The Stableboy's shadow (BL)

Chapter 6

It took half of the next day for me to notice that the silence was supposed to be weird now. Percevin had been really, really quiet. I could feel his eyes on me, his shadow lurking around mine to keep me in check. Every time I jerked to a sound, or stopped moving or dodged something on the road, he'd tense up, hand going to his sword in a flash.

And I knew why. I hated myself for being so snappy and cranky. But I couldn't help feeling like they were almost on my back. I also noticed that I was scratching my wrist like crazy. I couldn't wait to reach town later and have a warm meal and maybe I'd feel better about it.

We were nearly there and the sun started setting in the west. That's when I saw the first poster. I hoped it was an old one, forgotten at this point, but 5 minutes later, there was another one. I clicked my tongue and was about to tell Percevin that he'd have to handle things at the tavern, when there was an unmistakable crack in the nearby woods.

My shadows immediately went to work, but in the dusk, it was harder for me to identify curves and shapes. So close to a town, I didn't want to risk it. I had to act fast.

- Stay here, I snapped at the boy. I'll be right back.

I didn't wait for his answer before slipping myself in the shadows, disappearing from eyes to follow that sound. I spread myself on a rather larger radius than usual, just to make sure. Nothing came up, but I kept looking. Had to make sure. Can't risk it.

Another snap. I jerked toward that direction, followed it, determined to scare the shit out of whatever that thing was that made me panic so much if it wasn't them. I spotted it, the shape of a person, at the edge of my senses. I turned a bit more, rushing to it. It wasn't them.

I started forming myself near it, my shadows coming back to my body in the terrifying fashion it always did, that I so often used to scare the living hell out of anything that meant me harm, as I jumped toward the shape.

I had to come to a stop so fast I couldn't do anything else that make myself trip, rolling to the side to avoid that foolish dumbass boy that had ignored my clear order. As the last of my shadows formed me, I was on all fours, panting at the extra effort it took me to not hurt him.

- What the hell, I yelled, getting back up, turning in his direction with all my anger. I told you to stay on the road, you fucking idiot.

Didn't he know? Wasn't he supposed to have been warned about the dangers that I was? Hadn't I been clear that there could be unforgivable consequences if he did not listen to me?

But he didn't react to my anger. He was still as a statue, staring at the spot I had appeared from a second before, white as a sheet with terror.

My stomach dropped as I felt the shivers of fear on his shadow, and right there, I realized something. Even though he had been a pain in my ass, had been wary and on guard around me, there had never been fear in his eyes when he looked at me. The shear horror on his face was a first. And I hated it.