The village greeted us like a held breath.
Cracked stone paths were choked by black dead vines, and windows gaped like eyeless sockets. The dust was thick enough that each step felt like a trespass. A few structures still stood proud, bones of what once was, but the rest slumped into themselves in scorched piles.
Every corner seemed to whisper old screams.
“It’s empty,” Faelin murmured, voice thin.
“Demons don’t leave places empty,” Lionel countered quietly. “They leave them waiting.”
Goosebumps prickled down my arms.
“I’ll get the first kill,” Malakai whispered, pulling my attention away from the haunting village.
“You’re on,” I whispered back, a spark of adrenaline waking under my ribs.
He smirked, challenge accepted.
Behind us, Nate stumbled when a loose stone shifted beneath his boot. Ashley reacted instantly, reaching a hand towards his chest. His breath hitched, but he brushed her hand away before it landed and his jaw tightened.
I froze, not knowing whether to intervene or let them sort it out themselves.
“You okay?” she asked, voice confused.
“No,” he said defiant. His gaze locked on her. “We haven’t spoken about what I said… You know, back in the forest.”
Ashley froze.
“You’re bringing that upnow?” she hissed, trying to deflect it. “We’re in the middle of a ghost town, Nate.”
“I lost a lot of blood, my mind is foggy,” he scoffed. “I might die within the hour if you’re lucky.”
She gave him a cold glare.
Nate leaned a bit closer to her, enough to trap her between his body and the wall behind her. Not forceful, simply determined.
“I told you that I love you,” he said, voice low but steady. “I thought you’d understand that it was me… But I guess I would also think only a dumbass demon would confess something like that in the worst possible place.”
Ashley swallowed hard, her eyes screaming ‘flee’ as they focused on his. “You should focus on healing, not—”
“I am,” he said. “You’re part of that.”
Color rose in her cheeks, whether she was blushing or growing angry was unclear. “You’re delirious from blood loss.”
His lips quirked. “Falling for you has nothing to do with my injury. Trust me.”
Her brows furrowed as she let out a breath, caught between a laugh and panic. She pushed his face away lightly. “Walk. Before I drop you.”
Nate let her guide him back into motion, but his fingers lingered around her wrist, reluctant to let go.
The conversation wasn’t finished, merely paused for the moment.
I felt a bit awkward that all of us had heard their entire conversation—it hadn’t been for our ears. But Nate was Nate; he didn’t care what others thought of him, and that in itself was respectable.
When I faced forward, Lionel, Malakai and Faelin had already walked a couple of paces ahead of us. Well, perhaps I was the only eavesdropper, then… I shifted and saw Jaden and Eve lagging behind, admiring some structurally impressive ruins.
He slunk closer with a dramatic sigh.
“So, Eve, apocalypse wedding? You and me? Think about it, matching soldier outfits. White is out of fashion anyways, right?”
