章節 20: Kill
Seeing the wide knowing smirk on the handsome face of Allen, Holly knew he spotted her hidden figure. Cursing his sharp reflexes, she figured it will be better to fight him from close range. She figured it, since there aren't any rumors about a definite estimate for Allen's physical strength. She thought it would be difficult for him to fight bare-handed against a trained spy like her, while not having any guards to provide him any protection. But little did she know, she underestimated him a big deal.
Allen saw a cowled, hooded dark figure approaching him from the shadows. The lean frame was wrapped with oversized black top and similar bottom. A perfect hood was covering the face and the dark surroundings proved to help mask their face. The person clutched tightly at a small dagger while proceeding forward.
He scanned the lean, young figure and soon concluded it was a young man. Wasting no further time, he quickly ducked and snatched one of the sharp throwing knives. Realizing this, Holly gathered her knives and began lamenting herself for providing a weapon to Allen.
With a hard tap, she lurched at Allen, trying to wound his organ site. As usual, he was quick to react. In a snap, he blocked the piercing pointy end of the dagger with the knife he just picked, directed at his branchial nerve. With the least force possible, He kicked the person on their stomach.
Holly was thrown off balance, she staggered as she tried to steady herself. Taking the chance, Allen twriled the knife and gripped it tightly. He rushed and gashed the person's upper arm with his knife. Giving out a small screech, Holly jumped away from him. From the narrow slit of her sleeves, she could see new red liquid running out a fresh cut, soaking her black sleeve.
She had lost her major advantage. Allen was wide awake now, with a knife at that. She was still feeling the sharp twinge from his earlier kick. She gripped her cut wound giving rise to a throbbing pain. The gushing blood calmed for a second before flowing again. Their eyes met. With no further ado, Holly huffed some air and ran to the window before jumping out of his sight.
As if in a trance, Allen was not-so-quick at following behind the figure. He neglected her quick movements, he looked out the window to see any trace of her.
"Damn it!" he groaned at missing his attacker. 'It was a female' he thought. The person's screech sounded feminine. Yet he didn't wish to admit that a female was bold enough to attack him.
××××
{Present}
Marie walked deeper into the narrow alleyway. As she reached deeper, the bright sunrays faded and turned the alleyway more gloomy. On the lookout for any presence beside herself, she looked back her way and found nothing but a few moans of a distant animal. She gulped hard, realizing the gloomy alleyway was no less than a horror story. She halted her movements when she sensed a foul, putrid breath, not from the back of alleyway, but the front.
With high caution, she turned around to face the unnecessary presence, all the while, she was praying to not get discovered by any stranger. She gaped at the man standing in front and took a slight sigh before a sudden feeling of dread took over her.
The man in front was Rum. The green-eyed, lecherous monster. A sole lady was always an opportunity and he would snatch that opportunity at any cost. Any young lady would be a snack and he had pounce on her like a starved animal. With unwashed, raggy clothes and murky dark brown appearance, he was not even worth mentioning. Except his strength. That was Marie's impression of him. Every time he was present beside James, she would only look at him with sickening hatred in her eyes. Her eyes would only meet two lust-driven eyes ogling at her.
He never touched as much as a strand of her hair. Because she was known as James's women. James made sure she was safe, since, he never wanted a “second-hand women”. But what about now? She frantically thought. Did he forsake me? Because I was unsuccessful in poisoning the Duke? Or did he grow out of me? After everything I did for him? Negative thoughts enveloped her.
Her pupils were shaking with terror..... Of betrayal. She had a dagger, she could fight her way through this monster. But the shock of such betrayal was too much for her. She could feel thick sweat beads trailing her back, an unknown fear raised inside her. Yet, her brain only said one thing. Why?
Rum took a step forward, with lustful eyes and probably salivating. Marie in turn took a step backwards. She swallowed, clutching the dagger close, in her pocket at the fringe of her skirt. She had the dagger yet, she couldn't yield it. In fact, she didn't want to yield it. She didn't want to admit that she lost the favor of James. The hard work she did just so she could climb the ladder from being an abandoned stray in a slum.
Maybe because she was too occupied with her own crisis that she did not hear the agile sprint from back. Only when she saw the lewd monster in front falter backwards with wobbly legs did she gawk at the tow-headed, ethereal beauty.
