War was captivating in a way I hadn't been expected her. I expected her to be terrifying. And I suppose that she was intimidating because she was different. But more than anything she was beautiful. I wanted her on my side much more than I wanted Dallas or Jas in that moment. Then she waved her hand and we were in a very ornate room beside a fireplace, each of us sitting in our own plush armchair. "Now, Anastasia, darling, we need to talk," she says. I almost can't bring myself to look away from her.
"What about?" I ask, feeling strangely breathless. She smiles, her lips stretching across her face in a manner that makes me feel like prey. Yet, at the same time, I feel completely safe. "I'll provide food and clothing for you if you help me," she begins. "What would you have me do?" I ask, leaning forward a little. "Death and I work closely together. I need you to take me to your cave and say you found me and couldn't bring yourself to kill me. You want me to join you guys. I'll get a bag with food in it, and I'll come up with a reason for having that food. But I need to bring him back. He doesn't remember what he is and I need him to. You do too, darling, because Death and War are the only two who can stop this wintery mess," she says, speaking quietly and conspirator-like.
"Is that all you want me to do?" I ask dubiously. She nods, a patient smile on her face. I had a feeling she wasn't going to be too patient. "Okay, I'll do it," I say. How could I say no, with her face darkening every second I didn't reply. "Oh, look at that. The saviour can make the right choice. How refreshing," she mutters, almost to herself. Catching my confused expression, she smirks. "Every single hero or saviour before you has said no to any request I've had. You've allied yourself with a demon and now you're allying yourself with War. It's not as if either the demon or I have any intentions to harm you, or any of the others, it's just who and what we are that turns them away," she explains. I don't know how she knows about Jas, but I don't question it.
She snaps her fingers again and we're out in the snowy cold where we'd been before. She was still leaning against the tree, and even though it'd felt like we'd been beside the fireplace for hours, no time had noticeably passed. At least Dallas wouldn't get worried about me. Looking at War, I tried to guess how Dallas would react. While I was thinking, she snapped her fingers again and she was dressed in a deerskin dress, a bag of the same material sitting at her feet. Beside her was the bloody carcass of a deer. I took this as a signal to head back, so I grabbed the deer and lead the way, dragging it behind me.
War followed me, and although her footsteps were silent, I knew she was there. Before walking into the cave, I took a deep breath and squared my shoulders. "Dallas," I call out, entering the cave. He's sitting by the fire, like he was when I left him. This time, though, Bones is asleep in his lap. "Ana! You're back, and with a deer!" he says, excitedly, starting to get up. "A deer isn't the only thing I've brought back," I say, as War walks through the entrance. He gasps and goes rigid. "Anastasia! I thought that we'd talk about stuff like this," he exclaims. I duck my head and shuffle my feet, letting go of the deer. "I found her while I was hunting. She has some supplies. I thought you'd be okay with it," I murmur. He sighs. "Fine. But she sleeps on the other side of the cavern."
War gives him a brilliant smile. "My pleasure," she says sarcastically, going to the indicated side of the cavern and laying out a bedroll. "I won't cause too much trouble," she says, shooting me a wink once Dallas had turned his back on her. Without speaking, he curled up underneath the covers of our bed, taking all the room. War flashes me a smile that seems a little more genuine. "I guess you're bunking with me tonight, darling," she says, blowing me a little kiss. And for some reason, I really, really want to do something besides sleep in her bed.
