My Darkening Ember

Chapter Three

Slow and silently I crept along the stone wall. The path opened into a larger meadow with the road continuing into two.

My eyes widened and I held my breath again as I gazed at the human figures. It was the riders from before. One, two, three, four, five, all gathered around a small fire. But the man in black wasn't there.

Fear rushed through me. He was around here somewhere, maybe watching me at this very moment. Behind me maybe? My fear ceased as he appeared from another path ahead of me, adjusting his pants before walking over to a dead tree and removing his hat.

The prisoner was tied there. His head was limp and his arms were stretched back, wrapped around the stump.

The Mile man placed his hat on a stone. A creepy smile covered his scarred and wrinkly face.

I got chills as he grabbed the bloody guy's hair, lifting his head. The guy opened his eyes as the Mile man murmured something then looked back at his men, prompting an amusing reaction from them.

I watched it with my heart in my throat. Voices in my head were there yet again, debating what I should do.

See him, look at him. Feel for him.

I shook my head.

Don't make a sound. Walk away, you know it's right.

The poor man's eyes suddenly shifted to mine and I almost gasped out loud before a big hand wrapped around my face, pulling me back and slamming me into the stone.

I grabbed the hand covering my mouth and looked up. I was staring right into two-coloured eyes, hiding beneath a black hat. My legs almost gave away from fear. I would die here.

My sobs drowned beneath his hand while his other hand was trying to restrain mine. I fought him with all I had. My free arm, hit him in the chest while I tried in vain trying to push him off.

He looked over his shoulder and then back at me.

"Be quiet," his deep voice growled, making my legs go numb. He looked over his shoulder again, and I took the opportunity to push his hand away from my mouth, turning to slip free of his grip.

A sharp pain hit the base of my neck and darkness greeted me.

Gravel moved beneath me as my drowsy eyes started adjusting to the light. It was like a rolling carpet full of tiny stones, in every colour. They looked beautiful flashing their colours at me. Sounds of hooves then commanded my attention. We were moving slowly and I was bouncing uncomfortably. A smell of sweat and hay crept into my nose. I had long since forgotten the scent of a horse. I watched as my necklace dangled by my brows and I could feel the heartbeat rise in my ears as my head filled with blood.

My body was slumped over a horse and my hands, bound and numb, hung above my head. I fully opened my eyes.

The sudden reality of what I had seen, just before my world went dark, hit me and an empty fear spread through my entire body. I turned my head observing black boots walking in front. Keeping still, I tried looking up, trying to only move my eyes.

His face was buried beneath his black hat. The only thing I could remember was his eyes. I had been confused when I first looked into them. One was green and the other brown. I had convinced myself he was a demon playing with my mind. A beautiful rageful demon. It was first when he spoke, that I knew he was mortal. The tone of his voice was frightening and cold. He was an evil entity no doubt. One that was able to torture and kill without feelings interjecting. A bruising pain in my neck reminded me of that.

He wore all black and his hands were rough and bandaged. A silver dagger and matching pistol subtly hid beneath his long black coat, which was with every step flapping in the breeze. Just from his sheer form, there was an arrogance to his stance, to the bounce of his step, and the rough and heavy movements of how his whole body moved. It wasn't human. He wasn't human at all.