Queen of the Mind Palace // Sherlolly ✔️

Chapter 30

Sherlock's heart raced with exhilaration. He felt guilty about it, but now that he had Molly safe with him, the thrill of the chase was beginning to pump through his veins. Sherlock led Molly through every twist of the seemingly never ending mansion, it was like a labyrinth. Molly gave Sherlock a tug on his cape to signal to slow down and he did so, immediately searching for the Reaper. He was not insight.

"Where did he get the axe?" Molly whispered from behind Sherlock. Still warily eyeing the area around them Sherlock answered.

"Did you hear the glass breaking earlier? Must have gotten to the fire axe."

"Oh. Ok." Sherlock nodded and turned around to face Molly. She blinked at him, her eyebrows furrowing. "Why the hell are you smiling?" Whoops. Sherlock's subconscious grin faded and he shrugged.

"I'm not a psychopath, I swear-" Sherlock was interrupted when suddenly a deep laugh sounded throughout the hallways, echoing off the walls. Sherlock whirled around, his eyes narrowed.

"Where did that come from?" Molly whimpered next to Sherlock. He raised a finger to his lips, his eyes slowly raking across the area around them. Molly nodded and followed his lead, her back facing his as they watched and listened together.

Suddenly, a giddy laugh rang dangerously close. Sherlock spun around and jerked Molly out of the way just in time as the flash of a knife suddenly streaked alarmingly close to her face. Molly let out a small yelp as the outline of a cloaked figure suddenly seemed to melt from the shadows.

"Run," was all Sherlock said. Molly let out a small whimper yet followed, their footsteps pounding on the marble as they blindly ran through the winding hallways. Sherlock hardly even saw where he was going, just letting his feet fly wherever they wanted. Thoughts raced through Sherlock's mind, making his brain a muddled mess. Sherlock cursed under his breath as he tried, and failed, to sort his thoughts.

"Sherlock!" Molly suddenly cried, grabbing his arm and forcing Sherlock to a stop. Sherlock let out a small gasp, there was a wall inches from his face. Sherlock looked to his left. Wall. He looked to his right. Wall. A string of colorful curses flew from Sherlock's mouth as he grabbed Molly's hand, beginning to lead her back the way they came, but a sickening deep chuckle froze them.

"Tut tut tut now friends," the staggering figure of the Reaper began to become outlined in the darkness, "you have both already made this so very messy." The figure looked up and Sherlock heard Molly inhaled sharply when the goggles flashed. Sherlock caught sight of the knife in the darkness, it's blade flashing.

"I'm afraid this will go terribly for the both of you," the Reaper rumbled with a laugh. Sherlock held his hand out in front of Molly but she pushed it down, falling into place beside him.

Sherlock looked at her with narrowed eyes, "stay back," he growled threateningly. Molly held his hand, gripping it tightly.

"I'm not going to let you die protecting me. We're two against one. We can take him," she whispered. Sherlock opened his mouth to say something but closed it, feeling the killer watching them intently. Sherlock's mind suddenly cleared, the thoughts that rang through his mind painstakingly coherent.

Even with his advanced knowledge of the martial arts, he was going up against a serial killer. They were dangerous, sneaky, willing to break the rules to win. They didn't have standards. They got what they wanted. Sherlock wasn't as adjusted to the dark as the Reaper, who was horrifyingly able to blend into the shadows like he was one. One truth was suddenly loud and clear in Sherlock's mind. He would most likely die protecting Molly. Sherlock straightened up and tore his gaze from Molly's face. So be it.