"That doesn't matter." I narrowed my eyes. He did not recognise me, maybe -just maybe- I would not die today. He shrugged and headed over to a wooden desk and glass decanter. Then he poured a rich wine into his spotless glass.
I remembered exactly why he drank wine. He wanted to mask the taste of blood with magical tropical wine, which was made of the strongest grapes known to man. "So tell me. What do you want?"
"The princess wants," I paused, he froze. His stare grew tense.
"I was told a knight would come." He looked at me seriously.
"There was a change of plans." I stared at him directly. He looked far too rigid. He almost appeared fretful. He would kill me, I was now certain of it.
He gave me an agitated look whilst gulping down the red wine. "What change?" He investigated impatiently. His features on his face scrunched up. He was anxious.
"She declines," I said simply. I watched as the glass crumpled in his hands. As sharp fragments cut his flesh and as his blood stained the wooden floor. He did not cry out in pain or even wince.
"She what?" His eyes narrowed with disbelief.
He was trying to scare me. "You heard me." I paused. "If you know what's good for you, you will remove the spell and you will stop tormenting her," I threatened.
He raised an eyebrow intrigued. Nobody spoke to him like that. I should know. "Why would I do that?" He looked at me frustrated.
"If you don't wish to die a painful death." It was the first thing he ever said to me, the day I met him, all those years ago.
His eyes immediately widened. "Leila." It was like lighting a deadly spark and I immediately regretted opening my mouth. "I knew I recognised those eyes. I will never forget a face." He stared at me. "It's been far too long." A twisted grin spread across his face.
The room suddenly felt far too small and I immediately wanted to put some space between us. "Not long enough," I corrected him. "So when did you decide to change your name to Serpent?"
"You don't like it? I thought it had a nice ring to it." He smirked. "Besides so much more has changed, the slums are controlled by me now. I run these streets. People fear me now more than ever. The gangs bow to me. But I see now that some things never change, I thought I taught you better than to defy me." I looked down at his decanter. "Then again you were always the rebellious type, weren't you?" He grinned. He was taunting me. He slipped out a second glass and poured the vial wine in it. I walked up to him confidently. "I still remember the day you ran. I taught you well. Too well." He mumbled to himself.
I took the glass and gulped it down. "I learnt from the best." I placed the glass down hard. The acid stung but I could withstand it.
"Yes you did." He agreed. "You were the only one to ever defy me and escape with your life. Yet, you were foolish enough to come back." He observed me curiously.
"The princess is a friend," I explained. "Besides, I didn't know that you were the Serpent, Michael." I stared at him.
"You knew I would be here though. You also knew that one of my spies would spot you. Tell me, do you have a death wish?" He cocked an eyebrow.
"Drop the spell," I ordered.
He chuckled. "You are weak. Who are you to challenge me?" He laughed. I did not respond. I would not be laughed at and since I was going to die anyway, I might as well have some fun.
"Not me. The king. Do you think you can survive threatening royalty?" I noticed that he paled. Even the Serpent feared the king.
His smile faded. "You shouldn't have come back." He stared at me. "You knew that I would kill you given the chance."
I looked at his deformed face. "Your point being?"
"I'm going to kill you." He smiled wickedly.
"I'm not the scared little girl that you remember." He immediately slid out a blade. I did not even bother to flinch. He was testing me. "I'm not scared of you." I was not scared- I was terrified of him. He was a face I had never hoped to see again.
He danced his finger along with the grimy table. "You should be."
He would kill me. I had defied him all those years ago. No one ever escaped from the clutches of Michael, or as he is known today as the 'Serpent' and lived. I was the only one who escaped with my life but now that he had found me...he would destroy me. "Kill me. I dare you too." I tested him.
He cackled. "You're just as reckless as I remembered you." He stared at me. "Young. Stubborn. Stupid." He paused. Then began circling me. "Meddling in things that you can't possibly understand."
"I understand you." I paused. "I was trapped here after all. I watched as you blindly murdered people to get what you want." Tens of innocent faces flashed in my mind. "You were nothing more than a murderer."
"Then you know perfectly well what happens to people who betray me." He said gritted teeth. He was enjoying this but at the same time; he was frustrated. He wanted me to beg for my life. He wanted me to grovel in pain. He wanted to enjoy the kill. "Let me make this crystal clear, you won't get out that door alive." He hated that I no longer feared him. It was something he could not stand.
"You don't even care about the people you hurt in your pursuit to power," I screamed. Memories whirling up inside me like a storm.
He did not even react. "I don't and I would murder all those people again without a second thought." I knew why. He enjoyed hurting people. It brought him a pleasure to see others suffering.
"You are a monster!" I spat.
"Enough about me. What about you?" He stopped. "You just created a very big problem for me and powerful friends of mine."
"Good."
