Dancing With Shadows || Alastor x !FEM! READER

CHAPTER TWO

The smell of cigarette smoke and alcohol invaded your nose. Jazz and laughter filling the air. It was loud but it was familiar and comfortable.

Y/n sat at the bar, wearing a red and black flapper dress with beads embedded in a beautiful pattern. She had her legs crossed, one bouncing in the air with the beat of the live jazz band. She sipped on her cocktail, completely entranced by the music filling her ears, humming the lyrics along with the male singer.

(You can totally choose something different)

She could feel a pair of eyes on her from across the room and looked up. It was a rather handsome man with a chiseled jaw, tanned skin, dark brown eyes, and brunette hair perfectly slicked back with gel. When he saw you look at him he smirked and stood up. As he stood, you couldn't help but take in his whole appearance. He was tall and slim, but you could tell he had some muscle through his clothes, he wore a nicely fitted black and white suit that looked absolutely perfect him.

He approached you and spoke. "May I buy you a drink?" He said with a voice smooth as butter. I looked him up and down once more. "Be my guest" I said with a charming smile. As he spoke with the bartender, you looked at the time on the wall, it was only 12am. You let out a huff and looked back at the band.

The man came back with two cocktails and handed you one. You smiled and thanked him. You took a sip of the drink and looked at him. "What's your name?" You said, waiting for him to answer as you took another sip. "Charles, and how about yours?" I grinned at him "y/n" he smiled wider. "Beautiful name for a beautiful women" I laughed and thanked him.

We laughed and talked for a while over many drinks, listening to the jazz occasionally. I took a glance at the time, 2:33am. "Well I really should be headed home, it's already late" I say standing up. He stood up as well. "Let me walk you home." He said. "Oh that's quite alright, I live right through those woods, the path isn't very long" I say with a smile, he rolled his eyes playfully in response. "A pretty lady like yourself walking through the woods alone at this time? No, no, let me walk you" I smiled politely at his offer. "Well if you insist" He smiled widely and held out his arm for me to take, which I happily did. 'Perfect'

The night air was crisp as we left the warmth of the jazz club behind, the music and laughter fading into the distance. Charles walked beside me, his arm hooked with mine, chatting away with that smooth voice of his. But my mind was elsewhere, focused on the woods ahead, and what needed to be done.

As we stepped onto the path leading into the forest, the lights from the streetlamps became scarce, the tall trees overhead swallowing the moonlight. The ground was soft beneath my heels, the sounds of nightlife fading into the dense silence of the woods. Charles didn't seem to notice. He was too busy telling me stories about his travels, his charm unwavering, but I was barely listening now. My heart was set on something else.

When we reached the thick of the forest, Charles finally seemed to notice how far we'd gone. "Are you sure we're heading the right way?" he asked, glancing around, a touch of uncertainty creeping into his voice.

I smiled softly, meeting his gaze with ease. "Oh, it's just up ahead. Don't worry." My voice was calm, reassuring. I had walked this path a hundred times before, but tonight was different. Tonight, I wasn't just walking home.

A few more steps, and we arrived at a small clearing, the moon now the only light casting shadows on the trees. Charles paused, his senses finally catching up. "This doesn't look like a neighborhood." He chuckled uneasily, pulling his arm back from mine.

I turned to face him fully, my red and black flapper dress swaying with the movement. "No," I said, my voice lower now, cold and steady, "it's not."

Before he could react, I made my move. In a swift motion, I swung a small, heavy object I'd hidden in my purse, a lead-filled trinket, right across his temple. His eyes widened in shock, a groan escaping his lips as he stumbled, dazed. I struck him again, and this time he crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

I stood over him, catching my breath, my heart pounding in time with the jazz beat still echoing in my head. Kneeling down, I quickly dragged his limp body further into the clearing, the weight of him heavy but manageable. I had a place prepared here, a spot I'd marked long ago beneath the towering oaks, where the moonlight cut through the branches like silver blades. A perfect place for a sacrifice.

As I laid him down in the center, I reached into my bag, pulling out a small ceremonial dagger, the blade sharp and gleaming. My hands, steady and practiced, hovered over him, my lips beginning to murmur the ancient words passed down through generations, words meant to bring power, life, and everything that had been promised to me.

But then, a sound, faint, but unmistakable cut through the stillness. Footsteps. Someone was watching.

I froze, my eyes darting towards the edge of the clearing. For a moment, all I could hear was the wind rustling through the leaves. Then, a figure stepped out from the shadows. A man. He stood at the treeline, watching me with wide eyes. He must have followed us, or maybe he'd been in the woods the whole time, hidden. His face was pale, his expression a mixture of horror and disbelief.

My heart raced. This wasn't part of the plan.

"Hey!" he called out, his voice trembling. "What are you doing?!"

For a second, I hesitated, clutching the dagger in my hand. My mind raced. I could feel my grip tightening, torn between flight or fight. My entire plan had been upended in an instant.

He took a step forward, panic edging his voice. "I'm getting the police!"

I knew then, I had to make a decision; either silence him, or run. But with Charles lying unconscious and this stranger standing there, everything had become dangerously complicated.

Ruh row raggy