The Starling Vigilante [Watty's 2015 Award Winner]

Chapter 26

Waking myself up properly, I walked from my bed to the bathroom put on my robe that hung on the inside of the bathroom door, it's silk material sliding through my fingers. Catching the sight of my reflection in the mirror as I turned to walk back into my bedroom, I noticed that my dark rings and stress lines had gone, my face back to its normal colour after Eddie had come back. I knew I had been stressed, but maybe I had really been pining for Eddie at the back of my mind. Anyhow, it made sense, and I didn't believe in coincidences.

Guessing that Eddie was already up due to the fact that he no longer remained in his side of the bed, I went to join him in the front room for breakfast.

As I entered the room, I noticed it was strangely dark, and unnervingly quiet. Eddie must have gone out, I concluded.

But I was wrong.

Turning the lights on, I screamed as I found Eddie tied up, his mouth bound with tape. Thinking fast, I opened the drawer next to me and pulled out my emergency gun, protecting myself and Eddie as I tried to untangle him. As you can probably tell, I gave up on the whole archery thing.

Ripping the tape off Eddie's mouth, I looked round for the criminal, hugging Eddie in the process.

'Run, Aria,' Eddie whispered almost inaudibly. 'I can manage on my own.'

'Says the man who gets tied up,' I commented sarcastically. 'Who did this to you?'

'I did,' Merlyn's voice ricocheted off the kitchen surfaces, taking me aback and making it hard for me to tell exactly where the source was.

'Merlyn!' I hissed angrily. 'What are you doing here?'

'Just saying a little hello,' he said, revealing himself from his hiding place. 'And giving you a little... motivation.'

'I thought we were on good terms!' I yelled at him. 'And how is this 'motivation' exactly?'

'You're distracted,' Merlyn stated as if he was being completely obvious. 'With Eddie over here.'

'How do you know his name?' I demanded. 'And how is he a distraction? He's done nothing wrong.'

Laughing menacingly, Merlyn shook him head as if I had said the most comical thing he had ever heard.

'Because you think your life is complete,' Merlyn explained. 'You think you can make your own choices. Be with the people you love. But that's not how it works around here. You made a deal.'

'Not to sign my happiness away!' I shouted. 'You have no idea about what I think. About love. If you did you wouldn't be sabotaging mine!'

'I think you'll find I do know something about love,' Merlyn said darkly. 'If you're in love, it tortures you. Brings you pain and suffering, until all you want to do is pine for them. It happened to me, Aria. And it's been happening to you, too. He left you last year without saying goodbye, or telling you he wanted to break up, and he's capable of doing it again. And again. Until you have nothing.'

'I will never leave her!' Eddie piped up, angry at Merlyn too. 'I regret what I did, and I don't intend to leave her again!'

'No one said you could talk,' Merlyn remarked, reapplying tape to Eddie's mouth.

'Get away from him!' I yelled, pointing the gun at Merlyn's chest. 'I don't care if he left me. I'd rather be hurt by Eddie than you!'

'Aria, Aria,' Merlyn laughed, pointing his arrow at me. 'It's funny you actually think you have a choice.' Merlyn changed his target to Eddie, pulling the bow string tight.

'No!' I screamed and hurled myself in front of Eddie as Merlyn let go of the arrow, the arrowhead piercing my arm. Wincing, I wrapped my body round Eddie to shield him until I blacked out completely.