Four Against One; Two Fight Three

Chapter 7

Dark-- Damien didn't find me again until I had taken apart the butler. I didn't have time to hide, so I ran. The shrill tone followed, but I never heard him run. Just a soft and steady pace. Tap, step. Tap, step.

You won't come out ahead.

Words played at my ear, a teasing whisper of a voice too warm.

You'll leave, but I can follow.

I entered a new room and dove under a couch. A tight fit. I could only pray.

The room started to shift, creaking and breaking. Color drained away, only gray to remain. He stopped, my eyes reflected in his shoes.

"You're better than that, dear." His words made my skin crawl. "You know what happened. We deserve closure. Surely you, of all people, understand that."

I bit my lip. It was just word games. He couldn't know.

"He's an actor. Always has been."

So are you, I thought. His feet began to wander.

"Think on it, Miss Johnson. Will--" His voice cracked. He stood across the room for a long moment. My head pounded, the noise making me lose focus.

"Will is a good man, who lost everything. Let him have this."

I let out a small wail. The world shifted. Tilted. Broke. My feet dangled in the air, Dark's grip ironclad on my collar. He smiled.

"A dance, darling?"

I tumbled back. A chorus of giggles erupted around us. I had barely managed to avoid falling into the punch. Celine glared down at me.

"This is why I didn't want you to come," she hissed. "You're always making a mess of things."

I held back the tears, telling myself it was all from the pain in my elbow. "I didn't want to come anyway. You said Damien would be here."

"There you go, hiding behind Damien again. It's not my fault you believed me! There was a city council meeting tonight, you imbecile."

A round of laughter played. I shrank back, unable to hold back the tears.

"Ani!"

I balked. Mark, bloody and bruised, reached out for me. Celine urged the crowd on. My eyes darted back and forth. He grabbed my arm. I held tight.

I screamed in pain as my entire body pulled at my shoulder.

"Look at me! Up at me!"

The wind howled, almost drowning Mark out. Sheets of freezing rain pelted me, threatening to tear me apart. I struggled to not look down as Mark grabbed the back of my shirt. Slowly, very slowly, he pulled me up over the edge of the cliff. As we caught our breath, the scene faded away. We were left, just the two of us, in the dark mist.

"Are you alright?" he managed to sputter.

I could barely move, my limbs so cold they burned. My tears hid in the remains of the rain. He muttered a few curses as he rubbed my arms, trying to work some warmth into them. The water evaporated far quicker than the cold should have allowed. A puff of breath danced in front of me.

"H—How--?"

"I'm not just running," Mark explained. "It just takes me a bit to find the totems."

"Warf-- Dark--"

"Don't worry about them. They're my problem."

I finally managed a deep breath. "Shouldn't have to do it alone."

"We won't be. Get your stuff taken care of, I can--"

"I can't--" I muttered. "I'm stupid, and he keeps talking, and he knows--"

"He doesn't know anything," Mark stated firmly. "He's a social savant, but you can beat him."

We winced in unison. A jabbing pain made my head throb.

"I'm-- I can't--"

"Yes, you can," Mark interrupted. We both began to flicker. I could see the mansion fading through the fog. Mark gave my shoulder a confident squeeze.

 "You got this. I believe in you."