A KISS OF RAGE AND FIRE

TWENTY-FOUR

KATHARINE ARATHORNE

West of Baylorcliffe

Some Tavern

She knew it's still early. About four in the morning and she knew it's not yet time for her to wake up. Ngunit nagising siya nang bahagya siyang tapikin ni Killian. Muntikan niya rin itong masipa dahil sa gulat.

The room was dark and their only source of light was the lights outside the tavern. Their room was dim and she could see the silhouette of Killian kaya naman labis nalang ang kaba niya kanina.

But the man gestured her to keep quiet and she did. Hindi niya alam kung anong nangyayari but the moment she saw his face, his eyes were alert. As if there's something going on. Or about to happen.

"What's the matter?" she whispered but Killian did not respond. Inalalayan siya nitong tumayo and they hid behind the curtains. She's starting to get nervous. Hindi niya alam anong nangyayari but based on Killian's reaction, it can't be good.

And she hated being kept in the dark. Walang alam sa mga nangyayari. Kaya naman tinawag niya ang lalake ngunit agad naman nitong tinakpan ang bibig niya. It was then that she heard a soft thud. The kind that sounded like something fell down the wooden floor or rather someone landed as quietly as they can on the wooden floor. Hindi niya matukoy. But whatever it is, they'd have to be warry.

And then she heard another sound. This time, she's certain it is indeed a person dahil naririnig niya ang mga yabag ng paa nito sa sahig. And listening to it carefully, she knew it's on their balcony.

She couldn't feel Killian's power. He couldn't risk it. What if these are Royal Guards under the order of Alastair? Paano kung nahanap na nga sila ng mga ito? 

And then whoever it was outside, unlocked the balcony door expertly. Killian slowly removed his hand from her mouth and before she could even inhale, Killian was gone beside her and in an instant, he's already holding the intruder on his neck.

Madilim pa rin ang paligid ngunit kitang-kita niya ang mukha ng lapastangan. A man. May hawak itong kutsilyo sa kamay and Killian's choking him and the man's feet were several inches off the ground.

"Killian," she called. Killian looked at her over his shoulder saka ibinaba ang lalake. But his hand remained on the intruder's neck.

"Who sent you here?" Killian's voice was low and threatening. The intruder stuttered. Clearly not expecting Killian to be that intimidating. Sa nakikita niya ay isa lamang itong simpleng kawatan.  But for some reason, Killian doesn't think the same.

"I said," Killian seems to have tightened his grip on the man's neck dahil napadaing ito, "who sent you here?"

The man tried opening his mouth but no words came out. He dropped the knife and pointed his finger downward.

"T...The boss," he rasped.

"The tavern owner?"

Tumango naman ang lalake.

"Why?"

This time, the intruder shook his head. But Killian doesn't buy it at mas hinigpitan pa ang hawak niya sa leeg ng lalake.

"I...I s...swear. I don't know. She told other people too just like me to sneak on you. But I don't know why. She just paid us—"

"Murdu," he called and Murdu immediately rose from the shadows. The man's face was laced with true horror as he beheld the slanted red eyes of Murdu that seems to be the only that glowed in the dark.

His mouth gaped but no words came out of his mouth as he looked at Killian's strongest Shadow Demon.

"Yes, my lord," Murdu answered in his raspy voice.

"Guard the Princess," Killian said and then let go of the man. "And if this bloke tries something funny, you can eat him."

Napangisi naman si Murdu and she couldn't help but think na mapang-asar din ito gaya ng amo niya. At akmang lalabas na si Killian nang hawakan niya ang damit nito. Killian looked at her.

"Take me with you," she said. Killian looked like he was about to protest but then he looked at Murdu and then at her. Agad naman niyang nakuha ang naiisip nito.

"No. No, it's not like that. I'm not scares of him. Not anymore. I just...I just don't want to be in the dark anymore. I have to know something. Kaya isama mo ako."

Killian was silent for a short moment before he said, "Fine." And before she could even thank him, hinapit siya nito sa bewang and then they were gone. It was just like she blinked and then they're at a different place.

Nasa isang kwarto sila. It was huge. Huge enough for the fat woman sitting on the bed, her back was with us. Killian didn't bother to conceal his presence and marched toward the woman. The woman heard them kaya naman humarap ito sa kanila. Ngunit bago pa man ito makapagsalita, Killian's hands were instantly on the woman's neck.

"Who paid you?" diretsahang tanong ni Killian. But the woman refused to answer. It was then that tendrils of his power came out of his body, showing the woman he isn't kidding the moment his hands wrapped around her neck.

Dali-daling kinapa ng babae ang bulsa nito at saka may kinuhang papel at saka iyon binigay kay Killian. The latter took it at saka binigay sa kanya. Agad naman niya itong kinuha at binuksan. At pakiramdam niya ay nabuhusan siya ng yelo sa nakita.

It was a WANTED poster. And what's worse is that it was Killian's face on it. At malaki-laki rin ang patong nito sa ulo.

"Kill," tawag niya rito saka ibinigay ang papel. Binitiwan nito ang babae saka tiningnang ang nakasulat sa poster.

"Saan mo ito nakuha?" He looked at the woman.

