The King [Published]

Chapter 3

"Now, we keep going East. If the beasts found our village, that means the war has shifted outside of their kingdom. None of this is safe. We have to get as far away as we can from the war."

We continue our trek through the village, giving me time to study Dimitri. He lost family as well, but it seems as if he is fine. I'm curious if he is trying to be strong for both of us. I gently place my hand on his arm, intending to ask when I realize we're heading toward the Inn.

"Dimitri, where are we going?"

"We need to get a good night's rest before we can make a trip across the river. It'll be hazardous and deadly."

"The doctor said we shouldn't stay here. These people turn new faces in."

My gaze travels over the village. It's larger than ours and the people here keep to themselves. They refuse to look in our direction, but I know they are aware of our arrival. Dimitri takes a deep breath, looking at me with a raised brow.

His gaze shifts, falling on the dense forest we should be heading through. He studies it intensely for a full minute before shaking his head.

"We can't worry about what might happen right now. All that matters is survival. I will not hike into the woods as the sun goes down when we're on the run from beasts because of a rumor you heard from an old woman. We'll be much safer once we're rested, and the sun is high in the sky."

He gently pushes my hair out of my face, giving me a smile.

"Besides, you're in no condition to travel."

* * * * *

I barely recognize myself as I stare in the mirror. The woman reflected at me looks as tired as I feel. My eyes are dull, sunken, and red from crying. My hair is wild and ratty, and my skin is raw and bruised. The swelling of my bottom lip has finally gone down, I notice. I gently press my lip, immediately thinking of the beast that put the bruise there. He was relentless in his attacks, amusement plastered on his terrifying face. There was no remorse, no mercy.

It makes me wonder why he let me live. Who was he to be so far away from the kingdom and without an army? Was he a scouting soldier looking for slaves for his king? Will he stop at our village or continue to the next one? He had to be someone stronger than a simple soldier to take out a large group of trained men. I release a breath, looking behind me at Dimitri. He's looking at a map he bought, his brow furrowed in frustration.

I make my way across the room, wrapping my arms around his shoulders before placing a soft kiss on his cheek. The warmth from his body is comforting. He has always been warmer than the average human; the feel giving me a sense of comfort when I'm in his arms.

"What's this?" I ask, looking down at the map.

"This is our ticket to freedom. There's a port just south of here. It's a three-day trip, but I think we can make it in two if we minimize rests. We can hop on the next ship out of this hell and head across the ocean."

I never thought about sailing across the ocean. No one knows for sure what lies in the other side. But there are ports that lead to the destination for humans, meaning there cannot be beasts. And since the war has expanded this far outside of the beasts' kingdom, it may be our only option.

"Are you prepared for that? To leave everything we know behind?"

Dimitri looks at me, placing his hand along my jaw. He gently runs his thumb over my skin in comfort as he smiles.

"As long as I have you with me, I'm ready for anything. You're my home now, Annalise."

I smile, leaning in to kiss him. His lips are soft. And as I kiss him, I realize just how alone we are. We only have each other to rely on in this war. Tears spill over my cheeks as I deepen the kiss, wrapping my arms around his neck. Dimitri has been by my side for as long as I can remember. Our future laid out plainly in front of us. But now it looks bleak and uncertain.