The Bane of Light

Schemes

∞

As soon as Rowena had shut my door, completing an action that would have successfully shut any other student  within their dorms, I instantly jumped into the shadows and appeared in Paris' room. I had chosen the long, dark shadows specifically for this case. He was above the bed, I could feel it as I emerged from the shadows. My face was half concealed, watching the room as hippopotamus would submerged in water.

Paris' arm was dangling over the edge of the bed, and for a moment, a sickeningly sweet image flashed through my mind. I could grab his hand and drag him down, igniting terror through his body, at the thought of whatever demon was reaching for him under the bed. I decided not to. My point would not get across if I simply scared him.

With one lunge, and an artful sweep of my legs, I flung myself into the shadows. I fell for a moment, twisting my body upright, before reemerging a foot above Paris' bed. Besides crashing directly into him, I challenged myself. Weaving my shadows around my limbs, like silk puppet-master strings, I lowered myself slowly.

Ribbons of black smoke hung from the patch of darkness I had opened above his bed, being pulled further into the corporal world by my body weight. Upon being an inch from his face, I allowed myself to be placed down gently. My full weight was still being held off by the shadows, as I rearranged myself.

Balancing above his chest, I made sure to align my center of gravity over his. His shoulders and arms were held down by my knees, therefore not allowing him to shove me off or hit my face. As long as I kept my weight grounded on his center of gravity, he wouldn't be able to get me off. With a final drop, the shadows dropped my entire body onto his. The weight hit him with an 'oomph', as I no longer hovered above his body.

His eyes shot open wildly, attempting to locate the cause of his immobility. But I had already brought a knife to his neck, the silver blade pressed against his Adam's apple. His eyes were panicked as he tried and failed to buck me off, but I only pressed down harder.

"Scream, and you die" I whispered to him, my voice low. His eyes were frantic and wide as he tried to comprehend what was going on. I knew he felt the cool curve of my steel against his skin. Paris didn't dare move though. He knew that any slight shift, could result in a slit throat. His struggle would only aid in his own slaughter. His green eyes stared up at me, as I held my knife to his throat.

"Now" I began, my voice low, "Do you mind explaining to me what happened Rowena's office?"

Paris swallowed, but his expression betrayed nothing. He was simply staring up at me dumbstruck. His blonde hair was rumpled from sleep, fanned around his navy pillow like a golden halo. The green of his eyes barely registered against whites, with the way the pale moonlight washed it of all its color.

"It was accident. I panicked. I didn't mean to go that far" He said to me. There was a hardness behind his words, as if urgent for me to believe him.

"You know what will also be an accident? When I panic, and accidentally slit your throat" I told him, pushing the blade down. A thin line of crimson appeared on his tanned skin. He winced at the sting, but refused to break eye contact.

"Are you going to kill me then? Is that what this is?" He asked me, his voice hoarse. He lifted his chin, revealing more of his neck, as if goading me. Rage simmered in my blood stream, making me see red at his mockery.

"Whether or not you die is dependent entirely on you. So I'd start with loosing that tone" I snarled at him, instead. I pushed down the knife harder. Red blood trickled down his revealed throat.  The tendons of his neck flexed at the pressure, his collar bones jutting above his skin tersely.  He was hardly breathing.