Dark Signs

17

“V al, are we ready to begin?” Killian asked, his voice strong and full of darkness.

“Come, Navien motioned for me to follow him, his hand placed protective against my lower back as he led me under the hanging chains and around the man that was suspended between them, his teeth still bared in a vicious snarl.

“Thirty-eight.” I heard Kill snarl as the rogue let out a pained moan before falling silent.

I didn’t look back.

Navien followed me up the stairs until we got to the landing of the small mezzanine floor. There was a cold draft blowing in from smashed in windows, the glass strewn across the floor in large, sharp shards.

“Watch your step, Ivy darling.” Navien said softly, navigating me around the jagged edges. He led me to the bannister overlooking the whole room below us and I placed my hands upon the railing.

The bannister was brittle and collapsing in places. The wood splintering under my touch.

“You'll be safe up here, okay? I'll go get you a drink.” Navien said and started for the stairs.

I could use a whisky, or seven, so I nodded in agreement.

I watched as Navien descended the stairs and saw Vaylen and where he was positioned in the corner looking all too calm for the chaos that was surely about to surround us.

The man, my attacker, still hung by the chains and the shackles that bound around his wrists.

I could see the scratches that gouged out macabre tales in the floorboards around him and the darker stains that coated the floor beneath him.

Cairn stood calmly against a wall, one knee propped up, still twirling his blade through his fingers and across his knuckles.

Killian circled my attacker like a shark would as it surrounded a carcass.

“Begin, mon coeur .” Val said smoothly as he looked at Killian then back up to me on my perch.

Killian nodded. He moved toward my attacker, there was piss pooled beneath him. Killian stepped around it before bringing his hand up and slapping the man across his bloody and bruised face.

The man jolted back with a start. He searched the room frantically, jostling on the chains with new fervour.

“I want to play a game.” Killian said, his blade tucked under the man's chin to force his gaze. “Thirty-nine.” He nicked the flesh just above his jugular. Blood immediately spurted from the wound.

“What the fuck?” The man sputtered. “If this is about that whore, I didn't even touch her!” He exclaimed, pulling fiercely on his chains, they groaned and clanked under the pressure.

“Oh, but you did.” Killian spat back. “Forty.” His blade disappeared into the mans side. “Oops. My hand slipped.” Killian said calmly as he pulled the knife free, blood stained the metal.

“Bitch wanted it, she was practically begging for it.” He wheezed out a hoarse laugh which caused his lip to split open and fresh blood to trickle down his chin.

I blanched. “I… I didn't” I whispered, grasping tightly to the rotted timber railing, it cracked and splintered under my touch.

The man's words were met with a swift slice across the cheek from the sharp side of Killian's blade. “Forty-one.”

“Fuck you.” The man seethed through his teeth, his breath sawed in and out of his lungs shallowly.

“The next time you speak ill about mon précieux , I will have your tongue.” Val said calmly, crossing one ankle over a knee. “Continue, mon coeur. ” Val motioned to Killian.

“As I was saying,” Killian continued. “I want to play a game. An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth, so to speak.” He sounded so relaxed.

“Seventy-Six for Seventy-Six.” Caz added.

“Seventy-Six for Seventy-Six.” Killian echoed.

My attacker was smart and didn't open his mouth. His eyes just glittered in the ambered light with angered tears as he watched Killian circle him like the vulture he was.

Every so often those eyes would flick to me, a warning and a promise etched behind them.

Suddenly, one of the man's shackles came loose. His arm fell to his side, he flopped forward bonelessly before bringing his free hand to cup his freshly cut up cheek.

The other shackle was then unchained in the same manner, and the man fell to his knees heavily with a grunt in the pool of his own piss.

The chains clanged loudly and chips of plaster and paint rained down as the chains came to a rest against the wall.

Killian still circled his prey. Around and around with a predatory gait, his eyes luminous with feral ferocity. I could see them glowing, even from up here.

“I'm feeling generous, Val.” Killian said with an air of nonchalance. “I think I might give him a five second head start, what do you think?”

“Mmm… I think tu devrais courir .” Val said in that ancient accent of his. “Run.” He added wickedly to the man with a flick of his wrist.

“Five.” Killian started the countdown.

Fuck, where was Navien with my drink?

The man struggled to his knees, then to his feet. He slipped on his piss, his feet once again going out from under him. He scrambled forward on his hands and knees looking for purchase but finding nothing .

