The Silver Helix

𝕮𝖍𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖊𝖗 30

"What are you doing here?"

 There was no trace of softness. Neither on the smith's features nor in his voice. 

The taller man just stared the other down like he was an annoying bug he just wanted to brush off his coat.

 "I wanted to see you. You ran away without saying a word after.." Acklin replied to the very harshly expressed question. 

Elijah pressed his lips, which the other brunette now knew tasted like smoke, into a thin line. 

"I need to work. I don't have time for useless jabbering." he turned his back to Acklin in a way that said more than a thousand words, before picking up one of the smaller hammers again. 

He began to work the steel until he noticed that it was no longer hot enough and with an annoyed huff grabbed the still very warm piece of metal with a set of large pliers and brought it back over to the herd of glowing coal placing it back in the heat. With an exaggerated cough Acklin cleared his throat, making the extremely annoyed Blacksmith face him again. 

"What?" 

"Stop being so cold and treating me like I don't really exist!" 

"Why? You got what you want, you dragged me to that event, Hey reputation saved! You didn't show up alone, congratulations! Now if you would be so kind and move yourself out of here so I can actually get some work done?!" Elijah spat at Acklin, his tongue laced with sarcasm. 

"No! I want to talk to you for God's sake! Something is obviously not right with you and I-" "-But I am not interested in interacting with you! Now or ever again!" "It certainly didn't seem like that when you shoved your tongue down my throat!" "I was drunk!" "Intoxication is one thing but you were a hairlength away from fucking me against the balcony!" 

"I'd rather fuck a donkey than you! You're a sick freak and people like you should burn in hell for eternity!" 

Acklins' eyes widened for a second before he was back in control of his blank expression, his insides coiling up in pain. He could feel his eyes starting to burn but he refused to give Elijah the satisfaction of letting the tears fall. That would just be fueling up his own humiliation even further.

 "I guess everything has been said!" the young man stated, straightening his posture to not let his clenching heart take over as he met his icy stare. 

"Yes it has." Elijah said between clenched teeth. Acklin took another deep breath in and turned on his heels, passing by the many forges which aligned the street on either side.

As he reached the end of the street the air became cleaner slowly. He didn't realise how big of he breath he needed until he took it and the tears sprang back to his eyes. Against his better judgement he turned around again and found the forge he knew so well. Smaller now but still somewhat clear he could make out Elijah still hammering onto that poor piece of whatever. 

God it hurt! And he wanted to hate Elijah for making it hurt so bad. The man gave him all the reasons to leave and never speak a word with him again. But watching the strong statue of the man even from afar he knew that no words he could ever speak would be enough between him and his blacksmith.

And so he went home. And when he was finally home, alone in his chambers, he cried.

☆꧁༒☬---☬༒꧂☆

"If no one is going to admit then I'll do it. I'm so not ready for this!" 

They all sat in a silver carriage, dressed up to the heavens. Maldue, Chris, Ricky, Carter, Becky and James are currently being driven to the annual Christmas Ball hosted up at Harford Castle by no one else but Lord Geoffrey who was probably the worst person to currently walk the planet. Rape, murdering up innocent families and removing children from their homes to "educate them right" to have them become his personal brainless monkeys being his best deeds. 

"Thank you Carter but I think no one needed the verbal confirmation!" Becky mumbled, keeping her eyes on the passing landscape outside the window.

The huge stone walls of the castle were getting closer and James began to shift nervously. The castle was throning on a mountain high above the town and truly created the sense that the people residing here were above all the rest. The outer wall was arranged in a hexagon shape with a round tower at each corner. The main building was in the middle of that. Hundreds of little balconies and pennants were protruding from the massive stone, managing to create an almost filigrain appearance. 

It had cost him all of his willpower to get out of bed this morning and he had to use the sheer strength of his self-control not to become a murderer at 8 in the morning. Yesterday had been the worst day of the year for him and he had not left his room once, neither to eat or to drink as he spent the whole day either sitting or lying on his bed, staring into space once he realised had no tears left to cry. 

The 24th of December should be a day full of anticipation but this year it was a day of dread, not only for James but the whole group.

"Alright!" Maldue spoke up as they were driving up the hill on a stone way towards the entrance gate. "I want you all to spread out as much as possible. Get into conversations and find your way through to influential people. Ricky, you've lived and worked here for many years so I trust you to make sure Chris will be safe on your little mission!" Ricky nodded, knowing of his fate should he fail. 

"Do not accept drinks from random strangers, do not let your guard down, if something seems queer, get out of there! We will meet back at the carriage at half past midnight. Understood?"

Mumbles of "Yes boss" filled the space.

"Good." The cart came to a halt. "You'll manage, I am sure." Mal cracked a smile.

"And When we met at half past twelve I better not end up finding anyone dead, drunk or shagging a Lordling!