Having supplies to pick up from the local depot, Mardea believed she didn't have any strength left to do so. The radiant afternoon sun engulfed her sight as if she'd been living in the pitch-black for years. She wondered if the intensity had something to do with how worn out she felt.

Her being shrieked for the rejuvenation of her full essence.

Mardea's combat boots carried her home—taking the back streets to shade herself and avoid the crowds. The stares from so many random people made her feel unselfconscious—hating how big and bold her mark was. She joked to herself that the demon was trying to compensate for something—it helped lift her spirits.

Four stories up on the apartment block on the corner of Fais de beaux rêves avenue. It was a pretty neighbourhood, flowers growing from the balconies, clean and painted a bright yellow. The windows were big and inviting of the warm evening air. The building was ten stories in total.

Stepping off the street she rode the elevator going up. Surprisingly it was quiet today. Even though many people had passed her on the street. Not many people seemed to be back home yet.

With a ding, she hopped off on level four and followed the bright green hallway. This apartment had to be the most colourful place she spent her time in. On the front lines of a battle, it was always dull. She made a fist and knocked three times on the wooden door with twenty-four written on it.

"Hang on!" A voice shouted. She waited hearing a crashing and bang.

The lock slid, clunked and clicked opening. "Heeey! Mardea." Adam smiled surprised by her visit, but then his eyes registered the mark on her forehead.

"Fuck!" He opened his arms as Mardea fell into pieces in his embrace.

"Fuck." She muttered sobbing.

He helped her inside—barely able to close the door behind. They sat down on his red couch as Adman held her. She buried her head and cried into his grey shirt—her arms wrapped around his chest.

Adam's pale shell pink face blanked and he retreated into his psyche, lost on how to respond. This was a very high level of disastrous. He couldn't just commando style through this. His combat training would have only been useful against the demon—it was useless now.

"I'm sorry this happened to you." He bent his narrow chin scared to see her in such a vulnerable state. A slight smile of gratitude appeared across her face through her sadness. Mardea touched his cheek and tried not to fall into his navy eyes. He gripped her hand to his face giving it a tender kiss.

"I have some news I need to tell you. But I think it can wait for now." He said considerately.

Mardea chuckled, "How worse could it get?" she paused, "I bit the demon."

Adam's eyes widened and his mouth dropped, "What!?" She began to laugh, giving Adam permission to join in.

"I learn cooler things about you by the day." He said with a huge proud grin.

"So." Mardea wiped her face clean and sat up on Adam's lap. "I got to pick up supplies from the depot for Dad. Would you be able to help?"

"You know that was originally my job." Adam's face screwed up into an unsure cringe, "The reason I was taken off... I've been transferred to the shoreline."

Mardea leapt off his lap.

"I have three days to pack my apartment and leave Coasto."Adam stared at the floor.

"But—but, we just eloped yesterday. I don't understand." She held back the floodgate of more emotions.

"It's an order. Not my choice." He almost whispered.

"Then I'll get a transfer with you." Mardea crossed her arms.

His face lit up, "You can only try...wifie." He hopped up and grabbed her waist—pulling her back.

Mardea giggled and grinned back at him, "I knew seeing you would lift my spirits."

"You're welcome," he reached across for her lips—Mardea hesitated but then lent in.

Their lips met as they passionately pressed together drawing in. She could feel his skin brush over her lush lips, closing her eyes and lending in, reaching deep. His hand held the back of her head. Mardea moved back—remembering her IUD and the stand down for going any further.

"I—" She gasped.

Adam stopped, "What is it."

She explained the appointment that she had to have because of the mark. But Adam reassured her that he also had his own contraceptive. Even so, he understood because of bleeding from the insertion of the IUD. She was glad the pain was minimal from taking her meds on the way over.

Adam brushed Mardea's box braids out of the way and touched her mark.

I've never seen a mark so big and angry-looking. He thought.

"Does it disgust you?" She asked, afraid of the answer.

"Yes." He paused, "but only because I want to kill it.....But I don't think I'll get the chance because of the transfer."

Mardea felt revealed. She was so frightened that he wouldn't be able to look at her the same again. The biggest issue in the room was unspoken, that the person marked would be consumed by the demon in the following days. Meaning Mardea only had days to live.

Neither of them wanted to dwell on this fact.

She dared not to say but the mark made her feel like demon property and it sickened her.

Mardea helped Adam continue packing his apartment. He had quite a few paintings of majestic royal cats—some being statues. When they mostly were finished she sat down to take a break and Adam cooked dinner for them both. After dinner, she made her way towards the depot as the evening approached. 

The depot was a thirty-minute walk from the city, close to the other gate on the other side. The open road was dark and lonely. She hated that Adam returned the truck yesterday as she could have driven it in—not having to do this on foot. With the change of plans—he was no longer able to pick up the shipment. Before Mardea heard the news she believed Adam would at least be able to help her load it up the truck. Her last hope was that the truck was preloaded—but the chances of that were slim with the hast of this shipment.

Light posts lit up the road as she neared the depot. His was a huge tin building—the roof almost flat and shadowed with circle spotlights leading the way. She moved over on the road as a truck verged on her, exiting the depot. A gust of wind tossed her further off the road as the truck whizzed passed. It was a chilly night.

Her shoes hit the concrete strip leaving the the tar road behind. She lend into the Report Box and scanned her card. The vehicle arm lifted up and she wandered through avoiding it.

Mardea ducked under the roller doors as they were rumbling downward.

"Missy. It's lock-up." A bigger man in a vest said walking away.

"I—Ah have an order." Mardea quickly seized her folded-up sheet of paper from her pocket—unravelling it.

The man was disappearing down one of the aisles. Shelves in rows stacked at tall heights.

The man sighed and wandered back snatching the paper unenthusiastically. "Yeah umm, the truck isn't loaded, my men are done for tonight. Unless you can load it by yourself." He said handing back the paper and looking her up and down.

"What about tomorrow morning?" She tried—feeling desperate.

"Elven A M. The boys will be here." He crossed his arms.

"Where's your urgency! We are at war on the border." Mardea huffed confused by this man's slacks.

"The shoreline is more important than the border. You're on your own until eleven AM, missy." He shook his head.

"Wait! Can I borrow your coms? I need to contact the general." She begged.

"Make it quick. I should be off the clock." He sighed and handed his headset over.

Eagerly she snagged the headset and dialled the area code. She secured it on her head as she waited for the call to go through.

"136008" A voice answered.

"This is 459, Can I speak to the General Agrinya." She waited as it rang again.

There was a click, "Mardea, what's happening with the shipment? You should be back by now?"

"I was too late to pick it up. I need a second person to load. They won't have spare people until eleven tomorrow." She explained.

There was a long pause, "Why didn't you take Rohaan with you?"

"I thought Adam would of helped me. Or at least it be already loaded. The truck was left here yesterday." Mardea could feel herself panicking at the sound of her father's annoyed breathing coming through the coms.

"Be at the depot five-thirty. Don't muck around! I'm sending Rohaan to help you in the morning. You can......stay the night in the city.." He said firmly.

"Please, anyone but Rohaan...I don't want to face him right now." Mardea complained.

The mic clicked off—he hung up on her. "GRRRRR!" Mardea groaned handing the coms back to the guy.

"Goodnight missy." He waved and wandered off.

She took the side door out of the depot and it locked tightly behind her.

This might be my fault...If only I had the energy to go to the depot straight away after everything...Oh well, I guess, back to Adam's. I get to sleepover like I wanted.