Swan Song ❂ Killian Jones [1]

35

David's idea had been quite the genius one. He'd needed Granny's heightened sense of smell to find the proof they needed; solid and concrete evidence showing it was George and not Ruby that had killed Billy. But during their search, night had fallen over the town, and it was becoming clear that they were running out of time as sounds of an angry mob and howling echoed through the streets.

The sounds weren't hard to follow, and it wasn't long before the trio managed to find the group of angry townspeople. Surprisingly, it was Granny who ran the fastest as Ruby's growls sounded over their yelling. The woman climbed on top of a car to see beyond the mob as she searched for her granddaughter. David and Odette reached the mob just as Granny poised her crossbow in the air and let an arrow fly.

Odette couldn't see what was happening at the front of the group but had an easy time understanding it without having seen Spencer and the gun he must've brought with him when starting the hunt for Ruby. "The next one goes between your eyes." Granny warned the cruel man, her voice holding a harsh and threatening tone.

The small break in the crowd's anger made it easier for Odette and David to push their way through to the front of the mob. But as the people noticed them, it wasn't long before their displeasure started to turn on them. "Why are you protecting her?" "We're not sheep, David!" "We don't need to be led by a shepherd!" "You've been gone! We don't need you now!"

"Listen to me!" Finally at the front of the group, standing by Spencer's side, David's loud voice brought an end to the crowd's comments. "Ruby didn't kill Billy. He did. He stole her cloak and killed Billy in cold blood to make it look like a wolf." He started to explain what they knew.

"I saw him do it! And because of it he tied me away in the mines so I couldn't expose the truth. So, I couldn't be here and help." Odette added her own side of the story.

"All to get you to think we weren't leading this town as we should." David added, and for a moment, it seemed as if their words were getting through to the people. Some seemed to lower their torches and pitchforks, looks passing between them as they silently wondered what to believe.

However, before anyone's mind could fully be changed, a growl sounded behind them, bringing the mob back to its previous frenzied state. Those at the front tried to push forward to get to the wolf hiding away in one of the sheds. David and Odette easily worked together on pushing them back and keeping them from going any further.

"Hold up! Somebody already died because of what this man did. Let's not spill more blood." David called out in an attempt to stop them again. He shared a look with Odette who gave him a small tilt of her head, motioning him in the direction of where Ruby was hiding while she started to speak, placing the attention of the crowd on herself.

"She is innocent. She hasn't hurt anyone, and she won't. She's just scared." She raised her voice so it would reach even those in the back of the crowd. "You're all here, lashing out right now because you too are scared. He's made you afraid." She said, her eyes turning to glare at George before focusing on the crowd right now. "But there is no reason to be."