Black Stars - The Mors Mortis Trilogy Book 1

Chapter 25 - Black Stars

"I don't believe that," he said. "I've woken up enough times to your screams to know when something has changed."

Leah's breath caught, the soft conviction in his voice startling. He was looking at her with an intensity that made her mind flash back to the roof of Churchies Pub, to the heat that'd been in his eyes.

"Nothing's changed," Leah said.

Jared's jaw clenched and he looked away, his gaze intent on the bush as Leah examined his profile. His brow was furrowed, his hair swept to the side and flicked up at the ends; chocolate brown streaked with gold and tan in the light.

"Right."

The doubt in his voice was undeniable, but Leah ignored it.

"We should probably get going," she said, picking up her pack and looking at him expectantly.

For a moment, he hovered, watching her, but then he cleared his throat and shifted away.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Whatever you want, Leah."

...

Leah spent the rest of the day in silence, powering ahead as the image of Danny's blank, lifeless eyes followed her over rocks and along dirt tracks, hovering over her head — bright and hot and demanding.

If she'd remembered Danny's death sooner, she probably would've called this journey off, managed to ditch Jared, and gone in search of him. But that wasn't an option anymore. A level of responsibility had settled in her gut that wouldn't allow it. There wasn't room to be selfish when you knew the things she did.

The thought was consuming enough to make the day pass quickly and before Leah knew it, the sun was bathing the trees around them in a deep orange glow and they began to settle down.

Leah had only just unrolled her sleeping bag and sat down when the last rays disappeared completely and everything slipped into the kind of darkness that didn't happen often — when the moon was blanketed from existence above a thick band of evening cloud.

She glanced around and shivered and Jared seemed to sense her unease.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Leah didn't reply straight away. There'd been a tense silence between them all day and she wasn't sure she wanted him to start asking questions again.

"Nothing," she said eventually. "I just don't like the dark."

Jared was silent for a moment and then a flashlight clicked on. She blinked as her eyes adjusted. When they did, she found his gaze on her.

"Thanks," she said.

Jared just nodded and rolled back onto his sleeping bag, his hands resting under his head and his eyes slipping closed.

Leah watched him as the quiet dragged on. Their argument was still bothering him, she could see it in the set of his shoulders, the way his forehead was furrowed into a slight frown. It made her uneasy, in a subtle way that brushed against her conscious as softly as sea foam.

"I'm sorry about this morning," Leah said. "I shouldn't have been so rude."

She hadn't been certain Jared was awake, but his eyes slid open anyway and he tilted his head to look at her.

"S'alright. I shouldn't have pushed you."

His voice was soft and it melted something inside her, dissolving the misgivings she'd had about sharing her dream with him. He wasn't someone she should trust, she knew that, but a small part of her wanted to anyway.