Court of Ivy and Desire

A Reflective Past

Trey

As Maya rested on a makeshift cot, I busied myself in the dimly lit room, preparing a small meal and a makeshift remedy to help replenish her strength. I moved with practiced efficiency, my movements fluid and precise as I worked to tend to Maya's needs.

"Here," I said softly as I offered her a bowl of broth and a piece of bread. "You need to eat to regain your strength."

Maya accepted the food gratefully, her hunger was probably gnawing at her insides after the ordeal she had endured-we both endured. I observed her as she took a sip of the warm broth, the savory flavor soothing her parched throat as she savored each mouthful.

"Thank you, Trey," her expression softened with gratitude. "You didn't have to do all this for me."

I offered her a reassuring smile. "It's the least I can do. Besides, this will be another debt that you owe me." I was joking and she caught on as her lips curved into a beautiful smile. I watched her eyes, now chocolate brown and not reddish glow I've seen the last few hours. They were softer and she looked..,human.

As she finished her meal, I reached into my backpack and withdrew a small flask filled with animal blood that I was able to get this morning and offered it to her with a hesitant expression. "I know it's not much, but it should help replenish your strength." She deserved it especially since she didn't sink her fangs into my neck when I was bleeding out.

Maya hesitated for a moment, her gaze fixed on the flask in my outstretched hand. Her eyes shifted and her breathing changed. With a resigned sigh, Maya accepted the flask, steeling herself for the metallic tang of the blood as she took a hesitant sip. As she drank, I settled beside her and ate my own food. I thought about my time in the military as I gazed into the distance. "You know," I began, my voice quiet yet steady. "I wasn't always a soldier. There was a time when I had a normal life, just like everyone else."

She turned her attention to me, listening intently as I spoke. I took on a reflective tone as I spoke about the thing that haunted me since I was discharged. I recounted the moments that had left a lasting impact on me during my time in the military.

"There was one mission," I began, my voice tinged with a mixture of solemnity and sadness. "We were deployed to a remote village, tasked with evacuating civilians caught in the crossfire of a brutal conflict."

I could see the images playing out in my mind, the faces of the villagers etched with fear and desperation as they sought refuge from the violence that threatened to consume their homes.

"We faced enemy fire from all sides, but we refused to back down. We fought with everything we had, determined to protect those who couldn't protect themselves." It was such a hard time for me. We had to think quick while trying to save the lives of innocent people. Men, women, children were all at risk.

"My partner and I agreed to get everyone to safety at all costs. When things went bad, he betrayed me, leading me right to the person responsible for so many lives that were lost." I heard her gasp and I fell silent, remembering the hurt I felt in that betrayal. Unexpectedly, Maya reached out to place a comforting hand on my arm, a silent gesture of solidarity and understanding. My heart raced at the way her soft, cold hand felt on my skin. It welcomed it.

I took a deep breath before continuing. "I was about to accept my fate if it meant that the others get to live, but I knew that I was all alone because we lost so many of our comrades. He planned it out perfectly, the fake concern and hideouts. I felt dumb."

She shook her head. "You're not dumb. You trusted someone who didn't deserve your trust."

"I should've known something was off when they kept finding our hideouts. Maybe-"