Elora felt sick on seeing the blood on the stick. In the dimness of the early morning it looked black as it dripped off the end of the point. Axel was breathing heavily as Cade squared up to him. Freya was knelt next to the gorgon who was on the ground screaming. She had her hands plastered to her face, blood leaking out past them.
Rowan was shaking his head and backing away from Axel.
Elora shook herself and went to her brother, putting a hand on his shoulder. He was trembling with rage.
"How dare you!" Cade spat into Axel's face and he would have gotten closer to the bandit king if Elora hadn't been holding him to where he was.
Axel held the stick out like it was a knife, pointing it at Cade's chest. "Take it easy," he warned.
Cade clenched his hands into fists. "You took her eyes."
"We are safe now," Axel said, glancing briefly at Elora. He flexed his fingers around his makeshift weapon and Elora felt suddenly cold that he had a weapon at all.
"Cade, go and see her, I will deal with him."
Cade stared at her open mouthed. "I can't leave you alone with him. Who knows what he will do."
"She doesn't turn people to stone so I have no reason to attack her." Axel motioned towards Elora for emphasis.
"You have gone too far. Not even you can be this stupid. You have to know we will kill..."
Before Cade could continue and make a threat that would push Axel to act Elora shook him and pointed at the gorgon. "Go and help her."
Cade tipped onto his toes for a moment, considering flinging himself at Axel anyway. Elora held her breath until he sidestepped them both and went to the gorgon who was mewling softly.
Elora met Axel's eyes. He was still armed and she was very aware that if they came to blows she wouldn't be much of a challenge for him. Beside her Azura growled and Ares snarled in return. Axel wasn't moving a muscle, everything was tensed and ready to strike at any moment. Elora took a tentative step towards him, never breaking eye contact.
"It was too dangerous to allow it to keep its eyes," Axel said, "I had to do it. Now it is safe to be around."
Elora was a little thrown that he was trying to explain himself to her. Why did he care? Surely he didn't think she was a threat?
"I know why you did it." She kept her voice level and reassuring. Her heart was pounding as she took another few steps closer to him. "But she is blind now."
"She is still alive."
She felt cold to her core at his detached tone. She had been around a lot of people who had this kind of brutal attitude to death and injury but none as young as the bandit king. He had to be only a few years older than her.
Soon she was close enough to feel the heat from his body. She could pick out the scars on his face and followed them with her eyes. The scent of ashes and pine engulfed her. Her skin tingled the closer she got to him. She pushed the sensation to the back of her mind. She needed to keep him calm long enough to disarm him or someone might get hurt.
She was broken out of her thoughts as she got closer and heard him release a long shuddering breath. His stare didn't waver but she noticed that his shoulders slumped a little.
"Give me the stick," she uttered.
He lifted it high enough to line it up with her chest. "You are confident, getting this close to me to ask."
She took a steadying breath. "I don't think you will hurt me."
He smirked. "What makes you think that?"
"You have had the chance for at least five minutes now and you haven't moved."
His smirk widened and he lowered his hand with the weapon in it. She didn't keep her eyes on the sharpened stick though she probably should have. She looked into his dark hazel eyes. She searched for some hint of remorse for his actions but she found nothing.
She jumped when he touched her hand. Glancing between them she let him uncurl her fingers and put the stick in her hand. He closed her hand around it and without saying a word stepped back.
"Thank you," she said.
He shrugged and didn't get a chance to speak before Freya came striding over and drew her sword. She pointed it at his neck and scanned him head to toe twice. Elora knew what she was looking for.
"He gave it to me." She lifted her hand and showed those assembled.
Freya's eyes became slits and she studied him. "That doesn't matter. He still attacked her. We can't trust him."
Elora couldn't argue with her logic but strangely she found she did trust him. She didn't think he would attack the others unless provoked and he had had the chance to hurt her over and over. Her stomach dropped when Rowan came up beside Freya and agreed with her.
"He is insane," Rowan croaked.
