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“I’m in need,” the same young man snorted. “Especially being stuck out here in the freezing cold all night. Can’t wait until I don’t feel this kind of shit as much.”
“Shut up, Jozef.”
“What? Don’t tell me you don’t want to be like them? You’re on the list too, Robert.” I heard the rustling of a bag near my head. “Can’t wait to have powers. Nothing will fuck with me then.”
“You’ll still be a little bitch.” Another man chuckled, the smell of cigarette smoke drifting through the blankets to my nose.
“Search the wagon,” the first man ordered.
The sound of boots hit the bed, the wagon sagging under the weight. I locked down even more around Raven. We were going to be discovered, and it was only a matter of seconds. I slowly reached for my gun, but Raven started to tremble against me. Her muscles spasmed, and a barely audible growl vibrated against my chest, reminding me of the time we hid under the floorboards at Anca and Vasile’s place. The time she almost convulsed against the goblin metal’s power, biting down on my neck to pinpoint her energy.
Fuck. Her shaking, even a little, would be noticed by them.
A soldier rummaged harshly through the inventory, getting closer and closer to us, his boots almost about to knock into mine.
Intuitively, I bit down on her neck this time, similar to the way you would subdue a wild animal, nipping down on her nerve.
Calm down, dziubus.I demanded of her over and over in my head.
She went quiet under me, her muscles going still.
A hand grabbed the bag of corn next to my leg, my heart pulsing in my ears, my thumb squeezing over the trigger, ready for fingers to yank down the burlap bags we were hidden under.
“I really have to get moving before the next storm comes in,” the reverend belted out. “Lives are on the line.”
“Be better to let them die, Reverend,” one of them responded. “More humane.”
“Yeah, especially since they have no idea what is coming.”
“Shut up, Jozef,” the man above me barked. With a heavy sigh, I felt his weight head for the back of the wagon, jumping off. “Go! But next time, priest, we see you passing through here, you might not be so lucky. Wetaxthese roads now.”
The reins snapped in the air, the buggy jolting forward.
My pulse sputtered, releasing my mouth from Raven’s throat as we swayed down the broken old road, breathing a relieved sigh into her neck.
“Stay down,” the reverend muttered. “They might have scouts still watching us.”
I planned to. “That was fucking close.” I took another full inhale and exhale. Each time it felt closer and closer, and one of these days, our luck would run out.
“You okay?” I noticed Raven still hadn’t moved, lying there like she was in shock. “Raven?”
“Fine,” she said quietly, her voice rough. In the dark, I could tell she wouldn’t look at me, a strange wall building up between us again. Had she had enough of the danger I was putting her in and regretting her choice to be here with me?
A surge of panic clenched in my stomach, but I shoved it away, turning my senses out to the world around us, keeping on alert.
She should leave. It would be safer for her. Better for both of us.
Though the damn knot in my gut only moved up into my throat at the thought.
After hours of being knocked around, the wagon finally came to a halt.
“This is as far as I can take you.” The reverend’s voice was crisp in the night air.
Sitting up, I pushed the burlap off us, the icy weather snapping painfully at my warm skin. Standing, I peered around in the darkness. The wagon sat before a snow-covered bridge, a frosty river rumbling under. A few rundown houses sat quietly nearby, smoke billowing from the snow-capped rooftops.
“Cross this bridge, and there is a trail about a hundred meters down the road. The trail will take you up to the temple. Tell Iacob Reverend Baciu sent you.”
Leaping down from the buggy, I reached up, taking Raven’s hips and helping her down. I snatched up our bags and the heavy jackets we hid under. I strolled around to the front, slipping the coat on, feeling the loss of Raven’s warmth against my skin.
