The Gifted

Chapter Three: An Offer

Fun fact:  A lot of the scenes I come up with are based off different songs.  For this one, it's Alice in Wonderland.  I highly recommend listening to it for this chapter.  It won't last the whole chapter and it's not supposed to, but it does make you feel more in the moment.  Anyway, here is the next chapter in The Gifted!  Enjoy!

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Flint kept backing away from the semicircle of guards in front of us till he reached the doors to the balcony.  With his free hand, the one not threatening my life, he opened it behind him.  It was eerily quiet in the gardens.  Too quiet.  Where were the guards stationed out here?  Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the torches were no longer lit either.  

My eyes turned to Trystan, trying desperately to communicate with him. Signal him.  Something!  Trying to give him a warning that something wasn't right and Flint wasn't their only issue.  Unfortunately, it didn't get across and without warning, an unnaturally strong gust of wind came through the now open doorway.  It blew all of the candles and chandeliers out, causing the room to fall into darkness. 

There was screaming and panicked voices from all the party guests.  I heard Trystan yell to the guards, trying to get to us, but it was too late.  Flint already had my wrist in his iron grip and was pulling me down the steps to the garden.  My eyes, not completely adjusted to the darkness, only made out slight shapes as he led me through the maze of tall shrubbery and flower beds.  I had thought about retaliating now that the dagger was no longer to my neck, but Flint's warning kept ringing in my head.  Obviously he had allies here.  Powerful ones.  My best option was to wait.  I was fairly confident that if the situation did turn badly, I could get away with no problems.

Instead, all my effort went to trying to keep up with Flint's pace and not tripping on my dress. We rounded corner after corner, my eyes finally adjusting to the night.  I had never been in this section of the garden before.  The shrubs were tall, to the point you couldn't see over them.  We were in a literal maze.  Finally, Flint stopped in front of an iron gate that led outside the maze and into the woods.  A dark figure rested on a bench beside the gate, his feet propped up on something.  As we got closer, I noticed what he was using as a foot stool and my stomach lurched. Bodies.  His feet were on top of bodies.  Specifically, the missing exterior guards.  Their eyes were glassed over and tails of arrows protruded from their necks.  Every one of them died of an expert shot. 

Out of instinct, I opened my mouth to scream, but Flint's hand clamped over it  before any sound came out.  "Calm down." He removed his hand and turned to the man on the bench, "I can see you've been busy.  I thought I told to kill only if necessary and couldn't you show a little more respect for the dead?"  Flint gestured to where the man's feet were.

The man addressed Flint but kept his eyes on me.  "You got caught.  It was necessary."  His eyes roamed my body and I had to force myself not to fold my arms over my chest.  I glowered at the man, "you don't seem very sorry about it."  

In a matter of seconds, his eyes went from lustful to hateful.  I swear, if looks could kill, I'd be dead about a hundred times over.  Finally, he spoke up, looking back to Flint, "We don't have time for this.  They'll unleash the trackers soon." 

"You go ahead.  I'll meet you at the horses."

The man turned and walked through the gate in the direction I assumed the horses were in.  Flint let go of my wrist and I quickly took a couple steps away from him.  He let me, knowing I couldn't run away.  Not in this dress anyway.  I swear these things were invented by men to make it harder for women to run from them.  

Flint looked at me seriously, "I don't have much time, you need to tell me everything you know about the King's operations in the North."

"I hate to tell you but aside from the occasional scouting party to find the rebel base, I know nothing of the North." 

"That's impossible.  Your whole family is connected to the North, how do you not know what's happening?  What about your sister?"

"Clara?  She was married a year ago and I haven't heard from or seen her since.  Her husband is a Duke in the eastern territory.  She got out of the King's service."  Why was I telling him all of this?

He looked frustrated, "And your brother? "

"We don't talk.  Last father told me, he was dispatched to the western territory to help with a problem a Duke was having.  Why are you so interested in my family?"

"By the gods.  James was right.  They're playing you all for fools."

I completely missed the insult at the mention of my brother's name.  "Yo-you know my brother?"  

He looked as if he was about to say more, but shouting was in the distance.  Trystan was close.  Flint took out a cloth and held it in his hands.

"No time.  I can explain things to you, but not now.  Come with me. I know you don't like this place, he said you didn't.  So leave with me and you can meet people that will really care about you.  You can see your brother again." He held his hand out to me, waiting for me to take it.

My mind whirled, trying to process everything that was happening.  Leave?  I wanted that more than anything.  Clara was gone and probably safe with her husband.  The only one left that I really cared for was my mother.  Aiden and I never got along, he was too much like Father.  

However, I hesitated in taking Flint's hand.  The King and my father knew about the relationship that Trystan and I had.  Could I disappear without any harm coming to him or my mother?  Would I chance it?

The shouts became more audible and I was now able to pick up on some of what they were saying.  Trystan's voice is what brought me back to reality.  I couldn't leave.  Father and the King were sadistic.  They wouldn't let their prized possession disappear without any consequences.  I would leave, but not yet.  Not with him.  Not until I knew everyone else was safe and certainly not to join a rebellion.  I wanted nothing to do with either parties.

"Tell James I'm sorry, but someone has to protect the people he left."

Flint's face fell, but he nodded. "Then I guess it's my turn to apologize."  He grabbed my hand, pulling me close.  I kept my surprise to a gasp and didn't scream.  He was obviously close to my brother and I didn't want to give away his location to the guards.  However, I did try to elbow him in the stomach to get him to let me go.  Consequently, he just pulled me in closer, restricting my movements even more than before.  He brought the cloth he had had in his hands to cover my mouth and nose, "sorry, but if you're not coming with me then it would be best if the guard's don't find you completely unharmed.  Can't have them thinking you're a conspirator too."  

His arms were like iron around mine and I cursed myself for not practicing hand-to-hand more.  I breathed in, not able to hold my breath any longer, and a sickly sweet smell invaded my nose that fogged my mind.  Black spots appeared in the corners of my vision and I began to lose feeling in my legs.  My body slumped against Flint's as I fought with my mind to keep my eyes from closing.

Noticing that I had stopped struggling, Flint gently lowered me to the ground.  The black dots had multiplied and were now swimming around my vision, but I still took notice of him pulling the dagger out once again.  I started panicking.  I tried moving, but my body wouldn't listen to me.  Was that it?  I didn't pick a side so he's going to kill me?  I tried using my gift, but nothing happened. 

Flint was whispering now, or maybe I was just losing consciousness faster than I thought. "Don't worry.  I'll wait till you're completely out so you won't feel anything.  It'll just be enough so they won't suspect you, and Evelyn, I truly am sorry.  If you change your mind, go to the eastern woods...I'll...James...wait..." 

I didn't hear the rest, as the darkness had won and pulled me under.