The Raven's Reflection

Chapter 32 - The Road

"Samuel! Sam! Shit...Samuel!"

"Cerno..." Samuel groaned feeling someone shaking him. He started coughing and realized his cough was wet and metallic. His whole body screamed in pain and he already could tell he had a few broken ribs at the very least. As he looked up at who was shaking him, he realized it was Zakkari, one of his newer security that was an illusionist, like Kurt.

"What happened?" Zakk asked. "Who did this to you?"

"Where's Cerno, Zakkari?" Samuel asked as he tried to sit up.

"No idea. He didn't show up for the meeting with the court or for dinner. Madam Edna is having the grounds searched and that's how I found you."

"We have to find him, he's in trouble."

"Who did this to you, Sam?" Zakk repeated.

"Itham's men. Itham's trying to kill Cerno."

"Itham? Are you sure?"

"Positive," Samuel said as he pushed through his pain and got to his feet. He leaned against the nearby wall for just another moment to try keep the world from spinning. "He's hurt and I have to get him out of Ralnsah. All the Healers are gone and I'll need to get him to the nearest town. Go get my car and bring it out back," he instructed, pulling his keys off his belt.

"What about you?"

"I'll be fine," Samuel lied. He made his way up the back service stairs as quickly as his battered body would carry him. The hallway was dark which he found odd as the lights in this hall were never off. Making his way into Cerno's bedroom, his heart dropped seeing blood all along the carpet and peering into the bathroom where the blood was trailing from, panic instantly started to set in seeing a large, smeared puddle of it. "Where are you?" he asked quietly. Suddenly, he realized why the lights in the hallway were off. Back out in the hall, he realized his theory was right as he now noticed the dark trail of droplets in the carpeting. The blood was cleared from the lit stairwell, but coming out into the hallway, there was a few more droplets leading out the back doors. He stopped behind a bush as he heard voices near the area where the mansion refuse and recycle were kept.

"Go get Seriff," a man advised. "Need him to clean up the bedroom and the hallway."

"He'll take care of the corpse too, won't he?" the second man questioned.

Corpse? Samuel thought, fear coursing through his veins at the condition he was about to find Cerno in. He heard the engine of his car pull up nearby.

"Hey, Zakk! Isn't that Sam's car?" one of the two men asked.

"Yeah. I had to run out of town earlier and he let me borrow it. I was bringing it back here to wash it before I returned it," Zakk answered. "Have you seen Sam?"

The two men looked at each other then shook their heads.

"Did you go off-roading with his car? It's absolutely filthy."

"Accidentally drove through a huge mud puddle," Zakk chuckled. "Well, if you see Sam, will you tell him I'm back?"

"Sure," one of them answered as they both turned away and started walking toward the side doors that lead into the kitchen. The kitchen doors were the closest, but they hadn't wanted to carry a body through such a busy space.

Samuel peeked his head around the corner hearing the men leave. He noticed his car was spotless and he realized the dirt was only in illusion. "He's got to be here," Samuel said quietly to Zakkari as he came out of hiding. The refuse area was dirty and covered in spilled cooking oils along with other nasties that had leaked from garbage bags. The blood drops had spaced out, but he found one right in front of the larger garbage container. Stepping up onto the frame of the bin to allow himself to peer over, his heart shattered.