He chuckled slowly. Suddenly he shoved me hard to the floor. Then outstretched a long, sleek blade against my throat. I could not breathe. "Remove the scarf." I carefully did as he said. "You're not a little girl anymore." He observed me. Then he placed the blade beneath my chin forcing me to look up at him. I shot him a disgusted look.
Suddenly there was a clatter. "What's that?" The Serpent stared at the door. He lowered the blade, I immediately jumped to my feet and grabbed a nearby plank of wood and prepared to attack.
Serpent saw it coming and brushed his blade against my arm and thigh. It sliced through my skin and I shrieked out in pain. I dropped the weapon. "You've lost your touch." He laughed. Then placed the blade against my chest, just above my heart.
He was right. Living with Theo and the others in the last few years had allowed me to grow soft. I hardly used blades there. I used my preferred weapon there, my bow. With the Serpent I learned to stroll in the shadows, to always look over my shoulder, to kill or be killed, to have no compassion, to be a monster.
"Farewell, Leila." He smiled sinisterly. This is what I deserved, after what I did all those years ago. Karma had come to collect and I deserved it.
A door swung open and a dark silhouette appeared. "Step away from her." A rich, furious, authoritative voice bellowed. The figure approached Serpent. As he got closer I could see his stunningly vibrant eyes. It was Leonardo.
"She is my property. I will do what I like with her. It has nothing to do with you," Serpent hissed.
"Don't touch her." Leonardo's voice was filled with authority. Leonardo was in loose clothing. Beneath his thin top, I could see his perfect shaped muscles, you would not want to pick a fight with him.
"And who are you?" Serpent asked.
"I'm Leonardo da Angelo." Leonard's eyes filled with hatred. Serpent stared at Leonardo wide-eyed. "You are the Serpent, no? The one who has committed the highest treason." Leonardo strode towards Michael.
"It would seem so." The Serpent did not like Leonardo's proximity. "So what are you going to do to me?"
"I could kill you," Leonardo sighed. "But that's not my style. So, I guess I will take you back to the castle and let you get the punishment you deserve." They would hang him. The king would not pity someone like the Serpent. The king had no mercy for anyone.
"You will never take me alive." The Serpent drew his sword. Leonardo was quick to react and raised his silver, hand-crafted blade. Thi
s was not going to end well.
Metal clashed against metal. The swords flashed and rang. Leonardo started forcing Serpent into a corner. Serpent jumped onto his desk and carried on the duel from above. The glass fell to the floor and the decanter shortly followed.
Leonardo rapidly grabbed hold of a nearby rotting chain and used it to grab hold of Serpent's weapon. There was a clank as Leonardo disarmed Serpent. Serpent stares at him stunned and then makes a run for the door.
Leonardo let out a frustrated groan before making two powerful swift overhand movements. The first was the throwing of his sword. The sword goes flying, soaring like lightning. It buried itself into the door just above the lock. The second was a hidden dagger which managed to bury itself into the lock. Nobody will be getting out that way.
Serpent freezes. He has nowhere to run. "You're making a mistake boy," He warned sinisterly. The room began to rattle, the wooden structure shaking. Magic. He began muttering a spell. I had seen him cast this enchantment over a hundred times. A death charm. He was going to murder Leonardo.
I leapt in front of Leonardo. "No!" Leonardo shouted but he was too late. The bolts of lightning soared towards me. Their bright royal blue lights illuminating the room. Everything slowed down. I could hardly breathe.
A force field of some kind surrounded me. Like an invisible bubble, it appeared deflecting the rays. "That's impossible," Serpent muttered under his breath. A bright light surrounded me temporarily blinding me.
There was a bang as I was thrown to the floor. "Leila!" Leonardo rushed towards me. This buzzing sound filled my ears temporarily. I opened my eyes to see the exit wall completely blown to pieces and the Serpent was nowhere to be found.
"Leila looks at me." Leonardo was inches away from my face. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?"
I nodded. "What?" I stared around dazed.
"The bolts hit the force field and backfired." He replied instantly. "He's gone." I gulped. I had wanted to kill that man from the day I met him but now that I had, I did not know what to feel. Or had I? A man like the Serpent had many tricks. I could not be sure he was dead until I saw a stone-cold body. "I didn't know you had magic." Leonardo stared curiously.
"I don't." I sat there breathless.
"Then- how?" He sat down beside me.
"I don't know." I shook my head.
"Hang on so you walked in here with no defence, whatsoever." He paused. "No magic, no weapon, no combat skills."
I did not respond, instead, I changed the subject. "How did you find me anyway?" I looked up at him perplexed.
"Well, when my cousin turned up at the castle. With some story of an incredibly brave yet mysterious girl. I knew it had to be you. No other girl would face a Cyclopes." He hesitated. "So I went to confront my sister. I wanted to know what stupid errand she had sent you on now. She is locked in her room." He looked at me seriously for a second. "She told me everything."
