Ember Gods

Chapter 26

The boys changed, hiding odds and ends in their pockets. Matt found a couple of old air pellet guns while Jacob grabbed some beef jerky. They wanted to be completely prepared.

They met outside Jacob's door. Both of them had on black baseball caps, though Jacob realized his hair was dark enough that he didn't need to wear one. But he felt better having the shade over his eyes.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jacob asked.

Matt raised an eyebrow. "It depends on how much this girl means to you."

"A lot."

Matt laughed. "You're not really having doubts, are you? 'Cause she's all you've talked about since coming back."

Jacob grunted in reply, the butterflies in his stomach returning. He made sure the key was securely attached to his chain and belt loop before putting it into the keyhole. "Vacant house, Maivoryl City," he said, turning the key in the lock.

He opened the door a little, pressed his face up against the crack, and looked through. The room was in shambles—broken furniture was strewn across the floor, papers everywhere, shredded clothing draped over some of the furniture. He waited for several moments, making sure the room was empty before pushing the door open farther and stepping through. Matt followed closely on his heels.

Jacob stepped onto a floorboard that groaned in response, and he jumped. When nothing happened, he let out a sigh of relief. They tiptoed through the rooms and halls, making sure the entire place was vacant before proceeding.

The brothers returned to the front room and glanced out the window. The streets were deserted—but who knew how long they would stay that way. A slight glint of sunlight forced its way through the green atmosphere.

"Do we split up or stick together?" Jacob asked.

"Stick together. You lead the way, watching in front of us, and I'll stay behind and keep an eye out for anything that tries to sneak up on us. Get your knife out—just in case." Matt pulled his pellet gun from a pocket, making sure the clip was securely attached.

After some discussion, they opted to use the back door.

The door creaked as it opened, making Jacob jump, and Matt choked back a hysterical laugh. "Wow—that freaked you out."

Jacob glared at his brother, but Matt only motioned him to go out.

They looked both ways, then jumped off the porch into the tall grass, dropping to their hands and knees. The grass was a blessing—if they stayed low enough, it would actually cover them fairly well.

Army crawling, they reached the forest edge. There were no lights, and the sun was barely visible, the houses dark. Jacob led the way toward the town hall. A noise behind them made Jacob's heart nearly stop, and they both froze.

A shadow passed by, but didn't pause.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Jacob scurried behind a shed, then—making sure the coast was clear—stood, dusting off his jeans.

"Now where?" Matt whispered.

Jacob crept to the corner of the shed, peering around it. A person wandered the street, looking lost—Jacob couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. The town hall was three buildings away. He waved to Matt and pointed toward it.

"Town hall," he breathed.

Matt nodded. Jacob waited, worried the person on the street might also be heading to the town hall. Once the individual had gone beyond the house, Jacob dropped to the ground again and rolled into the filtered green sunlight. He looked both directions, then rushed to the back of the house nearest them—twenty feet away.