|[ THE FAERI'S KEEPER ]|

Chapter 23: Rebels of the Empire

I felt the bullet graze past my cheek like moths wings; soft, almost gentle, and with incredible speed. I blinked, my breath caught in my throat. He hadn't shot me? He mustn't have – I would've felt it if he had. I turned, as if in slow motion, my eyes darting between the figures around me, including Claude who was staring past me and Natona who was in the middle of fighting out of the grip of the two bandits holding her.

"Faeris!" Claude thundered as the shot fired off, echoing through the trees. The noise was like a wave, rippling away from us and through the leaves and bushes of the plants around us. I looked down his line of sight and finally saw what had caused him to shoot. A Faeri dressed in the black armour of Thalandor had been watching from the bushes, now lying dead against a tree, his armour rented apart on his chest. Blood blossomed out of the metal like a blooming rose. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. I had been an inch away from dying, an inch from everything just ending. I almost ended up with my own flower of blood bursting from my chest. Just like that. I turned on Claude who was looking serious and concerned, though his mouth was quirked up at the side in a smirk, almost as if he didn't know he was doing it.

"You almost killed me!" I gasped, glaring at him. He flashed me a smile, though the solemness never left his eyes.

"But I didn't did I, honey?" anger flared up inside me and I dived at him, red staining my vision. Why did he laugh? Why did he take everything as a joke?

"You absolute blithering son of a...!" I snarled, not even caring to finish my sentence as I lunged at him, slapping him full across the face as I hit him and pushed him to the ground. Landing on top of him, I gave him another slap, just for good measure. He grinned, as if the blows didn't pain him one bit. It only infuriated me more and I dug my knee into his stomach, feeling the hard muscles underneath the skin. He barely reacted.

"You know, if you wanted to get this close to me, you could've just asked." He smirked. I felt my face flush, with anger or something else, I did not know. I leapt up off him and he began climbing to his feet. I lashed out and my foot collided with his stomach. I felt a surge of satisfaction as the air in his chest audibly left him with a great whoosh.  Claude winced slightly as he straightened up. His green eyes locked with mine, and though I could see he was in pain, they had lost none of their amusement.

"That was incredibly rude," he said in a wounded voice, though he grinned, "I expected better manners of a lady."

"I am not like any lady you have previously encountered," I snapped, "And I was rude? What about you ambushing us and trying to kill me?"

"All part of the business honey," Claude laughed, "If a Faeri begged you not to kill them, you still would. It's the same thing."

"Except we," I said coldly, gesturing to the dead Faeri, "Are obviously on the same side."

"Obviously," Claude said, giving an exaggerated nod. "Oh it's so obvious! How did I not realise this before? You are totally right!" I felt hatred rear up inside me. Why did he have to be so sarcastic and rude?

"You are really horrible, you know that?" I snapped.

"I know many things," Claude winked, "But I don't believe that is one of them."

"Well seeing as you know so many things, I hope you know that you're an arsehole." I growled.

"I've heard much worse, missy, so that could almost be considered a compliment," Claude smiled, "Though I have been told I am most pleasing on the eyes."

"Oh yes, a real stunner," I said bitterly. But it was true – he was stunning. Not in the quietly beautiful way Cedric was, but in a bright, showy way, as if to say he knew he was handsome and he was proud of it. He reminded me a sleek cat, constantly rubbing itself against legs to gain attention.  His black hair fell in his eyes charmingly; covering his deep green eyes as they thoughtfully watched me. And his neck and shoulders were so perfectly chiselled, with defined muscles across his chest and stomach. And that tattoo! It surely was magic, the way it shimmered and almost moved as he did.