Tales of the Travellers

4

I had been in Shadows' quarters before, it was actually a fairly warm, autumn colour place of oranges, yellows and light greens.

I sat on one seat, making sure my back was straight and I sat on the edge of the seat. I was always ready to leave if he suddenly got mad, which happened more often than one would think.

Tonight however he seemed merry. He was exclaiming great laughs of a triumph and offered me something he hadn't done in years.

He offered me a drink.

He disappeared into a footlocker and watched as he pulled out bottles of wine. He seemed to have a good collection of them in his footlocker. He gave me a glass and filled it to the brim before doing the same for himself. "A toast to my Mary," he said holding his glass up, I mimicked because I was happy he was being kind. "May my Child continue to grow even more beautiful every day."

His words sent a feeling of warmth through me that I couldn't quite place, not because I had never felt it, but it was a kind of warmth not even Joel had ever given me, one I hadn't felt in years.

And yet...

He roared his laughter as he talked to me, I didn't have much to contribute to the conversation, but he seemed more than happy talking at me. I didn't mind, I smiled and nodded when required. He continued to drink, glass after glass, one bottle turned into three and soon he was pouring me my third glass after his roughly twentieth.

I didn't know what my limit was, so I was trying to be careful with the wine, but already I could feel its effects. It made me woozy, it made me sway despite the fact I was sitting. Shadows was drunk, I could tell this much quite easily with how much rowdier he had become. He was even so bold as he sit next to me.

I was too surprised to question this.

I flashed him a smile as he continued to laugh about the looks on some of the men's faces before they died and swearing many of them had crapped themselves before dying. I understood his amusement, I understood why he had this kind of mindset, but I didn't laugh as hysterically as he did. I learned to enjoy what I do, but I was sure I allowed myself to regret it so I wouldn't turn into a monster.

I felt his hand wrap around my waist as he sculled down another glass of wine. His hand was resting on my hip and he was coming much closer to me. I continued to sway and be somewhat woozy as he continued to drink and I continued to listen and smile to him as he gave me toast after toast, giving me endless praise and an odd new form of affection.

His eyes were right in front of mine, the shadow that masked his face was still a mask I could not see through. I bit my lip to try and keep my discomfort at bay when I felt the situation begin to shift. "You look very pretty Mary," he confessed to me, "I must admit, I feel somewhat jealous of people like tonight's."

I tilted my head, "Why is that, sir?" I asked.

He circled what remained in his wine before, what I thought was, smiling to me.

"Because they all get to see you for the first time in your beauty," he complimented.

There's the yet... The shift...

His compliments made me uncomfortable, but I remained where I was sitting and smiled.

"But at the same time, they should envy me," he stated putting the glass down.

I watched this with careful eyes as my fingers twitched around my glass and a new feeling formed in the pit of my stomach. "Why, sir?"

"Because I own you already," he laughed. "Like I'd ever sell something as precious as you." His hand was revealed from his sleeve as he gripped my chin and lifted my head upwards slightly. This wasn't an odd gesture, but upon his touch my eye lost focus of his ruby eyes. I managed to blink away the dizziness, but my point of gravity had shift by then.