Ashes of Love and War - TodoMomo

||Chapter 21 ~ Part 1||

Todoroki was late.

Momo's chest tightened. She wrapped her arms around herself and walked over to the window to gaze down at the street below.

Outside, a waxing moon peeked out behind dark clouds that scudded across the night sky, throwing rays of moonlight down onto Dicaea and the ships anchored in the harbor below.

The noise and activity of the day had died down a long time ago. And the square, which had earlier been filled with people, was now empty as the respectable merchants had packed up and returned home.

Momo stood, staring out the window, looking for any signs of the distinct red and white hair of Shouto Todoroki, but there were no signs of him. The only people still outside were a few stragglers: merchants and drunkards.

She bit her lip and turned away to pace along the length of the room. The spear Todoroki had purchased for her rested near the doorway. But besides her weapon and a few other belongings, the chamber was poorly decorated aside from the most basic furnishings.

Two twin-sized beds sat adjacent to each other. Against the back wall was a small chest for valued possessions; otherwise, the room was bare. There were no rugs or tapestries. The room's only source of light came from a single candle mounted to the middle of the wall. Nothing to help Momo distract herself. Nothing.

Momo's gaze lingered momentarily on the flickering light, watching as a drop of wax slid down the wick to harden on the bronze holder below. Her fingers fidgeted with the stiff ends of her new chiton. Each second felt longer than the last, even slower than the cheap candle's dripping wax.

'Where is Todoroki? It didn't take this long to deliver a message, right?'

Momo walked back towards the window and stared outside. She wondered if something could have happened to him. What if Todoroki had run into his brother? He could be hurt or in need of help...

Momo shook her head. She pressed a hand to her chest and took a deep breath, pushing her rising worry away.

She was being silly. If Momo could believe in anything, it was Todoroki's strength. He could handle himself.

Sighing, she leaned against the windowsill and watched a group of men leave the inn below, joking and laughing.

If Todoroki had really encountered Dabi, Dicaea would not have been this peaceful, she supposed. Still, Momo's heart continued to pound as she stared blankly at the men disappearing down the road.

There was the faint smell of herbs and roasted lamb drifting up from the first floor. The scent of fresh lemon twined with oregano and garlic in the breeze and tempted Momo's senses.

Her mind's eyes conjured a decadent feast, and she had half a mind to follow the sumptuous smell downstairs. Todoroki had left her with drachma, but Momo didn't feel particularly hungry.

She frowned. Her eyebrows furrowed together as a thought abruptly struck her. Pushing off from the wall, Momo turned and quickly went over to the bed. Snatching up the purse, she opened the bag and froze.

The purse was filled with enough drachma to get two people back to Sparta comfortably, but it wasn't the lack of funds she was worried about.

Momo's hands shook as she stared down at the coins. It was too much. Todoroki hadn't taken any money for himself when he left the inn earlier.

A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her jaw trembled. The anxiety curling in her stomach twisted sharply, transforming into something a lot darker, a lot more frightening.

Sending a letter was costly; even Momo knew that. So there had to be a purpose for why he had left her with all their funds. Her heartbeat grew louder in her ears. He couldn't –