AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Where’s the fueling station located?”
Grey fought the urge to crane his neck around with the man lingering on his left, too far out of his vision.
“Two storefronts down. There’s a sign posted out front—you can’t miss it.”
“Thanks.”
“Sure thing.”
The bike lurched forward again, gently rolling along the side of the wide dirt road, past corrugated metal roofs and grated iron over windows. Grey didn’t realize he’d been holding on a little too tightly to Noel until he jolted at the gentle pat against his sleeve.
“You good?”
“Y-yeah, sorry,” Grey ripped his arms away, pulling his sleeves down over his hands and scrambling off the bike.
Noel strode into the fueling storefront, bright electric lights spilling through the windows and iron-laced glass door. Grey rubbed his arms and stepped in front of the larger plaques by the door with maps of both the town and the Old Trail. He shivered as he tried to soak it all in, blinking back the urge to slump against the siding from pure exhaustion. His barely uncovered fingertip traced the marked pathway from the compound to the nearest town: Goldcrest.
The door swung open again, and he turned on his heel to find Noel with a fuel canister.
“There’s an inn down the road. I didn’t want to ask about it at the gate, just in case, but I think it’s probably good to stop and sleep while we can.” Noel placed the canister down next to the bike and uncapped the tank. “Find something?”
Grey nodded. “They have a couple maps up, so I was looking at some of the closest places we might be able to gather some information from.”
Noel raised a brow. “You seriously want to try this? You know if we stick together, our odds of getting found are greater, right?”
His face scrunched up, and he shook his head. “Either we’re eventually caught, or we at least try to break this—spell, curse, whatever it is,” he hissed, glancing back at the shop door, to the woman rearranging the shelves behind the counter. “Plus, I don’t exactly have a way to escape if they roll up in big trucks and cars again, so I’d rather take my chances with someone who’s in the same shitty boat.”
Noel emptied the canister in silence, undoubtedly mulling Grey’s words over.
“You don’t trust me,” Grey whispered, his shoulders drooping. Of course he didn’t trust him. Why trust a hemomancer when they were all viewed the same: unhinged bloodthirsty killers. It ultimately didn’t matter if they were both fighting for their lives, did it?
He tensed in answer, quickly shaking his head. “It’s not that—I just… I’m just not sure. I’m not sure about any of this, and I think we need rest before we make any big decisions.” He screwed the cap back on the canister and strode back into the shop, leaving Grey alone again with his thoughts, even if only for a moment.
When Noel returned, he hopped back on the motorcycle, pausing with his key in the ignition to stare at Grey. He patted the back of the seat, and Grey hesitantly climbed on again before the engine sprang to life one more time for the night. The agonizing trip down the road was met with further discomfort in the form of late-night workers smoking outside storefronts. The inn’s flickering, half-burnt-out neon sign turned into a shining beacon for Grey’s exhausted body.
His feet dragged once Noel parked the bike in the small, crammed side lot, forcing them to walk the rest of the way through the creaky door and into the surprisingly plush lobby. A fireplace, overstuffed furniture, and hand-woven rugs were among some of the luxuries, giving way to doubt as to whether or not they’d be able to afford a night.
“How much you willing to part with?” the man at the counter drawled.
Noel pulled out a couple coins and set them against the repurposed bar top. Grey reached for Noel’s arm to object, but the man shrugged, collected it, and plucked a key off the rack.
“Room 22. Breakfast is on the house.”
The keychain dropped into Noel’s palm, and he led the way up the stairs. Every creak made Grey tense with the dreaded thought that maybe all of the décor was a well-crafted façade. Serif-cut numbers were nailed to each door they passed, marked 28, 27, 26… 22 rested at the end of the hall, where Noel twisted the handle and turned on the flickering light.
Inside, the setup was just as inviting and cozy—even more lavish than he’d ever had the privilege of enjoying back at Atticus and Ingrid’s. The bed beckoned him forward, and he fell into it, blacking out the second his head hit the pillow.
6
NOEL
Noel immediately detoured to the small bathroom and pulled back the shower curtain to make sure there wasn’t anything lurking in the shadows.
“Looks like everything’s clear, but unfortunately there’s only one—” He stepped out, flicking off the light and hesitating as he took in Grey sprawled out on the closest side of the mattress. “Bed.”
Heat flooded his face like he was an awkward, crushing twelve-year-old again. He cleared his throat, shifting from foot-to-foot until he decided to barricade the room. Noel dragged the small writing desk’s chair over to the door and propped it up under the handle. He rubbed his arms and shuffled back over to the bed, carefully crawling onto the other half and laid flat on his back.
Just don’t think about it. Just pretend he’s not there.
