Lilith herded her brother down the stairs, ever prepared to sink her blade into an onrushing oponent but staving herself for the sake of her brother, who's breathing appeared to be laboured. Her shift brushed against her thighs, reminding her of the weather as she descended the stairwell and exited through the worn door that clung to its hinges.
She pulled open the napkin, glanced at the interior and looked over at Trenton. "Do you need to rest?" she asked him, her eyes dark as she glanced around nervously.
"No," he answered, catching his breath as they stood in the shadow of the building.
She eyed him warily but dipped her head in ascent, "Then let's go," she told him, grabbing his cold hand and pulling him along with her, and he kept up well despite his lack of preparation for a night such as this one.
Lilith brushed her hair aside, rushing Trenton through the drifts of snow as they fled their persuers. A shot thrummed through the night, snapping the stillness as shattered glass. Her eyes scanned the darkness behind her, and she felt her stomach knot with the knowledge that their friend Hanson was dead. She pressed her hand against Trenton's back and he stumbled, falling in the snow.
"Jus' go on, Lil," he said gesturing for her to continue onwards.
"No, Trenton," she said, clenching her teeth as she helped him up.
A shout issued from behind them, and Lilith tensed at the sound. Her dark eyes narrowed as she glanced over her shoulder, seeing the approaching group of men whose hands held fast to their weaponry. Lilith growled, urging him to go. "Keep going," she told him, "I will have to catch up with you after having disposed of them," she said quietly.
"I can't leave you," he said, appalled at her suggestion. "What if they capture you?" he demanded, looking at her.
Lilith concentrated on the approaching figures, "I don't care," she said, "What I care about right now is that you get to safety," she said, pulling him in for a tight hug. "Take this," she pushed the napkin into his hand. "Now run,"
Trenton hesitated briefly, but launched himself into a run. "Come home, Lil'!" he called after her as he retreated into the shadows.
After having glanced over her shoulder to assure herself that he had retreated, she spun around and pulled a blade from the sheath strapped at her thigh and braced herself as they approached. One of them gestured briefly, halting the procession of burly looking men from approaching her any further.
Lilith's blood sang, but she stood as still as stone as one of the men approached her, eyeing the two blades she now held in her fists. "Pretty woman, why you hold blade so tight?" he drawled, his voice thick with a berevian accent.
She watched him carefully, raising the blades as he drew closer to her with every step. "Despite the idiocy it takes to confront me, I believe you should know very well," she repliqued, flexing her fingers on the blade's handles.
"We no goin' to hurt you,"
"I highly doubt that," her gaze shot to where one of the men inched forward, weapon aimed at her chest. "Call your men to stand down," she growled, preparing herself as she tensed her muscles.
"The boss say that we take you," was his response, as he moved closer.
Lilith grit her teeth, "Your boss will be dissapointed," was her only reply as she braced her legs.
The darkness was all consuming, but the tinges of light fingered the edges of the curtain of black as morning neared.
Her eyes adjusting to the shadows, she eyed the amount of men that had gathered around before her and she allowed a ghost of a smile to mist upon her face. "You 'an come with us," he said, and three other men began to approach.
"I don't think I will," she jerked her hand up and slid it across the pale flesh of his throat, watching as the skin parted and revealed the red inside.
A chorus of shouts arose from the other men, and she watched as a dozen arms were aimed at her. Lilith measured her every mouvement as she met each pair of eyes with her own dark gaze. "Put your weapons on the ground," came the spit order.
Hesitant, Lilith debated whether she should listen to their instruction of if she should fight and likely die in the process. She raised her arms, hands still gripping the blades tight in her fists, and watched as each man's finger twitched over the trigger of their weaponry. Reluctantly, her fists unclenched and she allowed the blades to fall to the snow at her feet. Her shift tangling around her legs, reminding her of her vulnerability.
As her blade's tip touched the snow, the men rushed at her, dropping their weapons and taking her arms roughly in their meaty hands and jerking them behind her back. Lilith bit her tongue, and forced herself to relent to their rough-handling; ignoring the voice in her head that whispered the words Trenton had last called to her.
"Who'se your employer?" she queried, but the answer she received was a hard smack that threw her head to the side. Lilith snarled, wrenching herself in their hold at the pain in her jaw.
"No talk from you," snapped one of the men, grabbing her jaw roughly in his thick hands and forcing her to meet his eyes.
Lilith turned her head harshly from the side, out of his grip. She licked her lips as she was shoved viciously in the direction of the mouth of the alley. However, relief was short lived as she thought of her brother; she prayed they would not heed the fact that he had run.
"Who'se in charge?" she spat, daring to challenge their authority.
Her eyes darted to the sudden movement in her peripheral and spotted the butt of the gun's approach moments before it slammed into her temple. She registered the pain moments before an impenetrable darkness fell upon her.
"Take 'er to where we goin'," drawled one of the men, as they hoisted the limp form in their arms.
Copyrighted Sabryna Brooks 2012
