In silence, they hiked through the forest until the sun sank below the horizon and Dmitri’s stomach began to audibly growl. “How much longer do you want to walk?” Gwen asked, sounding as tired as he felt. “Until it’s too dark to see.” She sighed but didn’t argue, which really surprised him, and so they walked until it was too dark to see. “Now?” Gwen asked a while later, after she tripped over something and cursed. A sliver of moonlight peeked through the cloud cover and illuminated her feminine profile. He’d planned on walking for at least two more hours to make sure they put enough distance between themselves and the other reapers. But the lack of light made it difficult to navigate, and since she sounded exhausted, he relented. “Yes,” he said as they reached a small clearing. “Now.” The last time he’d hiked so far for so long was during his time in the Red Army. His feet were killing him, his lower back ached, and the bullet wound to his arm still stung.
