Page 46 of The House of Whispers

“Yeah! You threatenin’ us?!” The third man squeaked, looking back at the other two.

The third man pushed forward.

“It’s not a threat,” I whirled the blade as it caught the underneath of the man’s chin, stopping him in his tracks, “it’s a promise.” I smiled, watching fear consume him. The sharp tip of the blade poked into the underneath of his chin, puncturing his skin as a drop of his blood ran down the reflective blade. “Again, I suggest you three carry on somewhere else.” The man quivered as his friends watched, exchanging looks of fear and worry. I pulled the blade back as he exhaled.

“Fuckin’ hexer.” He spat at my feet, as if that would faze me.

I laughed, returning the blade to its sheath as I turned. I stopped, seeing Min standing in the doorway. “Min? Why haven’t you—”

“Casper, look out!” she screamed. Her warning was too late.

My head stung as something hard shattered across the back of my skull. I could hear glass sprinkling along the pavement as I stumbled. I reached my hand to the point of impact, wincing as I realized I was bleeding.

“Not so tough now, are ya?” The man taunted me, laughing to his friends.

I turned around, my hands and eyes glowing as their faces fell at the sight of my power. “Big mistake.” I warned through my teeth.

Casper was bleeding from her head as she swung a fistful of her dark magik into the man’s face. He screamed as his face was consumed by her violet flames. The shorter man body slammed her to the ground, wrestling her as the third tried to help the man screaming as the flame of her magik dissolved into the cold air.

“You’re going to regret that!” He growled. “Hold her down!” The two men pinned Casper to the ground. The burnt man snapped, pointing to her knife. “Give it to me!”

The third man pulled her blade from its sheath across her thigh and tossed it to the man standing. Casper groaned, trying to fight the two men off as her hands burned purple. She kicked, trying to move from beneath the men, her head bleeding onto the pavement.

I have to stop them.

The man toyed with her knife, cocky as he paced closer, pointing down at her with the tip of the blade. “I’m going to ruin your face like you did mine.”

Casper scoffed. “Your face was already ruined.” She smiled. Her words only angered the man more as the man punched her across the cheek. She laughed, blood staining her teeth.

Do something. Anything!Before I could think through my actions, I shot from the doorway and flew to Casper’s aid.

“You little—” before the man could finish his sentence, I slammed into him, knocking the air out of his lungs as he fell to the ground, dropping Casper’s knife. I plummeted into the pavement, rolling as I landed on my stomach, my wings twitching from the fall. My heaving breathing shot the dirt from the street into my face as the fog settled around me.

“Min!” Casper screamed. My eyes met hers as the impact of the fall made the world blur, fading into black.

Min had fainted. She remained unconscious on the pavement as the man she barreled into groaned, struggling to remain aware of everything. The anger and rage that I felt seeing her hurt only fueled my power. I screamed, my magik increasing to a burst, booming from my body as it launched the two men off of me. They flew onto the pavement, groaning as the shockwave of magik faded away.

My knees wobbled as I stood, slightly drained. The three men helped one another to their feet as they scrambled, the leader of the group quickly grabbing my knife. His eyes met my gaze as he glanced down at Min. “Ah,” he smiled, limping to her, “seems you have a soft spot for this Whisp.” He kneeled down, rolling Min’s limp body onto her back. He crouched behind her, lifting her head as he held the blade against her neck. “You hexers like fuckin’ the fairfolk as well?” He teased. The two men laughed beside him as I stumbled, dizzy from my head wound.

“Leave her be.” I warned faintly, my vision slightly blurred.

“Nah,” he pushed the blade into her skin, a bead of her blood forming, “don’t think I will.”

The men all laughed as he slowly began to move his blade. Min groaned, her consciousness fading back as absolute fear overcame her. She wriggled as the two men rushed to hold her still.

My arms rose as my hands arched, instantly igniting in magik. “I said,” I steadied myself, “release her.”

“You’re too weak to stop us.” The sound of that word shifted something inside.

My power grew, strengthening with a surge of something unknown from deep within. My eyes brightened in color as something overcame me. I tilted my head, my magik slowly raising my body from the ground as the wind grew and the clouds angered. I smiled, blood dripping from my mouth as the three helpless men watched me. Their eyes were wide with fear as their mouths gaped open in horror.

“W-what are you?” The man quivered, asking his question as he slowly removed the blade from Min, dropping her to the pavement as the three of them began to slowly back away from her. She fainted once more, thankfully, unaware of what was happening around her as I continued hovering toward the men.

My hand swirled as my dark magik soared through the night and fiercely took hold of the three men. They screamed in terror as my other hand moved, conducting my magik as it danced along their bodies taking hold of their skin. I slowly curled my fingers, my magik ripping their flesh as they screamed in agony, begging me to stop. The sound of their fear excited me. “I, dear mortals,” I snapped my fingers, my magik ripping the two men’s flesh from their bones. Their lives instantly faded away as their bloodied skeletons dropped to the ground. The leader, whose face was partially burned, remained firm within my power. I charged him, my face inches from his, “am death.” The color drained from his face as I removed my glove and sank my nails deep into his burnt face. He screamed, his cries piercing my ears as I took my time tearing the melted flesh fiercely from his skull. The man’s eyes stared into mine as his life began to slip away. “And I have come to play.”

As the man’s soul leaked from his bloodied carcass, I released my power over him. His bloodied body slumped onto the pavement, alongside the others. I remained hovering, looking down at the three corpses. As I breathed heavily, I slowly began to return to reality.

Oh no. What have I done?I began to panic.No one can find them here. What do I do?

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