Page 38 of Daemonium

Ky stepped into my line of sight and blocked my view of her, holding out the water. “Thank you.”

His head moved the slightest bit in acknowledgment. Then he stared me down the same way he had every other time he’d made sure I got hydrated. When he was satisfied that I’d drank enough, he finished off the bottle and then tossed it in the trash. He ran his hand down my arm and then locked our fingers together.

“Hey,” Earl called softly.

Ky immediately stopped and stepped in front of me.

“I just wanna thank the--.”

Ky turned his head and glanced back. “The dead man is grateful you bought him more time.”

“Stop it,” I hissed, trying to move him out of my way. When he merely laughed, not budging an inch, I sidestepped.

He turned and wrapped an arm around my waist, tucking me into his side. I smiled at Earl, who was now watching us with a wary expression. “You’re welcome. Are you feeling alright?”

“Oh, yeah. It was just a bump.”

Just a bump? Even Carol’s brows rose at that. There was still a bowl-sized lump on his forehead. Ky’s arm tightened and I knew for the sake of this man’s life, it was time to move along.

“Glad you’re okay,” I told him genuinely, walking Ky closer to the cabin door.

I checked the timer. We were down to six minutes. “How are you going to handle me talking to guys outside of here?”

“You won’t.”

“Ky.” I laughed. “It would be impossible for me not to.”

“You’ll see,” he countered coolly.

By the time the counter reached four minutes, we were all gathered near the door, anticipation hanging in the air. As the seconds dwindled, the bolt finally unlocked with a soft click at the five-second mark. We stepped outside, the early signs of sunrise barely peeking through the darkness. Right away we could see that the Sanctuary sign had been removed, replaced with one that read, To the Farm. A folded paper was tacked to it.

Brody reached it first and snatched it down. He unfolded the paper and read aloud, "To the farm you now must go, where challenges await, and fears will grow. Find your way and face the harm, for only the strong will leave the land."

Hayven glanced at the poorly drawn map Brody held up. "Great, we're following the artistic skills of a toddler."

"The Farm... We've been there a few times," Ciaran said, scanning the map.

"It won't put us too far off," Maverick added.

"By farm, you mean like goats and stuff, right?" Dion asked, hopeful but clearly doubtful.

"If only," Brody replied, folding the paper and tucking it away.

We set off, moving across the field. The city lights twinkled in the distance, the clocktower a faint silhouette against the horizon. Ky's hand found its way to my back, a steadying presence that never left. As we walked, the cool morning air brushed against my skin.

"This farm is bound to be some kind of fucked up nightmare," Mel muttered.

"You say that as if we haven't already faced a dozen of those," Lana replied dryly, sticking close to Ciaran.

"So, what's the deal with? What are we expecting?" Hayven asked. She was walking a little ahead, not fully ignoring Charon anymore.

Maverick shrugged. "Could be anything. Traps, challenges, or worse."

"Fantastic," Dion muttered.

Brody laughed. "Just keep your head on straight. We'll get through this."

Ky's grip tightened on my waist, his touch grounding me amidst the uncertainty. "You doing okay?" he asked, his voice low and comforting.

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