|[ THE FAERI'S KEEPER ]|

Chapter 25: Blue

I sucked in a breath and moved away, deciding I had seen enough. Claude took my place and examined the girl before he too moved away. Natona carefully covered up the girl's stomach again and straightened up.

"War is coming..." she said, "What could it mean."

"I think it means what it says," Claude said bluntly, "War is coming. Surely you do understand that sentence?"

"I meant an underlying meaning." Natona snapped sourly, "Not everything should be taken literally. It could be a warning, or a threat... Who could have done this? And why?"

"I think someone is playing games with us." I said softly, "They are trying to scare us."

"Well it worked," Claude said without a trace of fear in his voice, "I'm shaking in my boots... quite literally," he cast a look at Natona, "I might add. The night has gotten quite chilly. Now shall we move on?" I glared at him.

"Why is it always jokes and puns with you? Not even your own brother's death can make you be serious!" I snapped. As soon as the words were out I regretted them. Claude's mouth was slightly open in horror, and his eyes were a blue of pain and anger.

"How dare you!" he snarled, walking up to me. He prodded me in the chest with one long, elegant finger, "You dare to... you think that I...You don't know a thing about me, you bitch!" the insult blasted past me without making impact – I was too mortified at my own words.

"Claude, I'm sorry!" I tried to apologize. Suddenly he slapped me full across the face. I could feel the skin stinging like a wasp bite and tears sprung into my eyes.

"I should've killed you!" he said coldly, "I wish I had." He raised the gun and pushed the barrel into my chest, right above my beating heart. There was something so intimate about that touch, so intimate about him holding my life in his hands, a life he held almost gently. I looked into his icy green eyes, waiting for the dark flicker that would tell me he wasn't bluffing... that he would kill me. Suddenly Jordin stepped forwards, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Claude," he said warningly. With a feral snarl Claude turned away from me, still gripping the pistol tightly in his hands. I almost fell to my knees. There had been that flicker... he would've done it...

"I want them gone," he said harshly over his shoulder, "I want them gone before I return." He strode away between the trees and disappeared into the darkness.

"I am sorry," I said softly, turning to Jordin, "I did not mean... I should not have said that."

"You shouldn't have brought up Haiden." Jordin said shortly, "And in future, I recommend you watch your tongue, before someone else cuts it out."

"I didn't mean..." I fumbled for words, "I just..."

"But you did." He said sharply, "And there is no point trying to deny it. Now you need to fix it."

"He wants us gone," I said loudly, "He wants to kill me."

"No, he is confused and hurt," Jordin said firmly, "It has been a long time since someone has spoken to him that way. And though I do think he needed to learn to behave better, he did not need that slap in the face." He reminded of Benjon, who had been so wise... who had helped me fix things with Cedric.

"I will apologize." I sighed, feeling fear swell up against the cliffs of my heart, "Well at least try." He hadn't been bluffing – I could be walking to my deliverer.

"Thank you," Jordin said softly. He turned to Natona, "We have to bury the girl," he said, not unkindly, "Do you wish to help us?"

"No human has ever buried an elf," she hissed sharply, "And no human ever shall. I will bury her and deliver her to Nāšana. You shall not." Without a further word she strode over and picked the dead elf up in her arms, before disappearing into the trees. One of Claude's men moved to follow but Jordin held up a hand.