Spring And Death (EDITING)

4. grim debt collector

MY HEART WAS POUNDING ERRATICALLY in my chest as we reached the front door of the house and led Father inside. We were all breathing heavily as we moved him towards the couch and gently sat him down.

"I'll get something for his leg," Josette said, hurriedly running off towards another room.

"Sophie, go get your mother. Make sure not to wake up anyone on your way," Father said, grabbing her left arm as she was currently running a stressed hand over her face, trying to keep her composure.

"Alright," she said, nodding her head, and when Father released her she began to shakily walk down the hall.

I held my father's hand comfortingly, staring down at his face which was drenched with perspiration. I wanted to ask him more than anything what he had been doing on that bridge, but held back my questions.

Relief filled mine and Mathieu's face when Charisse came into the room, Sophie hot on her trail.

"What the hell happened?!" Charisse exclaimed as she glanced at all of us, her concern mainly for Father as she was staring at his blood stained leg.

"I've done something I shouldn't have... Tried to use dark magic," he said and we all looked at him with a shocked expression.

"W-Why?" Charisse asked, not seeming to know how to react.

"We need to leave... Josette, come on," he mumbled under his breath.

"What is wrong, Edouard? You're scaring your daughters," Charisse said, taking note of Sophie's and my nervous expression. Even Mathieu was slightly anxious by tonight's events.

"I should've told y'all years ago I'm sorry," he said, a sad expression forming on his face, and my eyebrows furrowed.

Josette came back into the room and was soon at our fathers leg wrapping a towel around it.

"Thank you, my dear. Now let's go," Father said, and I released his hand as Mathieu helped him to his feet, my mother by his side for support.

Together we walked outside, and Charisse had the car keys in her hands.

As we walked in Sophie cried out in surprise, and a gasp was released from both Josette and I.

I froze as I spotted what she was gazing at, and my heart stopped.

There was a group of eight men standing in the yard a few feet away from us. They wore matching outfits of red, gold, and silver, and around their waists were sheathed swords.

We turned around to head back to the house, but stopped as we saw three other men standing behind us. The one in the middle was the first to speak.

"We were waiting for you all to show up," he grinned, clapping his hands together as if it was the best cinematic moment in history.

"Who the hell are you?" Charisse hissed at the man.

He had intense ginger hair that he had back in a neat ponytail. His skin was warm and glowing like the rest of him, his vibrant hazel eyes observing all of us with an amused expression. He wore the same outfit as the men around him, but he was clearly the one calling all of the shots.

"I'm Ceallach Gallagher," he bowed his head sarcastically. "You could call me a grim debt collector."

"I have come here by order of the Llewellyn family," he said and everyone looked at him in confusion, but my father's face was filled with fear.