The Titan Queen - Levi X Reader

Chapter 4 - The Sparrow

There were moments where Annie doubted all that she'd done.

She, of all things, knew without a doubt that her Princess was every inch a monster – and perhaps that fact shouldn't have thrilled her as much as it did. She could still feel the stickiness of the blood, the glow of the stars on the knife she'd used, the silence that had stretched for hours afterwards.

But even though Annie Leonhardt had every bit of proof that was ever going to exist, she still marvelled at her own ability to doubt.

It was striking at her attention more times today than usual – boring into her eyes that she was reading too much into things. Her pulse whispered it again and again – not right. Y/N L/N was not right.

Annie watched as her Princess sneered, gripping her daggers more tightly. The amber handles gleamed in the dying light, the black and white stones winking at both girls as if to mock them – to mock the thoughts that had Belua pulling faces in a wordless conversation with herself.

"Princess?" Annie murmured, trying hard not to break the silence that Belua had found comfortable – but needing to tug her back.

"Shut up, Annie." Annie supposed that she deserved the snarl, the Princess obviously more than a little peeved at the thought of Annie catching her wrapped up in herself and her thoughts. "They're close. You can almost hear them."

Blowing out a breath and watching it turn to mist, Annie didn't bother with a nod of affirmation. "How close?"

The Princess grinned in such a way that it sent a shiver down Annie's spine, and her E/C fastened on something a few meters away. Following her line of thought, Annie joined her in surveying the footprint that pointed down the hill that they were both on. They'd been tracking the group for a while now – and it seemed that they were about to catch up fairly quickly. Just down the hill, Annie could see a little cluster of people wearing black cloaks as they formed themselves into a circle, most likely discussing where they were going to attack. Belua blew out a breath - her court was waiting for her.

"Very close."

With that, Belua started running down the hill with her own cloak flying behind her like a shadow of its own. Annie, by her own wits or simply the months of knowing the girl, had expected the sudden take off – her own footsteps were light and soundless as she followed Belua down, the band of titans inching closer and closer as they both rushed to meet them. Annie palmed her axe, knowing that Belua's daggers were still in her palms as she leaped those final few meters, the hunting party only just turning in surprise as suddenly, a wraith leapt into their midst.

Annie made quick work of grabbing one of the younger titans – the weaker stature, the more faded black of the cloak signalling that they were of lower rank. She didn't have anything to prove – not like the Princess, who had to prove that she was worthy with every blink.

She'd wrapped an arm around one of them in the space of a few seconds, pressing the black-jewelled dagger tightly to his throat. His gasp of anger was silenced even further as she brutally kicked the back of his right knee so that he fell into the snow. Annie watched in rapture as Belua's other arm whipped out and threw the other dagger so that its blade went straight through another titan's collar and pinned them to the tree behind them, slicing a thin cut along their throat as it landed.

Annie didn't blame the hunting party as they scuttled away from them, only leaving three standing undaunted and proud in front of Belua. Annie groaned nonetheless, letting go of the titan she'd grabbed onto and lightly stepped to Belua's side. "When you said that you'd teach them a lesson, I thought you meant verbally."

Belua ran her tongue over the edges of her teeth, her eyes looking down at the thing whose head she gripped in her arms – missing the simmering look of wanting that Orion practically projected at her movement. Annie, however, did not – a bolt of jealousy coursed its way through her, as damning as a curse. She couldn't do anything about it – not as Belua grinned fiercely at him as he stepped forward, drawing the Princess' attention back to him. "Alright, Princess. You've made your point."