Crowns Of Shadows

8: Raven

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I rode on the back of Pharaoh for a few hours. I had told John about many things, like how Dorothy and Alexander met, and other details of my life, and in turn he told me some of his. He told me of his older sister- who he doesn't talk to anymore- he also told me every detail about how Damon, Conner and himself met. He told me of his life as a thief, and how stealing things from dukes earns him an extra payment from higher ranked thieves. I still don't know how being a thief works.

We stopped on the river bed, Conner had brought some rum, and they drank and told, and laughed about their old stories, letting me share on my own. I never once touched the drinks, and instead drank from John's flask, which had his initials in giant print on the front.

"It's just water." he had said when I eyed it funny.

I took it from him, my throat dry with thirst. Damon gave John a glare every time I drank, I found that to be funny. I sat next to John the majority of the time.

Many different times, I found my fingers blindly running over the J.A initials. Repreating his name in my head, while I felt his warm laughter next to me, I traced the initials a couple of times as well.

John and Damon drank so much they weren't walking straight. Conner had to lead them on their horses, and took Pharaoh's and Apollo's reins, and led them on Pearl. He had let me sit on the back of Pharaoh, making sure they wouldn't fall off when Conner rode. Damon and John laughed in their half-drunken state, talking about things I probably shouldn't know.

I could list it, but it was along the lines of their dick size, and who had the bigger one... All I'm going to say is I shoule not have been that intreiged in that conversation.

***

When we got back home, I walked up to his room.

To my (semi)surprise, he followed. "What are you doing?" He grabbed my waist before I reached the door.

"I'm tired." I mumbled, I wasn't but I didn't have an idea on how to get him to stay, so I figyred I'd just let him go.

Instead, he stood behind me, pulling me closer, my back against his chest.

"So you're going to sleep?" He whispered his breath on my neck. I shivered with the closeness of his body.

I paused, "I think so."

"You think?" He chuckled, his warm voice breaking every defense in my heart.

This was the rum, I repeated the thought.

"I want to hear an, 'yes, I'm going to sleep', or a 'yes sir'." The demand sent a prickle up my spine, though it was the opposite of dread.

His 'drunk' voice was so much more open, and deeper then sober, and it made me want to fall to my knees, and beg him to stay.

"Yes, I'm going to sleep." I mocked, trying to keep any composure I had left. I would have crumpled if I said the other option.

"Alright, and what do you want me to do?" He whispered, his hand slowly falling down my arm.

This was the ru- I didn't care anymore.

"I don't want to be in there alone." I whispered back, turning my head to the side to where his face was just behind mine.

"Not what I asked." He spun me around, my hair falling over my shoulder, whike hus hand cupped the back of my neck. I shuddered with the touch. His eyes immediately flicked at my hair and widened just a bit.