Crimson Hood

S I X

I watched my life flash before my eyes as my oxygen supply lessened. I could barely make out the sound of a man yelling and animalistic growling with the deafening ringing pounding in my eardrums.

I could feel the smooth surface of the silver chain that squeezed the life out of me wrapped around my neck. My hands were knowing and pulling against it but I knew it was no use. I was about to pass out again.

It's a wonder how I haven't died yet.

The silver chain was now lying beside me on the floor while I hacked and coughed violently. The world stopped spinning and the ringing in my ear was no longer there.

Two strong hands grasped onto my shoulder and pulled me up on my two feet. I steadied myself against the male that was still holding onto me.

"Enzo!" A female voice shrieked. A growl answered in return. A shiver ran up my spine as I froze once hearing the menacing growl. Was that wolf back?

Once my eyes refocused, I was staring at the woman I recalled locked me in a room and tried to kill me. I glared at her but she was too caught up staring at the man holding me up.

"What are you doing helping her? Get away from her before she hurts you!" I mentally scoffed and rolled my eyes.

As much as I would love to body check that fairy into a wall, I actually have a heart that isn't stone cold.

"Rhyannon, what is wrong with you? You almost killed her." Rhyannon rolled her eyes and balanced her weight on one leg while regarding us with a bored expression.

"Stop being so serious Enzo, she would have lived, much to my dismay." My lips pulled up into a sneer.

The male, Enzo, seemed to miss the humour in her words as he too sneered at her. I turned to look at Enzo who had his gaze stuck on the devil over there.

"You know that thing?" I asked him wondering how he met her.

"Sadly." Rhyannon gasped.

"How dare you! I have you know I -,"

Enzo raised his palm in the air. Rhyannon stopped talking.

"Leave us." He demanded. Rhyannon shot me a glare and the middle finger before she stomped away and disappeared behind a tree.

It then became silent besides the slight rustle of the leaves dancing in the cool breeze.

"My question is how do you know her." He asked me. I shrugged.

"One moment I was unconscious lying on the dirty ground, the next I was with her. She seemed so nice at first."

Enzo let out a bitter laugh. "Yeah, that's how faeries are around here, they act all innocent until you refuse to give them what they want. Then they go all crazy and want to murder you."

Enzo turned to face me.

"Well, that's how I know they react to humans." My eyebrows knitted together.

"So you've had experience with them before?"

"Oh hell no," He laughed. " I'm just putting pieces together from your little encounter. Rhyannon is my friend."

My eyes widened to the size of saucers. Is someone actually friends with that woman?

"But she was talking about humans as if they'd done something bad. How are you friends with her?"

Enzo's face darkened.

"Faeries used to roam free until humans decided to use them for their own selfish reasons. The forest your standing in used to be home to the biggest faerie sanctuary yet. That is until one of them decided to attack a child who got too close."