of a threat. An attack. It was never an if they came back. It was a matter ofwhen. The war wasn’t over. At times, it felt as if it never would truly end, and that thought scared her more than anything. Spending the rest of their lives just struggling. Fighting to stay alive?—
She often wondered why they’d even come after their home. Why earth? Why had the angels followed after? As far as she knew, no one had truly figured it out. All the creatures did was slaughter her people and the creatures that had lived here first. Had taken over and lived as if it was their home, and thehumans were the invaders. They’d decimated massive cities in mere hours as that terrifying darkness took over. Killing and eating their fill of any being that wasn’t like them. And when the angels came? That was when she’d known the world had truly fallen. They waged their own war against each other, and it didn’t matter what, or who, got in their way. The angels may not have eaten her kind, but they fought just as hard for the vast lands around them. Fought the demons and humans until there was nearly nothing left.
With a sigh, she slowly lifted her hand from the weapon, dropping it back to her side once more.
