Blood spurted from his neck, some of it splashing onto her face.
The world went silent for a second...as the red liquid rolled slowly from her face to her neck.
Elena's hand shook as she removed her hand from the dagger.
The masked man's eyes widened in shock as he slowly retracted his sword from Gerald's body. Gerald collapsed to the floor like a heavy sack. The effects of the potion had worn off; his skin had returned to normal, but his eyes remained open.
Elena staggered back several steps, her hand flying to cover her mouth.
"Oh my god… oh my god! I just killed a person…"
She muttered as she sank to the floor.
"I killed a human… I'm a killer… I—"
"Don't beat yourself over it," the masked man said. "He deserved it—and much more."
"Who are you?" Elena asked suddenly, snapping out of her shock. Curiosity took over instantly.
"If I wanted you to know, I wouldn't be wearing a mask," he replied simply.
"Alright then… why are you helping me?" she asked, standing up and moving closer to him.
For every step she took forward, he took the same number backward.
"Are you running away from me?" Elena asked, tilting her head.
"No. But I still have a lot of things to take care of," he said. "And you look like you have even more questions—questions I won't be able to answer right now."
Gerald's house was on fire now. The roof had been overtaken by raging flames, thick smoke rising into the sky in rapid succession.
"You still haven't answered my question, sir."
The masked man sighed heavily.
"It's not a big deal. Gerald had many enemies, and I'm one of them. Somebody needed to put him in his place, and you just happened to be caught in the middle of it."
"I see…" Elena replied, squinting slightly. She sensed he wasn't telling her the whole truth.
The masked man turned to leave.
"Wait!" Elena called out.
He paused but didn't turn around.
"Can I at least treat you? Your arm is bleeding."
"I'll be fine," he replied swiftly.
The sun had begun to set, its orange-red colors spreading across the sky like a painted design.
"You should get going. It's getting late."
With that, he disappeared into the distance—moving far faster than she expected.
Elena watched him until his figure completely vanished.
A small smile graced her lips. She owed this mysterious stranger her life.
Gerald's body still lay there. She knelt beside it and gently placed a hand over his face, closing his haunting eyes.
She felt no pity for him.
Just as she was about to stand, something caught her attention.
Just beneath his chin, a red liquid gleamed in the evening light.
"Is that blood?" Elena muttered, though her instincts told her it wasn't. The substance was a lighter shade of red than the rest.
She reached out and touched it. The texture felt strange—it didn't seem like a liquid, yet it looked like one.
A second after it touched her skin, it began to evaporate. She watched the particles disappear before her eyes.
That's when it struck her. During the fight, Gerald had pulled out a vial of potion and drunk it. Some of it must have spilled onto his face.
She stood and searched the ground until she spotted the small bottle that once contained the substance.
She examined it for a while, turning it over in her hands. Every drop that touched her skin evaporated almost instantly.
***
The tavern was packed that night, but it wasn't filled with its usual chatter. Instead, it buzzed with whispers—whispers of Gerald's downfall.
Rumors about who was responsible spread like wildfire.
Elena tried to pay attention as she moved from table to table, serving customers. Aunt Kate hadn't spared her a day off after everything she'd been through, so she decided to use the opportunity to gather information.
But everything she overheard sounded ridiculous.
Some claimed it was a rival gang from another village.
Others said bounty hunters were responsible.
She couldn't think of any connection she might have with such people—any reason they would risk their lives to save her.
But one thing was certain: she was going to find out.
Elena sat on a wooden stool near the kitchen door to rest. From there, she had a clear view of the tavern. Her eyes suddenly caught sight of a black cloak, and her heart leapt.
It's him.
She stood quickly and pushed through the crowd. His back was to her as he drank a cup of ale.
She touched his shoulder excitedly. "Hello, sir!"
The man turned slowly to face her.
But the moment she saw his face, her excitement vanished—replaced with a frown.
"…Dante?"
****
A/N
Dear gentle readers, ( in lady whistledown's voice) Lol..
Here's another chapter by yours truly.
Don't forget to drop a comment and vote for me. Thank youu