Hope In The Darkness

Chapter 21

I awoke the next morning warmly wrapped in the warm comfort of my bed chamber.

Letting my finger touch my swollen lips I almost believed what had happened the night before was only a dream.

That thought was dashed when I lifted the covers to find I was fully naked beneath them.

My cheeks heated at the memory of us entangled together under the starlit sky as I heard something rustling in the closet to my left.

I muffled a curse when the noise became louder. Reaching for my dagger under the pillow.

I slowly eased my way towards the noise with the blanket wrapped tightly around my shivering body. . 

I eased the door open and pulled back the clothes before me and found Paige with her body halfway through a secret door.

"I found a secret door." She said as she stood, dusting her gown off, as she took in my appearance.

"Why are you undressed and only covered in a blanket?" She asked with a confused yet knowing look on her pale face.

"I believe it is time to figure out what the soon to be King is planning."

I said, ignoring her question.

Gathering a hold of the blanket near my feet, I grabbed a dress off one of the hangers near where I stood.

Once I was dressed Paige and I walked over towards the door and I called for Henry.

With Paige hidden in the bed chamber I watched as he walked in without hesitation.

Before Henry could blink I placed my fingertips on his brow as I whispered into his ear, "I will try to make this painless." 

I tried to catch the large man, however I was too slow in my pursuit and poor Henry landed with a painful thud against the hardwood floor.

Carefully I walked over to where Henry had landed and leaned over to make sure I had not killed the man.

"Is he dead?" I heard my sister say in a high pitch tone as I quickly shut the door.

"No, he is just in a deep sleep. However I am quite new to using my gifts from God. So I can't predict when he will awake."

I said dusting off the royal blue gown I had thrown on.

"You shall stay here and keep watch over our dear friend Henry, while I will sneak downstairs and see if I can discover what Kayden's next move will be."

I state as I turned to the door. "Oh I see, you and him are on a first name basis now." I heard my sister say as I peaked my head out of the door.

Once I made sure the hallway was clear I began to swiftly make my way down the stairs when I halted at the sound of voices coming from the dining room.

I had just squeezed my body into a tight hiding place behind an old clock when I felt a hand grip my hair.

"I believe we have a rat!" I heard the woman's voice from the day before shout to everyone in the dining room.

With a grunt I was pulled to my feet as the woman slammed my back into the wall.

The loud sickly sounding thud against the wall, when my skull felt as if I had just been hit by a moving carriage, stunted everyone in the room into complete silence.

I glanced over the womens shoulder to find Kayden staring down at a large piece of paper.

Once my eyes had drifted away from Kayden I began to notice all the warriors that I had seen going through the different houses the day before.

My eyes stopped on Ralph, who was standing near Kayden as I saw his hand reach for his long blade. 

"Just give me the words and I will end her and the other little rats up stares." The women spat towards Kayden.

As she spoke I felt a small cool blade begin to pierce my skin as a wicked smile stretched across her plump lips.

I watched as Ralph began to pull out the long blade as I lifted one of my hands for him to stop as the women pushed me even harder into the marble wall.

"Seems as if she hasn't figured out she is only but a rat. And does not have any right to escape her large cage."

The woman said as I heard the group of warriors laugh at her comment.

"Perhaps you, my dear, don't understand who you have pinned against a wall." 

I whispered into her ear as she spat near my feet and began to shove me harder against the marble until I felt my lungs beg for air.

"You have to count to three before I show you who you are crushing against this marble wall. And I can assure you it will not be my blood to stain the white marble."

I spat as I began to push against her hold.

Glancing over the womens shoulder once more I noticed Kayden was glaring at me as our eyes met.

Just for a moment I could see rage filter through his eyes as he turned his attention back onto studding the large paper.

"1...." I shouted then paused  as the woman before me loosened her grip as I suspected my eyes had begun to change color.

Then in the next moment she held her ground as she pushed me even harder into the wall.

"2..." I paulzed once more as I could sense her fear rising in her as it fed my anger.

Just as I began to say three, Kayden jumped to his feet and walked over to where I was being pinned against the wall.

  I began to struggle to take in air as the large women shoved my ribs.

In the next moment I saw Kayden pull the women back as I collapsed onto the tile floor of the large dining room gasping for air to enter my lungs.

"He might have saved you, but look." She said as she pointed a finger towards where I had been covered against the wall.

A large blood stain from where my head had originally shoved into the wall stained the white marble turning it to a rusty shade of red.

Rage filled me as I jumped to my feet, only to be wrapped in Kaydens embrace.

I thrashed against him as I saw the silver mist covered the ground, reaching out for the women, who needed to be escorted out.

"You must calm yourself!" Kayden shouted as the last warrior left the dining room, closing the large wooden doors behind them.

All I could think of was rage as I stared at the wooden doors as the mist continued to seep under the door as a wicked smile danced across my lips.

"You are being consumed in darkness!" Kayden shouted.

I slowly took my eyes off the wooden door, from where I could hear screams of terror.

Glancing down at my small hands I found that the silver mist had started to become shadowed in darkness.

My breath caught in my chest as I pulled the gift back, then I collapsed against Kaydens warm hard chest.

Fear and doubt began to feel in my scenes as everything around me seemed to blur together, until I was alone in the darkness.