Unknown L (Book 1) [Editing]

~~ Wow! Just, Wow! ~~

His whole face was covered in those red patterned tattoos. That wasn't the worst part. It was his eyes that caught L's attention the most. They were pure black, no whites or irises, and they were gleaming while his gaze flickered between her and Bryce- almost like he was happy to see them. 

L didn't know what he was, but when she looked into his eyes, she felt unexpectedly scared. She turned away to look at Bryce, who didn't waver an inch under the stare.

The man laughed maniacally, and it made L's skin crawl.

"One measly bodyguard an' a scrawny one at that, I knew that stench 'soon as you got on. Let me take a good look at 'er, see what all the fuss is about." His voice was deep and made L think of damp, dark caverns that people went into and never returned from.

She knew he was talking about her, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him again. She focused on Bryce and watched him smirk in disgust. L didn't know anyone's face could hold that much contempt, let alone his. From what she had seen, he was usually happy and cheeky.

"Just try and come near her, see what happens... I knew you'd try something, such a predictable species, and so presumptuous."

L peeked from the corner of her eye to see the creature's brow knitting together. L got the impression he didn't understand a lot of what Bryce had just said, and it made a little of her fear disappear.

"I don't care what you think, weaklin', she's got a pretty penny on 'er head. Me and Olyk are gon' collect it before anyone else has a'chance." He started smirking down at the basket, and L had a feeling 'Olyk' was inside.

She felt Bryce carefully move his hand into his jacket while the man wasn't looking. She wondered what could be in the basket that would make Bryce react like this. She watched him slowly pull his hand back out and saw him holding a toothpick. She felt only confusion and winced when the creature started laughing again. He had spotted the toothpick and seemed to find it amusing.

Bryce spoke between picking at his mouth, "What makes you think that you will get off of this bus alive if you so much as try? I've known what you were since we got on this morning. I set a plan in motion hours ago for the possibility of something just like this."

He sounded so calm and sincere despite his tense body language. L didn't know how he managed it and tried to decipher if he was bluffing or not. What could he have possibly set up from a moving bus? She knew her knowledge was limited, and she had no idea about their ways of communicating. They'd been moving pretty much all day, so he didn't have much of a chance.

She turned her attention from Bryce to the creature, who looked visibly confused for a moment and then burst out laughing again. The other passengers hadn't turned around, and L figured they were either too scared, uninterested, or didn't want to get involved in what was happening.

"You're lying, and we're not gon' fall for it. You're all alone with this little girl. Olyk needs some exercise. He 'asn't eaten all day either. Don't worry, it'll be over quickly... painfully quickly. You're a poor meal, but we'll eat well when we collect the bounty on the girl's 'ead."

He reached down to unfasten the basket, and Bryce sighed in clear annoyance, "I did warn you!"

He was sat beside L in one moment and then stood in front of the creature with his hands over the clasp to the basket in the next. L couldn't see Bryce's face from where she was, but she could see the creature's, and he wasn't smiling anymore.

Another movement caught her eye, and she looked around to see the two robed figures were now standing behind the creature, their hoods still covering their faces. L didn't like the look of this one bit. She wondered how Bryce was going to fight three of them at once. He said he had some skills, and she had seen some of what he could do, but she didn't think they'd do much good when he was outnumbered three to one.