The Sins of the Father

Chapter Eight

12:07AM on thursday, time to post lol
__

Stephen startled awake to his heart racing.

He lifted his head, blinking around at the room lit only by thin rays of moonlight that filtered through the shuttered windows. Alexis was asleep at his feet, curled up on the other half of the bench. What had woken him? Had he been dreaming?

A muffled voice came from outside the building, and his adrenaline spiked.

"Alexis." He hissed, grabbing his friend's shoulder and shaking her awake. "Alexis!"

"Wh- h-huh?" Alex mumbled, starting to uncurl.

"Keep your voice down." Stephen whispered. "We need to go, now. Cafos is here."

"Cayy...?" Her eyes shot wide open. "Oh ####."

"Get into the back." Stephen lurched upright, dragging her up with him and setting her on her feet. "Hide in the storage room, stay out of sight. Maybe we can avoid-"

The door to the inn swung open, and Stephen grabbed Alexis and teleported.

They appeared in the kitchen, and Stephen all but shoved his friend into the pantry, whispering hoarsely that he would catch up with her. If Cafos found her, he would kill her. He at least had a chance. Stumbling into a run, Stephen dashed for the back door, fumbling with the latch in an attempt to let himself out.

"Oh Stephen!" A hand seized him by the back of his shirt and Cafos yanked him back, slamming him against the wall and setting a blade to his throat.

Stephen gasped, scrabbling at the hilt of the sword in an attempt to push it away. A devious grin spread over Cafos' face, his silver eyes filled with bloodlust.

"Lucius," He gritted out, holding him firmly in place even as he tried to struggle. "wants to talk to you. Come back with me, and I won't have to spill your guts all over this nice man's inn." Stephen huffed a breath, then teleported, appearing behind Cafos and bringing an elbow down in his head with a crack.

Cafos shouted with pain, hands flying up to his head as Stephen dashed out the back door. He had to get him away from Alexis, away from the inn, away from this town. Cafos wouldn't care about collateral damage as long as he got to hurt him.

"Stephen!!" He stuttered to a halt at the voice, turning to see Hugo standing in the middle of the street with a lamp in one hand. "So that is your name." The innkeeper's voice was regretful. "Oh Stephen, what have you done?"

"Stephen!!" A cry had him spinning around again, and he found Cafos standing in the back doorway, dragging Alexis by her hair.

"Let her GO!" Stephen screamed at him, panic and fury welling up at the sight of the unsheathed blade so close to Alexis's throat. Cafos scoffed.

"Come quietly with me, and I'll consider it." He rested the blade against Alexis's collarbone, and a low growl rose from her throat. Stephen's fists clenched, then unclenched. He was unarmed, overpowered. He was helpless.

Alex brought up a foot and kicked back, hitting Cafos in the knee and causing him to jerk in surprise. Stephen didn't think, just teleported, wrenching the blade from Cafos' hand and slamming the crossguard into his head.

"Go!" Stephen shouted as Alexis was released, Cafos throwing up both his hands in an attempt to defend himself. He had teleported three times now, and he knew if he kept this up he would exhaust himself, something he couldn't risk. To her credit, Alexis obeyed, and Cafos sneered at him as he caught the next desperate swing.

"That's not fighting fair, is it?"

"Neither is threatening me with her!" Stephen snarled back. Cafos grabbed his wrist and twisted until Stephen was forced to jerk back, relinquishing his weapon, and the next thing he knew he was being shoved off the steps. Any attempt to catch himself failed, and he slammed into a pile of empty crates.