Did You Think I Wouldn't Know?

“Did you think I wouldn’t know the moment you walked in?”

“Don’t take me back.” Her breathing was ragged, and her hands trembled.

Afraid. He loosened his grip to talk to her which proved a mistake.

She twisted away from him and pushed through the crowd. Bumping into a mountain of a man. Her gaze trailed up the impossible height of a glowering redhead. Arms the size of tree trunks crossed over his chest in disapproval.

“Mardichi…” She nodded in greeting. Forcing her voice calmer than she felt.

“Elsabet.” He mimicked her hello. Unravelling his arms but she ducked his reach and veered to her left. Spotting a head towering above the rest. Yellow-blonde hair free around his face. Tunic worn and his face somewhat dirtied.

“Acharius.” She nodded toward him. Keeping some distance between he and she.

Well out of his reach. Sebastian was working his way around the Ballroom and out the front door.

Elsabet was so panicked she didn’t notice.

Acharius nodded in greeting and took a step toward her.

Rotating to flee, Elsabet met the harsh look of the Captain.

“Deragan!”

“Elsabet…You should cease this game. It’s unwise.”

“Not my game.” She gave him a huge eyed stare. Before jumping sideways and rotating along his back as he turned to watch her.

“Get her.” He said impassively.

“Who is she?” The woman next to him shot him a look. Clutching his arm.

She only made it a few more steps when Sebastian stepped into her path.

“Elsabet.” He tilted his head down in warning.

It took her a moment to realize it wasn’t Sebastian but his twin. “Alazareth. Please make them stop.”

“It’s not my affair.” He countered.

“Then let me leave!”

“I can’t do that.” He stepped to the left to cut her off as she moved to go around him.

Lucien Sabias materialized behind him. Like the others, he was a head taller than everyone in attendance.

The knights were easy to spot but somehow they’d still managed to close ranks around her.

“Elsabet, no one wants to hurt you.” Lucien pleaded. “Please don’t hurt anyone else.”

A tall slender man bumped into her shoulder and she looked to her right and up.

“Teverius.” She grimaced.

“Glad to see you too, Little Sister.”

“I’m not your sister.”

“You’re a sister to all of us.” Deragan countered from behind her. “As I told you before.”

“What are all of you doing?” She looked nervously around her. Seeing them closing in. “I’m not going back!”

She ducked and pushed through people and came upon some immaculately polished clothes and followed up the tall slender length. Recognizing every stitch in perfect placement.

“I’m surprised you’re wearing shoes.” She grumbled.

“Elsabet. It’s good to see you.” Rhyers commented. Giving her a warning look. “We’re surrounded by people. This is a celebration.”

“Of what?” She sneered.

“Don’t make it ugly.” Rhyers shook his head at her.

Seeing no other recourse. She screeched.

Making them all cover their pained ears.

Elves too.

Elsabet crouched. Brown wings lifting her cloak as they lifted around her. Exposing the tunic and breeches she wore.

She’d already had her wings out in fear of this. That’s why she wore the cloak. Sebastian recognized. Looking down at her from his higher vantage point.

She launched up. Flapping only a few times and throwing her arms up to shield her as she busted through the stained-glass window.

“Captain!” Alazar called but Deragan had already noticed.

The glass hovered in spinning shards. Everything slowing to painstaking moments.

As Elsabet came through the fragments, them nicking her as she surged upward.

Sebastian’s lightning grip caught her upper arm. Making her spin. He twirled with her. Letting her momentum expend before pulling her against hm. “Not so fast.”

“How!” She raged. Arms pinned to her side in his vise grip.

“I know you.” He grinned down at her. Uncaring that her eyes were blood red. No white nor pupil visible. “When cornered you’d go only one way.”

He stood on the walkway encircling the large window rising from a dome over the Ballroom.

The shards of glass were now slowly lowering and stitching back together like puzzle pieces.

The Captain’s doing.

Elsabet struggled against him. “You’ll not take me back.”

Her wings swung and lifted them both.

Bast laughed. “Taking me for a flight?”

“I’ll drop you.”

“Oh?” His blonde brows rose. “How’d that go the last time?”

She glowered.

Both of them unaware of the man’s shadow against the trees near the garden. Watching them so keenly.