Chapter 183: Memories Of The Bridge (1)
Cassian and Madeline stopped in their tracks after making it out of the palace and into the empty street. The cool midnight air wrapped around them in a penetrating embrace, and Madeline took off the scarf she had used to hide her face and gently wrapped it like a shawl around Cassian’s shoulder. It looked big enough to the extent it hid almost half of his face, leaving only his eyes and nose visible for her to see.
He looked at her briefly, his Amber-brown eyes gleaming in the midnight darkness, and if only he knew how much she was affected by that intruding gaze, he would stop staring at her in such a titillating manner.
"It’s for disguise." Madeline quickly explained, "and it’s... it’s cold too." She added, making her intentions clear, and she heard him sigh as he averted his gaze to the street ahead.
"I’m thirsty." He whispered, almost breathlessly, and Madeline remembered bringing some water in a clean bottle she found at home.
"There’s water in the bag, let me get...."
"No." He refused before she could take the bag from him, and he sighed again, making it obvious that he wasn’t thirsty for water. "It’s not important," he discarded it from his mind and tried to control it, knowing there were more crucial matters that needed attention first.
"We need to make it out of here before dawn." He said, "Tomorrow, the news of my escape will be announced, and they’ll come looking for me. Before that happens, we need to be out of here. Let’s see if we can cover more ground on foot till we find an unused carriage."
Knowing they already spoke about this, Madeline nodded her head in understanding, and together, they walked down the empty street. The only sounds heard were their footsteps and the rustling of leaves from both corners as they set off on foot, the moon casting a faint glow over everything.
Unbeknownst to Madeline, a smile subconsciously graced her lips as she walked beside Cassian, and it felt more like she was walking on air at the feeling of having him by her side. Her eyes darted to the houses on the empty streets, but knowing everyone would have locked themselves at home, Madeline didn’t feel the need to worry about anyone spotting them on the way.