I knelt by the cage. He looked at me like I was salvation. and I smiled. that's the trick——give them hope. let it ferment behind their eyes. makes the 𝙗𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙧.
❛ You hungry? ❜ I asked and he nodded, lips cracked, eyes —
ᅠ
❛ don't worry, 𝖑𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖇... I won't 𝐤𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝐲𝖆... maybe that a mercy, see——my kin bite for the kill. I enjoy when they... struggle and fight a little. you know what that means, don't you?
ᅠ
𝘿𝙄𝙉𝙉𝙀𝙍 𝘽𝙊𝙔𝙎 .ᐟ.ᐟ ❜
ᅠ
he didn't answer at first.
his footsteps were silent behind her——unnaturally so. the kind of silence that pressed against your ears and made your instincts crawl, whispering that something was wrong. he watched the sway of her shoulders, —
— long dried beneath floorboards.
finally, he spoke, his voice low and thick with something old and heavy.
❛ 𝖋𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖎𝖈... and this place 𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔 𝒐𝒇 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉. ❜
he almost says as if it was something precious as he stepped —
𝖋𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖎𝖈’𝖘 eyes narrowed, a low growl rumbling in his throat as he watched her retreat. the dim light from the tavern flickered against his sharp features, casting cruel shadows across his face.
he didn't hurry after her—slow, —
She left a few gold coins on the table, paying for both drinks, then turned and stepped out of the tavern, almost fleeing from him, needing fresh air, to feel it against her skin to calm her tension.