"Not so perfect" the beauty remarked before continuing to kick Rum on his abdominal region with full force, until he finally fell on the ground due to sheer pain with a loud thump and closed eyes, full of groans and grumbles.
Marie finally bought herself to her senses. She finally had a good look at the beauty and dissolved who they were. Caramel locks falling over tame and dull bronze pupils. A slender, frisky figure with temperate muscles, wearing a casual soft-hued shirt with a suave bottom and respective boots. The báldric did not go unnoticed. It was a normal light brown belt worn over the waist. What the báldric held, was more intriguing. It was a long metallic sword, the gay, toned scabbard covered the metal. It had foreign letters inscribed on it. Along with the Ferdinand insignia.
That's when Marie remembered who the beauty is. He is a Ferdinand knight. The knight who crashed the Duke's poisoned tea-cup and made her fail her mission. The knight responsible for her downfall. He was also the knight who saved her at the 'Afternoon-tea-incident'.
"Is he useful? Should I finish him off?" the knight skeptically mumbled to himself, he crouched down to see the fallen Rum. Anger blared into every fiber of her being as Marie glared at the crouching indecisive knight.
Sensing the rising anger, the knight stood up from his position. Marie bolted towards him with her dagger, she wanted him to account for the suffering she went through because of him.
He dodged. Dodge her every move. "Now, now....." he spoke while busy jumping or flipping "is this how you treat your savior?" a certain grin graced his lips.
Marie didn't answer. She was raging. Raging that James abandoned her. Raging that her hardworking life would go to waste. Raging that she couldn't get positive results in her life no matter what. Raging that she abandoned her own sister. Raging that she abandoned her own self-esteem.
The knight stopped to catch his breath. She was quick to act, she dashed to him with her dagger in front. He widened his eyes at her running figure, she was sure her dagger would soon pierce the knight.
"Behind you!" the knight blared with quick emergency. Marie felt another presence chasing her. She turned in the direction of the unknown presence and saw someone with two huge hands trying to grapple her. Reflexes served their purpose, soon enough, she shoved her piercing dagger into the abdomen of that person.
Due to the excruciating pain, he slumped down. This time, the knight made his appearance. Marie took a good look at the man she just wounded. She could feel chills to her bone. She just stabbed Rum. Right-hand man of James. She gasped in horror as red blood gushed out his abdominal wound. Yet, she didn't move. Part of her felt she did the right thing and another part was scared of James.
"I killed him..." she whispered, eyes wide with horror.
"He deserved it" the knight said, he was now crouching beside the body of Rum, he was retrieving the dagger out the bloodied body. Rum continued his screeching and howling until his body gave up. His breathing stopped, together with his heart.
"I...." she gulped, trying hard to spill the words out of her mouth but, she couldn't.
"Now, look here" the knight exhaled a small sigh, he pulled out the dagger from Rum's body. The dagger came out with a flush of red blood, it was trickling with drops of red liquid "you have every right to decorate your oppressor with the color of red. It's your right. A right as normal as breathing" he said as he stood up.
He was referring to Rum, but for his listener, she had different views. Marie related to the knight's words, she related James as her oppressor, a harasser, a tormentor.
"You shouldn't blame yourself for everything. A pretty lady like you deserves better" he assured her, giving her a dazzling smile.
She finally found someone who could possibly understand her. Her anger soon dissolved into the many emotions she was feeling. His words were kindling an unknown fire within her. She felt warm from within as if she was always dying to hear these words. And now, she finally heard them. She was ready to cry, her heart was.
"Now" the knight exhaled, handling the dagger to Marie while coming towards her. He already wrapped the dagger into a white cloth.
"Shall we get going?" he tilted his head at Marie's dubious look.
"Where?" she asked.
"To your destination, your small “hideout”" he smiled happily.
"You were following me?" she gaped at him, not wanting to believe him.
He smiled. A handsome smile showing his perfectly aligned teeth. That meant a 'yes'.
****
A/n
I'll post Mill's pov next. Do look forward to it. Your comments and votes are much appreciated, or should I say, it's a must! I really enjoy reading your comments.
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