Through The Ashes

17

The morning air was colder than usual. The sky above was clear for the most part as Jorn stood near the edge of the camp, adjusting her poncho and mentally going over everything they'd need for the run to Windridge. Her hands moved automatically, tightening, checking, rechecking, but her mind was elsewhere.

Mara was a few paces away, talking quietly with Becca and Eli. Every now and then, their eyes would meet, something passing between them that hadn't been there before. Jorn quickly looked away, heat creeping into her cheeks.

It had been two days, but she could still feel Mara on top of her, could still hear her whispering into her ear as she guided her through an orgasm. It had been two days since they got a moment alone together.

Her body still hummed with the aftereffects—she could feel it in the way her limbs moved, slower than usual, a strange lightness that confused her. It was as if a tension had lifted from her, but left behind something momentous.

Jorn tried to shake it off, tried to focus on the task at hand, but every time she caught sight of Mara's silhouette, memories of the night before came rushing back, sending her mind into a spiral.

"Jorn?" Yosef's voice broke her out of her thoughts. She looked up to see him walking toward her, his light brown eyes scanning her face with concern as his assault rifle hung behind his back. "You okay? You look..."

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, a little too quickly. She tugged the strap of her katana tighter around her. "Just thinking about what we might find at Windridge. I really want this run to be worth it."

Yosef nodded, though his gaze lingered on her a moment longer. He didn't push it. "We got this."

"I know." Jorn glanced over her shoulder at Mara again, catching her mid-laugh with Eli. Her stomach fluttered, a flurry of emotions springing up. She looked back at Yosef, his brow rising as if he'd noticed her slip.

Before Yosef could ask anything further, Becca approached, her rifle slung over her shoulder and a serious expression on her face. "We ready to move?" she asked, eyeing the group as they gathered closer.

Jorn nodded, pulling her mind back into focus. "Yeah. We're ready. We'll stray north a bit. We should be cutting through the old city blocks. It should give us cover, but stay alert." She paused, then added, "We can't afford any mistakes."

Her words were meant for everyone, but she felt the weight of them more personally. After Mara, after everything, she couldn't afford to let her emotions cloud her judgment. She couldn't let anything get in the way of what needed to be done.

Mara walked up beside her, making Jorn's pulse quicken. She kept her gaze forward, her voice calm. "I'm ready when you are."

Jorn gave her a short nod. Eli and Yosef fell into line, weapons at the ready as Del and Nicky saw them off.

They started down the trail Jorn mentioned. The crunch of gravel and glass under their boots was the only sound for a while as they made their way through the deserted landscape.

Mara walked close enough that their arms occasionally brushed, the brief contact sending a rush through Jorn, but she didn't allow herself to linger in the feeling. Not now. There would be time to figure it all out later—if there ever was a later.

For now, all that mattered was making it to Windridge and getting back alive.

Jorn led the way, her eyes constantly scanning their surroundings for any sign of danger. Every shadow felt like it was moving as she tried to shove aside the distraction that still tugged at the edges of her thoughts—Mara.

Mara was beside her, close but not too close, as if sensing that Jorn needed space to gather herself. It was comforting and unsettling at the same time.