My Midnight Boy

Chapter 31

I was ill so the last chapter was appalling, im on the mend now so now i have no excuse for this poor quality. Darn it. :L

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The walk was the tensest of my short life, he was a few feet in front of me but he never looked back to check I was following. I could easily have been a coward, backed away and not faced up to my responsibility. But I was pushed forward by my curiosity. Besides I had to fix it, fix everything.

I was afraid of so many things but the draw was stronger. I was afraid of him, he could kill me with a single blow, I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to fix it and I was afraid of what he might tell me about Aelfric.

When we were entirely out of view and probably ear shot of the camp he turned to face me, his usual smirk replaced by a scowl. "Tell me what you know." He ordered.

"What?" I blurted.

"Tell me this secret, this old magic that he showed you."

"I can't, I'm sorry." I shrugged out of nerves; my heart racing a mile a minute.

He was in my face, his breath making the hairs falling into my face bend and wave. He smelled like wild mint. "Why not?"

"Glamour." I said taking a few steps back until my back hit a tree.

He growled under his breathe. "You let him glamour you? Why?" He snarled.

"I didn't really have a choice."I turned my face away from him as he took more steps closer.

"And yet you love him."

I nodded, I did. I trusted him, if he said I couldn't know then I couldn't. It was for the best.

"foolish human." He grunted. "He's not worth your supposed love. He's worth no ones love."

I took a few steps toward him making him back off slightly. "What has he done to make you hate him so much?" I demanded feeling the heat flood to my face as I blushed with anger.

The next words out of his mouth froze me. "He killed my sister?"

I couldn't move. I couldn't even think.

He wouldn't. He couldn't. He was a warrior, strong and noble, he would never harm a woman or child. Would he?

I hated myself for doubting him, I hated Aelfgar for making me doubt him.

"What I-I don't- What do you mean?" I asked staggered at his words.

"We used to be like brothers, and her like his sister. He was at the dark fortress with her, alone. I was out hunting with the rest of my family. I returned early to find him unconscious outside and the fort on fire. She was still inside." He paced as he spoke.

"I'm sorry but you don't know-"

"Why would he leave her?" He cut me off shouting in my face. I cringed back from his intensity. "He burnt it down with her inside!"

"Aelfric's not like-"

"You don't know him like I did!" He turned away from me aiming all his anger at a log. He kicked it so hard it erupted into splinters on impact. I backed off more but in moments he was back in my face, breathing heavily eyes wild with anger.

"He is the heir, the entire of the light elves depend on him. If there was a fire then he had to get out." I tried to reason but I was sick to the stomach of what I had just heard.

"That's not the noble thing to do." Aelfgar snarled.

"How long ago was it?" I asked quietly, done with my reasoning.