The Consort (MalexMale) 《COMPLETE》

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

A weeping willow stands tall in the distance. Her branches whisper against the wind, stretching and bending to Nature's will. It's as if the beauty of her dance masks the sorrow woven into her sensitive leaves. It's hard to tear my eyes away from her, one of the only pieces in this town left untouched and unmarred by the immortals.

"When they woke us up to leave in the middle of the night, I didn't expect this would be the place we'd end up," Fiona whispers beside me.

She huddles a blanket against her chest and stares at the broken town before us. The porch swing creaks beneath our weight. She toes the wooden floorboard and gets our momentum going again.

"I just...I didn't realize things had gotten this bad," she adds.

She reaches to the small coffee table beside her to pick up her cup of tea. A wisp of heat dances away from its surface. She slurps a hasty sip and puckers the minute it touches her lips. I'm not sure why, but the moment reminds me of sitting with Kelly in the coffee shop as we discussed our vampires.

It only happened a few months ago, but it feels like years.

"I didn't either," I murmur honestly.

"Then why are we here?"

"This is the most secluded town in the north," I explain. "And Bogdan said the further north we travel, the safer we will be."

Fiona gives me a sideways glance and lowers the cup of tea to her lap. "You really trust him, don't you?"

"I don't have a reason not to," I answer sharply.

She snorts and shakes her head. "I could name a few."

When she realizes what she's said aloud, she quickly whips her head in the direction of our new living quarters. She squints up at the second floor, no doubt wondering if Bogdan and Kelly heard her nasty retort. Which, of course, they did.

I sigh and reach for my own cup of tea. The heat pulses through the thick layer of glass, pressing against the pads of my fingertips with a kiss of warmth. Fiona still doesn't get it. She doesn't realize that the two immortals unintentionally eavesdropping on our conversation are doing all they can to protect her. To protect us.

We sit in silence for a few minutes longer before Fiona squirms beside me.

"So what's the plan after this?" she huffs. "Take us to another empty and pillaged town where we can hide for a few days?"

I shrug. "I'm not sure."

She plunks her tea back onto the table. The liquid sloshes and a few drops dribble down the side of the cup. She throws her hands up in the air, exasperated.

"I can't keep doing this, Finn. It's....It's like I'm always running from something. Or someone. That's how I ended up at Mark's camp in the first place."

"How?"

A sad, distant smile hangs from her lips. "I got tired of running. So I just stopped. Within a day, they found me."

While Fiona was in Mark and Leo's captivity, I was in Axel's. I remember thinking about her while I was there, wondering why she wasn't coming to rescue me. All the while she was holed up and tied to a chair – probably wondering the same damn think about me.

"I'm sorry," I whisper, not knowing what else to say.

Fiona stares off into the distance. I follow her gaze, allowing my eyes to study the splash of chaos left in the wake of this town. All the other houses are abandoned. Clothes, food, and garbage spills across the lawns and into the streets.