Killer Empire

Chapter 09

WHEN THE SUN slipped through the cracks of the horizon the next morning, Devora awoke with a grown slipping past her lips. The last few nights had not been kind to her and when paired with the injury she had recently sustained, this dawn simply marked yet another day which the poor girl had awoken with a sore back and pain as the first sensation.

Some time through the night while she was asleep, the fire had fizzled out into nothing but charred logs and the smell of cinder and ash. With the fire dead and gone, the cold of the morning was starting to get to Devora. Although it was just the air that surrounded her, the chill was just as impactful as a bucketful of ice water downed on her head, washing away her drowsiness swiftly.

Rubbing her eyes, Devora's gaze landed on where she had seen Nathan last night. However, the spot was nothing but grass and dead leaves. Sitting up in a panic, Devora's hand dropped to the ground, supporting her weight as she turned this way and that, eyes darting far and wide in search of the brown-haired boy. Other than a bunch of greenery and a few chirping birds, there was nothing else Devora could find. There was certainly no other human in the vicinity, in both a good way and bad.

"Looking for me?" From above, a voice called out, prompting Devora to look up despite her stiff neck.

A shadow emerged from one of the branches high up a tree before it quickly found its way down, jumping off when it neared the ground. Nathan landed with a thud, perfectly on his feet as he stretched his arms high above his head. At the sight of him, Devora audibly breathed out in relief, her tense shoulders relaxing.

'Good,' she thought. 'He hadn't left. I'm not alone.'

"Sleep well?" He asked, sighing in content as he massaged the kinks in his shoulders. "You were knocked out right after our conversation."

"I must've been more exhausted than I thought," Devora muttered, adjusting her position before twisting her body around to stretch the knots that had formed. A satisfying pop sounded from her back, eliciting a sigh from her lips. "But the forest floor is terrible. I miss my bed."

A ring of laughter escaped Nathan's lips at Devora's words. He doubled over, hands clutching his stomach as he stepped closer towards her, crouching down so that he could help her up to her feet. With their close proximity and the light of day, Devora couldn't help but let her eyes wander to his face again. This time, they landed on the two perfect dimples on his cheeks, another set of art in addition to the constellation of freckles that covered the apples of his cheeks and nose bridge.

The corner of Nathan's eyes crinkled delicately and soon enough, his laughter died down to a good-natured smile.

"Well, you better get used to his life. There definitely won't be ready-made beds for you around every corner of the city for you to rest your pretty little head on," he chuckled.

The words had left Nathan's mouth without first going through the filter in his brain. For the last few days, Devora had kept her eyes and ears peeled for information about the thugs that had kidnapped her and the rest of the children. This constant state of attention had groomed her to always be mindful of the words spoken around her as it may serve useful in the future. The words which Nathan had used offhandedly didn't slip past her as a mere passing comment. Rather, it seemed a little suspicious, a little too precise.

With eyes widening significantly, Devora raised a single eyebrow, arched high as she shot Nathan a cautious glare.

"And what do you mean by that? Why will I need a bed at every corner of the city if I can just stay at home?"

For a brief moment, the boy acted like a deer caught in headlights. His eyes suddenly perked with attention, eyebrows soaring high the second he noted that he had misspoken and revealed something he had sworn not to. However, as quickly as that stunned look came, it disappeared and was replaced by the same smug smile he wore before, carried with pride.