Ashley gapedat her. “You too!?”
“Everyone,” Lionel said dryly from his spot near the wall. “We all knew since the inn at Runora, when you ‘accidentally’ slept in the wrong room.”
“She what?” Nate asked curiously.
“No one wants your opinion Lionel, shut it,” Ashley hissed as she buried her face in her hands, trying to escape reality. “Unbelievable, I hate you all.”
Nate laughed, soft and warm, a hint of something genuine under the teasing. “Hey, look on the bright side, at least now you can’t say I never took the first step.”
She peeked at him through her fingers, flustered beyond reason. “You did it with a demon watching!”
“Adds drama,” he said with a wink.
The others chuckled, the tension finally breaking. Even Malakai smirked faintly from where he leaned against the wall, and the air felt lighter again, fragile, but real.
“Alright,” I said before it could spiral further. “That’s enough kiss-talk for one night, now we rest. We move at dawn.”
“Want me to take first watch?” Lionel asked.
“No, I will,” I said quickly. “You all need sleep. I’ll wake Malakai for the next one.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t argue.
The fire crackled low, shadows dancing over stone and steel. Outside, the wind sighed through the ruins, faint and hollow.
I sat by the doorway, letting my gaze sweep the darkness beyond. The night pressed close, heavy and still, I kept my fire low, just enough to see.
The others needed rest. I could handle the dark a little longer. Malakai had placed himself next to me, probably in hopes of noticing any movement from me, but he was fastasleep, he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. Had any of us really?
The others were asleep, too soft breaths, the occasional restless turn of a leg or movement of fabric filling the stale air.
I kept my chin resting on my knees, eyes half-closed to focus on my hearing.
Every creak made my heart jump a little, but nothing stirred. No demons, no whispers.
Silence.
My arm still ached where Ashley’s blade had grazed me. I rubbed the wound absent-minded, half-listening to the rhythmic rasp of Malakai’s breathing where he rested, light, alert even in sleep. The others trusted me to keep them safe. That thought should have comforted me.
It didn’t.
I tried to focus on the horizon, tracing the faint silhouettes of ruins that had once been homes. The moonlight turned them into jagged teeth.
Then, something shifted.
A flicker, far beyond the square. Movement, like someone slipping behind a wall.
I straightened, flames sparking faintly between my fingers. The light threw strange shapes against the doorway. I held my breath, staying as still as possible while resting my gaze on a single point, trying to make out any movement in the shadows.
Nothing.
I hesitated, then rose carefully, glancing back. Everyone was still asleep. Malakai’s head was turned towards me, but his eyes were closed.
I would only look outside, not actually step out. If something happened I’d be close enough to kick him awake.
Slowly, I stuck my head out. Outside, the air was colder. The fog curled around my boots as I looked down. Each breath came out white and shallow.
The village looked different under moonlight, every curve a potential threat.
