Kissing Danger ✔️

TWENTY

Word Count: 1937

¬Aven

Immediately, Eryk pulls me behind him,

"You need to leave," he growls to the approaching strangers. I examine them, trying to see if they have weapons. It's quite possible they do, considering they are all wearing oversized coats despite the warm weather, each of them staring between me and Eryk, painfully out of place. Eryk has every reason to be concerned about their intentions.

"This is public land," one of them claims, taller than the rest of them with dark hair that reaches his shoulders. "We are allowed to be here."

"Come on Eryk, let's go," I say, tugging on his arm. If we just walk up the hill a little further, we will be back at the house, where they surely wouldn't follow us, right? Eryk doesn't move, so still it's near freakish. I can sense his readiness to grab his weapon if one of the men makes the wrong move.

The main guy talking steps forward again, looking squarely at me. "Maybe you want to stay, girl."

"What do you want?" I question.

Something about this is seriously bad. They followed us up here from the beach with the intention of talking to us, and I doubt their intentions are good. Eryk can sense it too, which is why he still refuses to move in his spot, keeping me behind him on the trail. We are outnumbered though, so I doubt we stand much of a chance against them.

"We just want to talk," he claims, looking between the others, who all remain blank faced and unresponsive. Awaiting instruction, I presume.

"She doesn't have time," Eryk responds coldly, backing up, forcing my feet to move up the stony path. "Now keep moving."

"Why don't you come with us? How do you know you can trust this man?" the man asks, looking at Eryk with a sickening smile. My blood chills. I was right, there is something messed up going on, these men looking at me like I'm a prize they have been waiting for. Stace was wrong about me being safer here. The issues that have haunted me in the mortal realm have followed me here.

"Leave me alone," I snap.

"We can keep you safe, if you come with us," he assures me, smiling softly as if it's meant to be enticing. Does he seriously think I'm going to walk away from Eryk and go with him, a complete stranger? I may still be wary of my personal guardian, but I'm terrified of these men.

Eryk turns his head. "They can't keep you safe, Aven. They want to kill you."

"We are trying to be nice," the man exclaims, but his eyes darken, the facade he erected quickly vanishing as he realises it's not going to work on me, that I have no intention of coming with him. "It sounds like you're forcing my hand."

"If you want to kill her, you're going to have to kill me first," Eryk responds coldly.

"Well, that's the plan."

Eryk pulls a knife from inside his jacket, brandishing it with enough skill in that one swift movement it sends a spark of fear through me. The man immediately advances on us, not pulling any weapons out, but it's evident by the number of them that they could overpower us.

"Run," Eryk instructions.

I don't hesitate, turning around to flee up the hill. Stone's scatter behind me as I run, not looking behind me, looking out for the estate as it comes into view. I can't hear anyone pursuing me, but I don't stop running, my lungs burning, heart thundering in my chest.

Once I get to the top of the hill, I risk looking back, but from here, I can't see anything. Maybe I shouldn't have left Eryk behind, but they were there for me, and who knows what would have happened if they got a hold of me.