There was silence. "What were you thinking?" he finally said. I looked at him to find him already staring at me. I was not thinking. I did not think about what I was doing when I locked up Caroline or when I ran out on my own or when I faced a cyclops or when I had barged into the slums.
"She was a child, she didn't deserve this." I stared towards the spot where Michael had been.
"So why didn't you ask for help? Ask me?!" He looked at me concerned.
"She didn't want anyone to know. Besides, you wouldn't have let me come along." I shrugged.
"No, I wouldn't and with good reason." He looked at me worried. "Why would you be so foolish?" he complained.
"I was once her age. I had nobody. I was alone. I was trapped with that murderer for an entire two years. I suffered. He was a monster," I spat. "That fear that I saw in Caroline's eyes, it was a feeling that I wake up to every day." I stared around the empty room. "I needed someone but no one ever came. I wasn't about to leave Caroline like the way people abandoned me." Leonardo looked wide-eyed. He had not expected that.
I got up and started to walk away when Leonardo whispered. "Leila." I didn't look back. I had already opened far too much for today. I would not let anyone in. I could not.
Chapter Five- Too many questions
The guards were tearing through the streets for anything suspicious. They began banging on windows and prying open doors.
I hated him. Why couldn't he keep his nose out of my business?! He was arrogant, selfish, and self-absorbed. And handsome... no, I could not stand him.
"Leila! SLOW DOWN! LEILA." He was chasing after me but I ignored him. I knew these streets better than him, I could easily lose him in the large crowds that surrounded us. I was soon on the dirt track which led back to the castle. I did not get far since he was on horseback and foot.
"I told you to stop," Leonardo complained.
I could not help but narrow my eyes. "That must be surprising, no?" I said sarcastically. "The prince is not getting what he wants," I mocked him.
Nobody was around to see and I could tell that if we were not alone, the circumstances would be very different. He jumped off his horse in one swift movement, blocking my path. "I don't always get what I want." He shook his head and for a second I believed him. I walked around him.
"Pfff!" I threw my hands up in the air. Did he hear himself? "No, you only have stables, castles, riches and what was that other thing? Oh yes. A kingdom," I muttered mockingly. "So, yeah you're right, you have it tough." He is spoiled rotten, like all the nobles, he did not even know what he had.
"You're jealous?" he asked inquisitively.
"I don't envy you, my prince," I scorned. "I pity you."
"Pity me?" He stared at me with his mouth open. He repeated the words with such a stunned expression, he even made me reconsider.
"Yes," I confirmed. "To have everything must be incredibly boring."
He shook his head again. "I don't have anything."
"Really? Then tell me, what are you missing?" I shouted heatedly and waited for him to get frustrated or shout back. He did not, he remained completely calm. He was so infuriating.
"Lots." He sighed.
"Nothing," I corrected before striding away from him. What was his problem, he saw that I did not want his company, so why did he persist to pester me? I had shouted at him, insulted him, and mocked him. What else did I need to do to get him to leave me alone?
"My mother." He sighed. I stopped in my tracks as I processed his words. I felt a slight twist in my chest as I realised how horrible I was being. I forgot that Leonardo's mother was killed in the Great War against the Dark One. He would have been young back then and that could not have been easy growing up without a mother. His father did not look particularly friendly, caring or family-oriented.
Guilt consumes me. I felt a part of myself that I had hidden for a very long time, begin to swell to the surface, all at once. "I am sorry," I apologised.
He strode towards me, almost ignoring my apology. There was a look of clear determination in his eyes. "What happened to you? How did you get involved with someone like that?" he asked. He was talking about Michael. Why did he care?
"It is far too long of a story." I shrugged. Didn't he understand that I did not want to talk about it?
"You will be surprised by how good of a listener I am," he insisted. He was far too confident and sure of himself. We started walking on the dirt path around the majestic woodland, side by side and his stunning horse followed us slowly. The dirt and twigs crunched beneath its hooves.
"My parents died." I forced my mouth to form the words but I didn't want to hear my voice say it aloud. I remembered the men burning our village to the ground and the fire coming after us. I remember escaping through a broken part of the barn. I remember everything. The memory still haunted my dreams every night. He looked apologetic but he did not say anything. I was thankful.
"I lived on the streets for a while, nobody wanted to take in an orphan with nothing to offer." I did not tell him about getting chased by bandits, beasts of the
night or almost freezing to death. He already knew far too much and I did not want his pity. That was where I drew the line. "That's when I met Michael. He offered me a dry place to sleep and food. He offered me life. I was desperate."
"So you became his slave?" He did not judge, he only asked. I blew out a heavy breath as the collection of memories came flooding back.
"You would be surprised how good a piece of stale bread looks when you're starving." I nodded. I had been Michaels slave for what had been the longest two years of my life.
"What was that like?" he questioned.
I gulped. Did we have to go into this? Did we have to go this deep? "I was his errand doer or fetcher. He made me send messages, collect objects and enquire people for him."
The Golden Year and the Sorceress Page 4