The Zodiac Cycle

NO 3.25 Eye for an Eye

"Amber." Zach smiled, sinisterly. I was led by Hecate to a room adjacent to the balcony where Zach expected to execute me. She had to hand me off to a different guard, and she stepped in line with Zach. he had fallen right into the plan, thinking he could draw the other signs out with the execution. 

but he wouldn't. If the plan was going well, the others were already in the building, maybe even in position. 

"please stop saying my name. it feels gross coming from you." I tilted my head to the side receiving another lecture from Narashima.

"have you really fallen so far as to resort to petty comebacks?" he watched me carefully.

"I don't know, have you really fallen so far as to let them bug you that much?"

he huffed, and stared out the open door to the room. across the hall was an open balcony area where the 'execution' would take place. If i was being honest, I was incredibly nervous. any small mishap and it was off with my head. 

Zach looked sullen for a second, looking back at me, then reaching his hand up to touch the scarring across his face. something about the gesture unnerved me, like it was a warning.

without another word, Zach moved toward me intently, and quicker than i could register, a shooting pain shot across the right side of my face, trailing from my chin to my forehead. 

I cried out, pulling back from him and his now bloody knife. 

i closed my right eye, as my warm blood trailed down my cheek. 

"there," Zach smirked. "now I'm satisfied."

This jackass- I bit my lip, holding Narashima back as well as I could. 

"an eye for an eye, huh?" i chuckled, glaring at Zach.

he turned to face his body toward the open door. "Precisely. clean her up. we don't want her bleeding out yet." with that he walked out of the room. I heard the roaring of the crowd as he stepped out into sight.

some of the other guards occupying the space came to me, pressing a cloth across the wound. I saw Hecate attempt to step toward me, but someone called for her. she left with one last glance toward me. I couldn't read the expression, and before i could think about it, one of the guards sprayed something on my face. it was cool and immediately made the pain worse, like pins and needles over half my face. 

the guards gave it a second to dry before returning the cloth. when they pulled back again, the wound seemed to have stopped bleeding. 

a spray that speeds up clotting? that's useful. Narashima huffed, still agitated.

after a few moments of Zach speaking to the crowd, the guards started moving me to the balcony. 

when I got to the platform, i was nearly blinded by the sun, as it shone through some scattered clouds. the whole event was massive, with the castle courtyard filled to the brim with every species imaginable. I spotted Vel close to the front on my left. she was standing with Mark, who looked at me nervously, and upon seeing my face, put a hand over his mouth. I was met with a crowd of boos and taunts and set before Zach, facing the vampire king. 

"Amber Sallow," he started, the crowd silencing and his voice covering the courtyard with ease. "you are hereby found guilty for attempted assassination of the king and treason. Do you have any last words?" 

I glanced beside him to Hecate, who was actually looking to my right, then back at me. I turned my head slightly to see Olive, her tail was flicking anxiously, and she nodded.

Fucking finally. 

"yeah." I said, looking back at Zach with a smile. "You really need to stop being so predictable."