After the End (Julian and MC)

10

Julian and I walk in front of Asra and his parents, with Portia in front of us, followed by Scout. Julian seems calmer now that Portia's with us, but he's still unnerved. I link our arms together, resting my head on his shoulder as we walk side by side through the gardens. I know that I should be more alert, but Scout is calm, and so I let myself relax a little.

"Hey, what's the matter?" I whisper to Julian, raising my eyebrows when he turns his head to look at me.

"N-nothing, I'm just... Worried, that's all." He frowns, swallowing hard as he steps as close as he can without walking over the top of me. "I've seen what the Devil's capable of, and... He won't be happy that we're standing up to him... I don't want to lose you, or Portia, or anyone else." Julian confesses, resting his forehead against mine and sighing.

I smile sadly and kiss his nose before moving back and shaking my head, gently cupping his face and stroking his cheek. "We'll stop him this time, and once we separate the realms again, we'll have a proper life together." I promise him sweetly, my eyes softening when he relaxes and smiles back at me.

"I believe you." Julian nods, kissing my forehead before abruptly freezing to stop himself from waking into Portia.

I look ahead to see Scout standing in front of us, a low growl rumbling in her throat. Asra, Salim, Aisha and myself all reach out with our magic at once, and I gasp when I realise what Scout's growling at.

The shrubbery in front of us springs to life, winding to barricade us behind it. Portia, Scout and Julian dive out of the way as Asra and I blast through the brambles, clearing a path. Salim and Aisha focus their own energy on the brambles behind them, which are beginning to creep up and wind around their ankles.

"Run!" I shout at Julian, grabbing his elbow and pulling him along as I race forward.

Scout bounds forward, howling in alarm with Portia on her heels. Julian and I are close behind, with Asra a little further back. His parents are blasting away at the brambles that follow us, doing their best to keep up. Scout races up the stairs of the palace, crashing through the doors and holding them open. Portia skids to a halt behind her, holding the opposite door and watching with wide eyes as Julian and I run inside after them.

Asra comes in a moment after us, horror etched in his expression as he looks back to his parents. They're doing their best to climb the steps, but the vicious branches and brambles of the gardens lash at their ankles and threaten to drag them down. I step back into the doorway, casting my magic out and destroying the wayward foliage that covered the lower steps. Asra reaches out for his parents, holding them close when they rush past me. I step back to let Portia and Scout close the doors, and press my hand to the wood to seal the entry.

"Scout? Is Nadia here?" I ask after a long and breathless moment, turning my head to look at our guide.

She bobs her head and nods, pointing down the hall. She begins to walk off, but stops when she realises how tired Salim and Aisha are. She sits down and patiently waits while they catch their breath, and I look to Asra when he gently guides his mother to the ground.

"Not as young as we used to be." Salim smiles, sitting beside his wife and resting his head against the wall.

I smile and nod sympathetically, turning my attention to Julian. He's sitting on the ground beside Portia, and has his arm around her shoulders. I notice that Portia's out of breath too, and pace over to the pair, crouching in front of Julian when he smiles at me.

"It's her short legs, I'm afraid." He grins devilishly, letting out a yelp of pain when Portia punches him hard in the arm.

Portia fixes him with a hard stare, placing her hands on her hips and frowning. It's good to see the two of them together again, Julian's more relaxed now that she's here. I think he was worried about her... No, I know he was worried about her. I could see it in his eyes, how scared he was before he went into her cottage... I think he was worried she'd be a demon like he was.

"Are you alright?" I ask Julian softly, taking his hand and letting him pull me into him.

Julian smiles and nods, slipping his arms around my waist and pressing his lips to the side of my head. My chest lightens as I curl into him, wrapping my arms around his chest and sighing when he rests his chin on top of my head. We sit together for a few moments, taking a brief break before we set off in search of Nadia.