Elora desperately looked at Axel, willing him to come up with some way to defend himself. He was just standing there. He had picked up Ares and was scratching his ear.
Cade was still with the gorgon. He was muttering about things being okay.
"I will cut him open him from his nose to his bellybutton," the gorgon said past her tears.
"You are very welcome to try that." Axel winked at Elora.
She rolled her eyes. She needed to think fast or they would kill him. While she wouldn't ever trust him with the gorgon again she didn't think he needed to die. Besides, she needed him around in case everything went sideways with this dragon thing. He had said he could get her and Cade a job in a royal palace. No more preforming for gross men or running away from thieves. They would have a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. It was all she had ever wanted for the both of them.
While she had been thinking Freya and Cade had started shouting at Axel. He wasn't saying anything in response and Elora was pretty sure that soon there could be a hanging.
"I see that the bandit has proven he is not trustworthy again. Like father like son."
They stopped talking at the arrival of the fey. Her skin glowed in the dimness and she was smiling at them. Elora felt uneasy whenever she looked at her.
"We don't want to make a deal so get lost," Axel ground out. Elora glanced at him. His eyes were hard and his jaw was tense. She wondered if his father had been the one to leave him behind like the fey mentioned before. She suddenly wanted to comfort him but shook it off. She could ask him about his childhood later.
The fey giggled and did a spin, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. "Chaos is like swimming in a stormy sea, don't you think?"
Freya sheathed her sword but kept her hand on it. "What do you want?"
The fey came to a stop and licked her lips. "Chaos is like free falling forever. Chaos follows Axel."
Everyone's eyes were on him in seconds. He didn't waver under the scrutiny, shaking his head and chuckling. "When you are king of a gang of criminals that tends to come with the job."
Cade glared at him. "That won't be a problem anymore once we kill you."
Elora flinched. She had no idea that her brother cared so much about the gorgon.
"There is no need for murder in our meadows." The fey sauntered towards Axel but when she lifted her hand to touch his face he recoiled as if burnt.
A flutter of hope went through Elora. "You know how to help? What should we do? Can you heal her eyes?"
"El, why do you care? Lets just be done with him?" Cade narrowed his eyes at her. She would have to explain later. She would tell him about the job offer. While he wouldn't take it seriously he would understand the importance of having a back up plan. He had to.
Freya shuffled closer to the fey. Rowan followed in close step behind her.
"We don't have anything else to offer for your help," Freya said.
"I cannot heal the gorgon, we cannot grow back organs unless one of you is willing to give us a child." The fey watched Axel, tilting her head.
Elora was beginning to dislike the direction that this help was taking.
"Touch me and I will take your hand off." Axel bared his teeth at the fey and she laughed. The sound was like bells from far away.
"We don't have time for this," Rowan whispered to Freya. The princess was keeping an eye on the fey. She pulled her lips between her teeth.
Elora didn't envy her choice and felt sick when she removed her hand from her sword and asked the fey what she wanted with Axel.
"Leave him here with us. We could always do with new friends."
Axel took a big step back and surveyed the area around him. His body tensed and Elora knew he was preparing to run.
"Leave him here? Just like that?" Cade threw up his hands. "That's perfect then."
"We can't just leave him here," Elora said. She couldn't believe that her brother was actually going to leave someone with these things. Just looking at them made your skin want to jump off and run away.
Cade groaned and stormed over to her. "El what is your deal with this guy? He is a monster who attacked a sleeping woman."
His eyes were creased with concern and he was searching her face intently.
She swallowed hard. "Cade he is still a person. Not a perfect one but he is a person. We can't sell him. If we do that then we are no better than he is."
She could feel eyes on her but she wouldn't look away from her brother. She knew he was a good person and he wouldn't do this once she explained it.
Cade ground his teeth and paced. Running his hand through his hair he sighed. "Fine, but he can't be trusted so if we aren't leaving him here then what are we doing with him?"
