The Heirs of Dark and Light

Chapter 43

The air in the room shifted, it swirled around until it formed itself into a great big satisfied smile. Arrogance and pride seemed to drip off every surface leaving the room coated in it. Their plan was working, through the darkness inhabiting her body she could see their smirks. She knew, it, could see them too, was revelling in them.
She could feel a hand roaming the body that wasn't wholly hers. Even though everything felt too far away to grasp she could feel that as clear as day. She thought that maybe it was allowing her that. Allowing her to feel the pinpricks of disgust that would crawl up her spine whenever the hand would slide lower. That and nothing else.
A noise came from the hallway. One so quiet that only fae ears could really pick up on it.
She peered out of her own eyes to see that the energy in the room had shifted once more. The hand had removed itself from her back and was now wavering in uncertainty of its next move. Gone were the smiles and easy laughter. It seemed like it was their turn to choke down the air in the room. Uncertain looks were traded between the men before the youngest of them stood. No one challenged his claim to prove himself, he glanced once at the older male, nodded and started to walk. In the firelight his shadow bounced off the walls, announcing his presence in the room even after he had walked out into the hallway. In the background she could hear that the talking had resumed, the thing that had seemed to trouble them, forgotten so easily. She, however did not forget the disruption so quickly. From her spot she could see his dark reflection pronounced against the pale wall. She watched it twist it's head, left and then right. With a thud it disappeared from view. Now, she could see him clearly, but no longer just his shadowy image. The arrow protruding from his heart had pinned him to the wall he had been stood in-front of moments before. His bright red blood staining the once pale paintwork. Blood was coming out of his mouth, he was choking on it in his struggle to keep breathing. The gargling noise infiltrated the chatter drawing the males attention. More of them went to stand this time, the fear of the unknown that had seemingly claimed one of them dampening their senses of pride. Swords were slid from their sheaths but no eyes came to rest on the fallen male before shards of glass rained down on them all. Everyone around her ducked, shielding their eyes from the destruction, she only stared on. The distinctive noise of metal colliding filled the room. In her peripheral vision she could almost make out the blurs into men but there was no way to be fully sure. They moved at a speed too fast for the eyes to focus, so instead she focused on the one thing around her unmoving, the male pinned to the wall. It was watching her. Grunts of pain and the coppery smell of blood filled the air once more and the blur of motion seemed to cease. At a much slower pace a male entered her vision, one who had not been there before. His hands found themselves on her cheeks and she couldn't help but note the lack of disgusted pinpricks left behind his touch, instead she felt a warmth where his hands had been. He was saying something, his lips moving at a rapid pace. His words were all lost on her. She felt herself being dragged further back into its darkness. She felt as if she was peering up from the belly of the beast, watching as it clamped its jaws shut to the outside world. It had allowed her to see to much and now it was going to take it back. Whether she was willing to give it up or not. Her last glimpse of light were filled with him and his hands travelling down from her cheeks. To her neck.

Breathe. I could breathe.

I fell from my seat onto all fours and heaved, spilling all of my stomachs contents onto the floor. I could feel his hand rubbing my back in small, soothing circles. I stared down at the floor, trying to grab hold of my scattered senses. The discarded collar lay broken only metres away. I scrambled backwards, no thought in my head other to get away from it. Eli's arms wrapped around me protectively, tugging me into his warmth, shielding me from it. I twisted to look at him and could feel the tears brimming in my eyes.

I hadn't recognised him.

I hadn't even realised I had let my tears fall until he started wiping them away.