Page 52 of Fallen Thorns
“Lovely.” Marianne clasped her hands. “I knew we could come to an arrangement.”
“A group who call themselves The Torches started making the rounds a few months ago,” Jade said as she started to pace; still acting in power. “They were young, newly formed, and misled. We managed to stop them multiple times, but then things got out of hand.”
“They go after people who wronged them in life,” the man started.
“Petty revenge,” Jade added.
“We have nothing to do with the deaths though, so you’re wasting your time there.” He squared up to Marianne again.
“I even tried to intervene. That night, when you caught us stalking what you presumed was prey, you got it all wrong. We were stalking The Torches. You missed the mark completely.” Jade smirked.
Anxiety began to creep in again.We nearly caught the culprits, then we let them get away?I thought.They’re all still out there. Still lurking.I bit my tongue.
Marianne stayed calm. “But you could lead us to them?”
Both of them nodded in unison. “Right this very second,” Jade added, her pitch heightening with ego.
I didn’t buy it. Something felt off. Mars’ body language indicated the same, but there was no way they could outsmart Marianne. Neither of us said anything as our leader slipped over to the lock and began to open the gate. The two took a slight step back to let the gate swing open.We’re doing this now then. Finding the ones responsible for everything. Finding Lucy.
But instead of letting them out, Marianne stepped into the cage, closing it behind herself in silence. Mars ran over in a panic of realisation, but it was too late. I didn’t move, frozen in place while Mars shared woeful eye contact with their leader and desperately rattled the door. Marianne didn’t face them. I was rooted to the spot, watching the next scene play out as if it were a dream, where even running wouldn’t take me from where I stood.
Marianne, who was significantly smaller than the two captives, strode over to them with solemn grace. Both of them looked between each other in silent conversation. I saw a flash of silver born out of Marianne’s swift wrist movement, then watched as in the space of a second, she slashed out, causing the man to fall to his knees, the dimness of light hiding the violent act. Jade had no time to react, as in a stroke, Marianne danced so delicately around the fallen body and slashed a gaping hole across Jade’s neck. The wet crunch sound of snapping bone and cartilage echoed through the room as the light left her eyes almost instantly. Jade grabbed at the easily fatal wound while Mars rammed themself into the bars in terror. My eyes were fixed only on the death dance that unfolded in front of me. It was like a work of art, if the devil could paint.
Marianne knew this routine inside out, stepping out of the way of monstrously grasping arms and leaping onto the back of the maimed creature, repeating motion with her knife before twisting herself off like a feather. The monster, three times her size, crumbled to the floor with a thud, head barely attached.
Mars continued to shake the gate until we both simultaneously realised there wasn’t a single drop of blood on Marianne. She wiped sweat from her brow, hair slightly displaced, and eyes a cold, bloody blue. Carelessly, she dropped her weapon into the heap of corpses below her, then stepped over their bodies with fire in her eyes. She waited for Mars to move away so she could exit, and I realised at this point that I had somehow made my way closer to the cage, perhaps having stumbled over in a trance. Marianne unlocked the door between us and let herself out, without muttering a word nor taking a glance at either of us.
“What—” I managed before Mars overpowered my voice.
“What was that for?” they screamed, arms outstretched and brow scrunched so tightly.
Their tone had no effect on Marianne, who carved her path between us and headed towards the stairs. We turned to face her in unison, exasperated and afraid.
“They were lying,” she finally said so confidently with her back to us. “None of it was true. No such thing as ‘The Torches’, they know our name and attempted to mock us. They killed the first victim. ”
“Then…” Mars started, seemingly breathless.
“They were under a much stronger mind control than I thought. Something so strong that I’ve not seen in a very long time. Something ancient, and I’m not talking about this creature following Arlo, no. I know this. I’ve seen it and it looks like I’m outmatched here. This is a lot worse than I expected. I’m starting the training tonight. Gather the others, Mars. We’re preparing for war.”
“Wait! Please.”I chased them up the stairs, Mars having inevitably stormed after Marianne, demanding more information.
I was still replaying the scenes in my head, shocked at how this petite, charming woman was capable of such cruelty and violence, but then I recalled the story Mars told me earlier that day about the massacre. Her wrath.
“Wait!” I shouted again, but they’d both already made it through the door and back up into the central compound. I paused to take a breath, glancing back behind me into the pitch blackness, where I knew two bodies now lay strewn across the bloodied floor.This is my life now.
I was sick of people babying me, acting like I couldn’t use my own brain and had to be force fed information in small, sugar-coated amounts. There was something after me, and yet everyone was acting as though it was something mundane like a trial fire alarm. Innocent humans were being murdered in the streets and we were no closer to finding the rest of the culprits, and I was being thrown into the deep end of this whole historical mess, with a ring to keep me afloat but no legs to swim with. Not only was I distressed by what I’d just witnessed, I was infuriated and confused.
I finally caught up to Mars who was shouting at Marianne, words marked with elaborate hand gestures. I caught the tail end of it, or more, I provoked it.
“…and now we’ve got to protecthimfrom something clearly far worse!” They jabbed a hand in my direction, accompanied by a scowl of anger.
I stopped dead, arms dropping loose by my sides. I’d never heard Mars that angry before. And this was…my fault?
“Now, now, Mars. You’re frustrated and upset and I understand that. I didn’t tell you about Jade to protect you. You would have done the same.” Marianne’s tone was casual and relaxed like always, as if the last twenty minutes had never happened.
“This isnotabout Jade!” Mars snapped.
We’d reached a main corridor now where a few people milled about and turned to face the commotion. Upon realising it was their leader, they turned back to what they were doing, acting as though they hadn’t heard a peep.