The fey hung her head and puffed out her bottom lip. "Its not so bad here with us." her voice took on a kind of echo quality and around them flowers started to sprout out of the ground. They were rainbow colors and sparkled in the darkness.
Elora was transfixed with them. They swayed in the breeze that was emitting a kind of low song. She felt suddenly sleepy and her eyes fluttered shut. She forgot about everyone around her, hearing voices as if from far away. She opened her eyes to see where the others were and found that Cade was sitting on the grass with his head in his hands. She thought she should be concerned but the thought left as soon as it came. She noticed that there was another man, a scrawny one, staring into the sky and singing. A girl was shaking him, saying something. But Elora did not care enough to figure out what it was. At her feet, Azura was rolling on her back and yowling. It struck her as hilarious and she started to laugh. It bubbled up her throat and made her face hurt as she smiled widely. She started to sway and throw her hands up in the air. She couldn't think what she had been so annoyed about a few minutes ago. None of it mattered now.
"Hey." she heard the word like it was being spoken under water. She blinked and more flowers were at her feet. She stooped to touch them. They moved like silk and she wanted to know if they were made of it. Flowers made of silk would be lovely. As she leaned forward she felt like she was flying. She tipped on her toes and headed for the ground. It was soft, like a blanket anyway so there was no reason she wouldn't want to be down there. She stretched out her arms and spread her fingers. She was falling for ages before she hit something. Only it wasn't the ground. Something was wrapped around her waist from behind and was pulling her to standing. She gigged at the warm sensations that spread along her hips and sides from the touch. There was a familiar warm scent somewhere near by. It was behind her. She spun on her toes, nearly falling, held up only by that thing around her waist.
Once she had turned around she was face to face with the smell and something warm and solid. She shoved her face against it. There was a heartbeat, it must be a person. She inhaled and her toes curled. God she loved that earthy smell.
"Hey!" she was startled by the shouting and tipped her head back to source the sound. It was Axel. He was looking down at her. His jaw was clenched and she reached up and cupped the side of his face, gently doing her best to caress the tension away. He shut his eyes momentarily before shuddering and rolling his shoulders.
"You are under a fey spell. If you don't wake up and leave here they will keep you forever."
She liked the deep booming of his voice and rested her head against his chest to listen. The strong thudding of his heart was so relaxing that she almost fell asleep standing against him.
"Come on! Don't drift off on me," he said.
She wanted to drift off with him. "Lie down on the ground with me. Lets forget about everything. None of it is important anymore. I am always so stressed but I don't feel it now. I just want to cuddle up with you and forget the world."
"You will forget everything if you don't snap out of it. None of what you are feeling is real."
He shook her and she giggled. She liked it when he put his hands on her. She reached around and took his hand from where it rested on her shoulder. Holding it in front of her face she examined the rough skin. He had lovely man's hands, strong and firm. She pressed his palm to her face and heard him let out a long breath. She pushed herself against him until his scent was everywhere. His heart was speeding up and she could feel it throughout her body.
"God help me," he uttered, "Let this work."
She wasn't sure what he meant but he shook his hand loose of her and brought his palms to either side of her face. She was gazing into his endless eyes when he pressed his lips together and leaned in.
She shut her eyes, happy to be engulfed in his smell and the feel of his hands on her. When his lips met hers it was an electric shock through her skeleton. She was tingling and wide awake. Everything was in sharp focus and she gasped. His lips were soft and inviting though the kiss was urgent. She couldn't remember how she had gotten here but her heart was behaving as if she had run miles.
She leaned into the kiss before she knew what she was doing. It was easy and made the hairs all over her body stand on end. His hands were on her face and she realized that she had taken hold of his waist.
The kiss couldn't have lasted even a minute but it left her weak in the knees. He stepped back. His face was flushed and his eyes searched her face desperately.
Axel had kissed her. Her mind raced to catch up. He was a bandit and the enemy to everyone here, she couldn't be seen kissing him.
"Well that woke you up," he said, touching his lower lip with his thumb.
She did the only thing she could think of. She slapped him across the face.
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