ARKAS FELT BLEAK AFTERending the tiny girl’s life.It had been a mercy killing, but he didn’t enjoy murdering children.Oaklie had taken it badly, but she didn’t blame him or hold it against him.She knew it had been necessary.
“It sounds like the hail has stopped,” he said, still caressing her silky hair as she tried to regain control of her emotions.
“Great, let’s go,” she said, finally pulling away from him.
“It’s still raining heavily,” Arkas warned her.
“I don’t care,” she replied.“I’ll swim if I have to, but I don’t want to stay here for a minute longer.”
Arkas didn’t like it when his female was upset.Tears were still running down her face as she frantically packed her belongings.He gathered his work in progress, the tools and his clothing.She reverted the intricate carvings back to plain wood, then checked that they had everything before following him to their truck.
“Do you want to drive?”Arkas asked, placing the box of food on the back seat.
“You’re a better driver than I am,” she replied dully, tossing her bags onto the back seat.
Arkas stashed his gear in the back as well, then slid behind the steering wheel.The rain wasn’t as torrential when he drove out from beneath the cover.He took it slow as he headed onto the interstate.At least the weather was too treacherous for humans to attempt to ambush them.Lightning hit a tree nearby, blinding him momentarily.The strike had set the tree on fire.The rain put the blaze out, but mother nature was relentless.Dozens of lightning strikes lit up the sky, illuminating the pileups and obstructions ahead.
The storm finally began to abate late in the afternoon.They’d driven a few hundred miles and he needed to top up the tank again.
“I’m going to find somewhere safe for us to spend the night,” Arkas said.
Oaklie was poring over the map that was spread out on her lap.“There should be a small town a few miles ahead,” she said.Her mood wasn’t as dark now, but she hadn’t smiled once since leaving the motel.
He saw an exit ramp four miles later and took it.A gas station was the first building they came to.
“I guess we won’t be topping up the tank and jerrycans here,” Oaklie said dourly.
“I doubt there’s any fuel left,” he said wryly, skirting around the blackened remains of the gas station.It looked like an explosion had wiped out all of the fuel pumps and half of the building.
“There’s still people here,” his cambion said as he drove into the town.
“I’ll keep going until we find somewhere that’s secluded and vacant,” he decided.He wasn’t about to take any chances and risk her life.
Oaklie directed him to a private road that led to several huge properties.He drove up the first driveway when the house appeared to be abandoned.“The storms have been just as fierce here,” he surmised.Windows on the right side of the house had been smashed by hail.The lone vehicle that had been left out sported deep dents and shattered windows.
“The left side of the house seems okay,” Oaklie said.“They’ve got propane gas, so I might be able to have a hot meal tonight.”Her tone was still dull, as if nothing could cheer her up.
Arkas parked behind the ruined truck and they climbed out.They could both sense the house was empty.The door was locked, but Oaklie altered the frame to allow them to enter.Musty, damp and smelly, the living room they entered had suffered extensive water damage.The large picture windows were broken, letting the elements in.
“It’s not exactly going to be easy to defend,” Arkas said wryly.
“We’ll only be here for one night,” Oaklie pointed out, heading left into the kitchen.She tried the stovetop and was rewarded when the gas came on.“Can you check if the bedrooms upstairs are intact?”she asked.
He would have done anything to make her happy, but kept that thought to himself.Oaklie Woods had somehow become just as important to him as his brothers were.He knew it had to be due to the strange link they seemed to share.It was unheard of for knights and cambions to become allies.He wished their relationship could be far more than just friends.He wished he could give her a life full of safety and happiness, filled with magical artwork and things that would bring her joy.
Trudging upstairs, he checked the bedrooms as requested.The master was on the left, with a large ensuite attached.None of the windows were broken and it was dry and mold free.He couldn’t say the same for the other rooms.Opening the doors, he wrinkled his nose at the musty odors that wafted into the hallway.
“The master bedroom is dry,” he reported when he returned downstairs.
“I hope we don’t get attacked by any crazy people or any psychotic kids show up this time,” she joked.
It was the first sign that her morose mood was lifting and he grinned in response.“We’ll sense them long before they can infiltrate the house, female,” he said.
He sat down to watch as Oaklie hunted in the pantry for food.She opened a can of meat and vegetables, then put it on the stovetop to cook.He got up to get a bowl out of a cupboard for her, then put it on the kitchen table.
“The water isn’t working here,” she said.“Could you grab some water from the truck for me?”
“Of course,” he said, pathetically eager to help.“What’s wrong with me?”he murmured as he searched the boxes on the back seat of their truck for water.He’d never felt this way about a female before.All she had to do was wish for something and he’d rush to make sure she got it.
