I did?
I thought my mouth tasted of copper.
Now I glance at his bloodied ear, and a desperate laugh escapes me. “Then you shouldn’t have taken my scroll!”
I wiggle the parchment in my fingers, and his eyes widen with shock. I’m surprised myself; I don’t know how I managed to sneak it from his grip.
A shadow crosses his eyes, and then he becomes a thing of nightmares, fangs bared as the darkness materialises around him, wrapping him up in its cruel tendrils. “What are you hiding?!”
“Nothing!”
Snarling, he tries to rip the scroll from my fingertips, but I hold it close to my chest, far from his prying claws. But then my heart stops when a ripping sound rends the air.
No…
One of his claws has torn right through the parchment, and I kick him away. “Get off me!”
When he doesn’t budge, I kick him in the groin.
I try to salvage what’s left of my scroll, but a breeze sweeps up the tunnel, blowing the fragments towards the flames. “No!”
I drop to my knees before the hearth, but it’s too late. The flames engulf my mother’s final words to me, and it’s hopeless. Truly.
Tegwyn gets to his feet, and I round on him quickly before he has a chance to escape. “Are you happy? It’s gone!”
His face is unreadable as his gaze lingers on the flames, and I have no idea what’s running through his mind. But I don’t care; I don’t care if he’s having an existential crisis or if the guilt is tearing him apart. I get off the ground, stumbling forward to grip his shirt. “Well,saysomething!”
His empty gaze finds mine, and I’m not sure what comes over me. Maybe the darkness has gouged its way inside of me, and now it’s festering inside my soul, turning me as evil as he is.
“You piece of shit!”
I punch his chest with each word, but when I aim for his face, his gloved hand shoots out, seizing me by the wrist, and his claws finally make their appearance. “Don’t. Do.That…”
I can’t help it anymore. The darkness spews from my lips, and that’s what he does: brings out thedarknessin me.
“I hate you. I fuckinghateyou!”
The faerie freezes instantly. His grip tightens on my wrist, and I flinch when his claws prick me, threatening to draw blood.
Before the scream leaves my throat, he pushes me away, and I almost land on my ass. When I look up again, he’s already gone.
Dropping to my knees at last, I cry out in despair. How did it come to this? One moment, we’re friends, and the next, we’re enemies…
I can’t stay.
I have to leave.
I wake at the crack of dawn and gather the few meagre possessions I have left in the world.
When I’m finished, I depart for the tunnel, taking one last look before I leave.
This cave was mine for a while. Despite the lonely nights I spent inside its cold, grey walls, there were still some good times.
For a moment, I thought I could actually grow to love him… But not anymore. This is for the best.
I tiptoe down the tunnel as the contents of my bag jostle dangerously, and I hope he doesn’t hear me somewhere. One peek inside the kitchen confirms it’s empty, and with a heavy heart, I take several jars of honeyed fruits and pickled vegetables from the cupboard, then meander down the tunnel again.
Now the next thing on my mind: my necklace.