The man was massaging her neck kung saan siya sinakal ni Killian kanina. "A customer earlier stopped by. I don't know where he's from but he was ordering drinks. And he left it. I think it fell from his pocket when he got some money to pay for his drinks. At nang tingnan ko ang nakatatak, nakilala agad kita. You can't blame me. The price on your head is generous--"

Ngunit hindi nito naituloy ang nais na sabihin nang tingnan ito ni Killian. "Who else knows about this?" tanong nito sa babae. And the sheer tone of his voice could make anyone shiver. It was low, dark, and threatening.

"My workers--" 

"How many? And where are they?" 

"Anong gagawin mo sa kanila--" 

Hindi natuloy ng babae ang nais sabihin nang sakalin na naman siya ni Killian. "I said where are they?" 

"I-in the vacant rooms next to yours." 

"Sino pa ang nakakaalam?" tanong ni Killian but the woman just shook her head. 

"I didn't tell anyone. Not even the workers. I was just trying to have the prize for myself." The woman looked at Killian with so much fear in her eyes that she couldn't blame her.

The one in the poster was Killian. Alastair is searching for him but not her because all they know is that she was dead. But they can't capture Killian. 

And then the Shadows started to move. Napansin iyon ng babae and true fear was plastered on her face as she saw something starting to emerge in the shadows until it started to form figures and then came out Thorin, so tall and mighty. And scary. 

The woman was unable to utter a single word. Then Killian looked at her. "Remember his face," he said, gesturing in Thorin's direction. "If we hear about you telling about us being here, he'll come after your life. Nobody would know what happened to you. Not a single one. Because there will none left of you." 

Nanginginig naman ang babae habang nakatingin kay Thorin. She couldn't blame her. The Shadow Demon made her froze on her feet before. They're intimidating as they should be.

"Am I understood?" Killian said.

Tumango tango naman ang babae bago lumapit sa kanya si Killian and they winnowed back to the room kung saan nila naabutan si Murdu na tinatapunan ng mga nilukot na papel ang kawawang lalake. As Killian's strongest Shadow Demon, Murdu's personality is somewhat out of place. And somehow, she finds it adorable. 

"Murdu, Thorin, check the rooms and do what I did to the lady earlier," utos ni Killian.

Napakunot naman ang noo niya habang nakatingin rito. Ngunit hindi na niya ito natanong dahil bigla nalang nawala ang tatlo. The next thing she could hear was a brief moment of screams of terror from the next rooms but it was shortlived dahil maya-maya pa ay nakarinig siya ng kalabog. Nagkatinginan naman sila ng lalake but her face was covered with the hood from the cloak which Killian put on her. 

Maya-maya pa ay pumasok sina Killian, Murdu, at Thori sa kwarto and she could have sworn the faces of the two Shadow Demons were filled with satisfaction. Nagtatakang napatingin siya kay Killian but the latter just held up a finger at walang sabi-sabing hinawakan sa kwelyo ang lalake. "You will forget about this night that you saw me or talked to me," saad nito saka ito binitawan. Bigla na rin naglaho sina Thorin at Murdu and the the moment it was just them, Killian grabbed her arm and without any words, he winnowed away from the tavern and to the town center, near the road that leads out of the town of Baylorcliffe. 

"Anong ginawa mo sa kanila? They saw your face. They saw you have a woman as your companion. How sure are you they're not going to tell?" 

Killian ran his hands through his hair before he said, "Well, my shadow demons, particularly Murdu and Thorin could control human minds. They could control them to do their bidding. A special ability they gained when they swore their loyalty." 

And he said it as if it was explanation enough but she didn't ask further. Nagpalinga-linga nalang siya sa paligid and she could see some people already starting their day. Some were opening their shops. Some were already cleaning the streets. A normal day. As if nothing happened on the tavern a few blocks away.

Napatingin siya kay Killian.

"So how long does it take for us to go to Viles?" tanong niya rito.

"Winnowing there would be too risky. So we'd have to go there on foot again. Probably a day and a half," sagot naman ng lalake sa kanya saka isinuot ang hood ng cloak nito.

It's quite a distance and she's still not used to traveling. But then it's not as if she have much choice. She's on the run. She should not be found dahil ang alam ng karamihan, patay na siya. And Killian and the rest of the seven Kingsguard are criminals.

Ngunit bigla naman siyang napaisip.

"If Alastair sits on the throne, are you all required to be his Kingsguard?" tanong niya  sa lalake nang magsimula ba itong maglakad.

Killian didn't as so much as look at her as he said, "You are the rightful Queen. Alastair is nothing but a criminal. And you have portions of the Seven Kingsguard's power in you."

Rightful Queen. Hindi niya mapigilang matawa sa isip niya. Could she really be called the rightful Queen? She was pampered. She was someone one could be called spoiled. Nakukuha niya ang gusto niya. Nagagawa niya ang gusto niya. Perhaps it was her fault that her father died. If her father only saw she's capable on her own and that she doesn't a King to rule the Kingdom,  hindi sana ito pumayag na magpakasal siya.

But she was spoiled. She didn't study very well the Kingdom's rules and customs.

Sa lalim ng iniisip niya, hindi na niya namalayan na napahinto na sa paglalakad ang lalake dahilan para mapahinto rin siya.

"What are you thinking?" tanong ng lalake. Napatingin naman siya sa likuran  niya. And when she realized Killian wasn't talking to himself, she answered, "Nothing."

But then he looked at her and held her gaze for a few minutes before he tore his gaze away and looked at the surroundings.

And she instantly knew he didnt believe her. And she was thankful she didn't ask more.

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