Nero and Oro immediately tensed, their muscles ready to fight at a moment's notice. Amina held onto them as she closed her eyes to sense the souls of the damned around them. One... Five... Ten... God help them. The demon spawn were creeping closer, zeroing in on them. The miasma in the air thickened to an almost suffocating pressure, Amina could barely hold her body upright with the immense darkness flooding in around them. She choked as she tried to use her hand to cover her mouth and nose, her eyes intensely burning from the fumes and forcing tears to stream down her face.
Nero saw Amina struggling to breathe and tore the sleeve of his tunic beneath his armor, tying it around her face to cover her nose and mouth, hoping to filter out some of the wretched smell. Oro pulled a covering up and over his face as he gagged, albeit not as much as Amina, who seemed to be suffering more the closer the demons came. Nero, strangely, did not need a covering.
Nero quickly leaned in so close that his lips grazed her ears when he gingerly whispered, "How many?" Amina signaled more than ten, trying to quickly and quietly signal that they needed to run. Nero flashed a smile at her, stroking her face as he slid his arm beneath her bottom and threw her over his shoulder. Amina gasped as he did, taking in too much of the acrid air and choking on it. Nero and Oro threw signals at one another, seemingly arguing before Oro gave in to Nero's orders, whatever they were. Amina felt Nero's grip tighten around her and she went rigid as he bolted, followed closely by Oro in the rear. Amina sensed the demons pouncing, chasing after them. They must have been at least mid-level demons to have such intelligence, surrounding them from behind. That or someone was ordering them. Amina wasn't sure of which circumstance she would be more afraid of.
"Close your eyes tight, Mia! Hold your hands over your ears! Now!" Nero bellowed over the horrific sounds coming from the demons behind them. Amina diligently obeyed, afraid of what he was trying to protect her from seeing or hearing. Amina could hear the dull sounds of something mimicking the sound of cutting down a tree. Amina knew Nero and Oro were not simply cutting down trees and clamped her hands over her ears even tighter, squeezing her eyes shut so hard they ached. Amina felt something wet splattering over her and felt sick at the rusty smell of blood she recognized from when she first met Nero and he slew the beast that had been chasing her.
Amina couldn't breathe. Her body revolted against the miasma, rejecting the air she was trying so desperately to breathe. She felt herself getting dizzy and lightheaded when suddenly images flashed into her mind. A demon that looked human with crimson hair and eyes wearing regal clothing and a disturbing, jagged smile as he reached for Amina as a young girl. Was she seeing the past? Remembering something? Or was this a hallucination triggered by the miasma? Her head spun at the possibilities as Nero leaped onto the horse, settling her against his chest, holding her against him as he veered the horse toward the nearby village. Amina closed her eyes again and reached out with her powers to sense the souls around her; she could sense Oro behind them, his shimmering, golden soul sticking out against the five blackened demon souls that continued to pursue them. Nero and Oro had slain that many in the short amount of time it took them to reach their horses? She couldn't believe it. How powerful were these men?
Amina felt herself becoming lighter the closer they came to town, finally bursting through the edge of the forest and into the light of the day that had been shrouded beneath the heavy foliage of the forest. Amina took her first full breath as they slowed, feeling sick and weak while Oro began taunting the demons that could not roam beneath the sunlight.
"Mia?"
"Yes?" She answered Nero, pulling away from her tight grip on his chest to glance up at him. She almost lost her breath again as she saw his face covered in blood, the daylight illuminating the dark stains all over his clothes and face. She searched for any wounds with her hands roaming across him, relieved to find not even a scratch. She glanced at Oro to see him also unscathed and released a sigh of relief.
"You alright? Not hurt anywhere? Can you breathe okay now?" Nero shot one question after the other, his rapid-fire concern making her quirk a smile as she soothed his worries.
"I'm fine, too," Oro joked, laughing when Nero rolled his eyes.
"Let's stay at the town inn today and reconvene in the morning to investigate the woods further. I do not want to stray too far in this many demons are so near to my people. There's more to this than I or the king feared," Oro interjected, breaking the silence with his solemn remarks. Amina and Nero nodded, the conversation dying as they plodded towards the tiny inn in town. They checked in, thankfully finding the last two rooms of the inn vacant. Oro ordered one of the servants to go buy them each new garments and to burn the ones they currently wore out of caution. There was only one bath in the entire inn so the men allowed Amina to bathe first despite her protest. She groaned as she sank into the warm water, her tense muscles screaming against her as she washed the dirt and blood from her body and hair. She wrapped herself in a robe before leaving, ensuring the sash was closed tightly around her as the servant still hadn't returned with their new clothes.
"I'm finished, so you gentleman can go bathe," she notified as she walked barefoot, drying her hair with a small towel. The men turned to look at her but quickly whipped their heads away at the sight of her still slightly damp in a robe.
"Oro you go first. I'll take Amina to her room," he growled, watching Oro as he entered the bathroom to ensure he didn't so much as glance at Amina again. He glared at the other men working, blocking Amina from their sight. He inhaled sharply as he turned to look at her again, her confusion plain on her face. He almost groaned at how beautiful she was, her damp hair and skin making the robe cling to her robust curves. Her skin flushed from the warmth of the bath. He watched as a bead of water rolled down her neck, to her chest, and disappearing beneath her robe. He could see the faint outline of her breasts and nipples, his fingers itching to stroke and knead them. Amina warmed beneath his fiery gaze, sensing his hunger and remembering the kiss they already shared. She had never been with a man and her body felt strange when Nero was near, especially when his eyes roamed over her body. She saw him bite his lip as he broke his intense gaze away from her.
"You should go to your room to relax," he remarked, scrubbing a hand down his face to try and make it not look like he was going to pounce on her in the hallway. Amina smiled as she asked him to lead the way, unsure of which room was hers. He pointed at the room next door, unlatching the connecting door and stepping inside to ensure no one was there before allowing her inside and shutting the door behind her. Nero watched as she pulled her hair to one side, exposing her neck as she continued to dry her wild, curly hair.
"Gods, do you have no self-awareness?"
"Excuse me?" She answered, turning toward him and seeing his animalistic gaze intensify as he stepped closer to her.
"You have no idea, do you?"
"No idea about what, Nero?"
"How goddamn beautiful you are. I mean, gods, are you trying to be attacked walking around like that?" Amina flushed, both embarrassed and aroused.
"You wouldn't let anyone touch me," she said confidently.
"I wouldn't. But that doesn't mean I can stop myself from touching you," he growled, now inches away from her, his body heat radiating off of him and sending a shiver down her spine. His hand reached up to cup her face, his thumb stroking her lips.
"The only reason I'm able to hold back is because I don't want to dirty you. Who knows what would've happened if I had bathed first," he whispered, his thumb resting on her bottom lip. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted him to ravage her. She blushed at her own thoughts, realizing she needed to calm down before she pounced on him.
A soft knock sliced through the tension, Nero releasing her lips and stalking toward the door to tear apart whoever had interrupted their sweet exchange. He swung the door open to find a small man holding clothes for Amina. He blocked her from his sight, thanked him for the clothes as he grabbed them, and slammed the door shut in the man's face. He sighed as he laid her dress on the bed, wishing he was doing the same to her.
"You should get dressed. I'll meet you after I wash and change." Amina nodded, rooted in place where he had just been, touching her, wanting her. She watched as he left, her heart finally calming when she heaved a deep breath in, sinking onto the bed as he lingered at her door.