“Four.” Killian continued.

Navien reached the bottom step and made his way to Killian.

The man crawled slowly along the stained floor until he groggily scrambled his way to his knees.

“Three.” Killian stated, sounding nothing but bored, twirling his blade between his fingers.

He passed Navien a cigarette, placing it between his lips with a wink.

Killian brought the lighter up between them and flicked it alight, bringing the flame to the tip of the cigarette, setting it burning.

Navien sucked the tobacco smoke into his lungs deeply before breathing it out into Killians awaiting open mouth.

Navien leaned in once his lungs were clear and kissed Killians lips quickly before pulling away and stalking over to Vaylen's drink cart. He poured a glass from a crystal cut decanter, downed it, and poured another.

Cairn was still casually waiting from his place leaning against the far wall, his blade now holstered upon his thigh. Arms crossed sternly across his chest as he watched. His eyes were hard and steely.

Vaylen hadn't moved, his casual demeanour as he sat and watched me intently.

His eyes, although I could not see them, I could feel their heaviness. Everywhere he looked upon me left a trail of goosebumps.

No one was paying my attacker any notice. I didn't know whether they thought he was too injured to move quickly or whether they thought he simply had more brains about him to try anything else while in their presence. But they let him get his footing, let him have his five second head start.

“Two.” Killian stated with the sound of a smile upon his voice.

His time was running out.

My attacker looked directly up at me with murder and urgency in his eyes.

He crouched low, surveying his surroundings. His head whipped from one side of the room to the other, I followed his gaze.

His features shifted ever so slightly. His eyes turned from a dulled grey to a light ambered yellow. He gnashed his teeth at me again and snarled. I watched as they elongated, his nose and jaw contorted silently into a muzzle.

It all happened so fast.

One moment he was a round, naked man covered in wounds and scars, on the verge of death and the next, there was a half formed wolf-man hybrid staring up at me.

He pounced, his legs vaulting him up to the second storey in one almost silent leap. He landed lightly, for his size, on the balcony before me, balancing precariously on the crumbling timber bannister on his two, now malformed, legs.

He grinned wickedly as he came face to face with me.

I heard a commotion below as the boys realised what had happened and sprung into action, he used that distraction to lunge at me.

The bannister he had landed upon fracturing with a rain of crushed timber fibres and a cloud of rubble dust as he pounced forward.

Pain radiated through me as I was thrown backwards skittering across the room with him atop me, I was surrounded by shards of glass and splintered flooring.

He reared up over me so I scrambled backward kicking out with my legs and feet.

My hands looked for purchase between the jagged shards of glass and rubble, finding nothing I could use.

He was on me again, coming at me with the nails that had now turned to yellowed claws. He slashed and slashed some more, trying to tear into my clothes and skin, but nothing landed, it was like I was protected by an invisible force that covered my skin.

I dragged myself backwards slowly again, only gaining less than an inch.

This fucker was heavy.

I searched for anything I could use. Although he hadn’t landed any blows, my strength was quickly waning.

I was losing this fight again .

I knew then that what Vaylen had shown me was undeniably true.

I was supposed to be dead.

I wasn't supposed to have lived past last night. He had every intention of taking my last breath from me by force.

I wouldn't let that happen.

Those eyes were malicious, laced with murderous intent and disgust as he looked down upon me and continued his attempted assault.

Whatever it was that was protecting me from this onslaught was a miracle. I didn’t need any more cuts and bruises.

My hands wandered, scrambling for purchase, desperately searching.

Until finally.

My fingers wrapped around a long, sharp shard of glass.

I grabbed it tightly. The jagged edges slicing into the palm of my hand.

I didn't care, I would bleed.

His head reared over mine then, his face was mere inches from my own as he bared his teeth, the canines elongated and dripping saliva.

He opened his maw wide and descended upon me.

His teeth wrapped around my neck and started to close.

There was no pain, but the pressure I felt was immense as his jaw started to close up like a vice.

My breath started to stutter and falter.

With the last ounce of strength I had left in me, I brought my shard of glass up and pierced the side of his throat.

Again and again I withdrew my lifeline and stabbed it back in.

Again and again I wielded my own makeshift blade until he was limp.

I flipped him off me, adrenaline coursing through my veins like lightning, and straddled him.

I brought that shard of glass down on his chest, his stomach, his face.

Again and again.

Again and again.