Chapter 27

A silhouette stood in the dark, beneath the trees. The moon rose, sending moonbeams through the leaves and for a moment the figure looked like a ghostly shadow. Until his silver locks gleaming at a ray of light.

Ava gasped when she recognized him. In the midst of the dark with moonlight illuminated his face, he looked like an angel of death.

The scarred man who held her grinned maliciously.

"Look who's joining the feast."

He made a quick scan of the duke's simple yet well-made clothing.

"Tis' fancy blueblood will make a great deal of fortune." He cocked his head.

"Finish him, Gully."

The gloomy villain stormed to him like a ravenous animal. Her eyes widened as she noticed the man looked like a hulking beast compared to the duke's tall and slender figure.

It happened too fast she could barely see anything. A sudden whistling, a flash of white light, then all she could see was a blade piercing through the giant's body to the very hilt, blood spurting heavily from the cut. She cried and turned her face away.

The scarred man threw her hastily and she crushed hard against the ground. She was so overtaken by shock and fear she barely felt physical pain. She heard the villain curse furiously.

Another whistling and a piteous cry screeching in the air. Ava crept to move away from the scene, her body was cold all over.

The villain was on his knees, clasping his hand to the right side of his head, blood dripping through his fingers. A distant away, a tiny something laid in the ground, splattered with blood.

Ava started to tremble when she realized it was an ear. The villain's ear. She turned to see the poor man crying, begging for mercy. She saw the duke coming over him, a sword coated with blood in his hand.

There was something about his composure that made it awfully terrifying. Ava knew instantly he wouldn't show any mercy. He was going to kill this man.

She struggled to get up and ran toward the duke, standing between the two men. The duke seemed surprised by her sudden move.

"Please don't kill this man! He has already surrendered!"

Suddenly a harsh groan came from behind and the next second she was already lunged by the villain. His arm outstretched tightly across her shoulders while another one held a dagger against her neck.

"Throw your sword away or I'll slit her throat." The man hissed between clenched teeth.

From the slight gleam in his eyes, the duke must be quite taken aback, but he remained still.

"Now!" The villain shouted, pushed the dagger a little more, it nicked her skin.

To her surprise, he flung his sword away at once. The metal fell a distant away, clanged against the ground.

All in a sudden, the villain threw her away at the duke. She crushed against his chest and reflexively clung to his arm, keeping herself from falling. He grasped her arm at once, at the very moment, the mad villain stormed to him, roaring as he struck the dagger at him.

Ava watched in horror as the duke lifted another hand to fend off the attack. He pushed her aside, she lost her balance and nearly fell. The next thing she knew was the dagger fell to the ground and the duke was clasping the villain's head, trapping it between his hands.

She cried loudly and turned from the sight, covering her face with her hands. The next second, she heard a short cracking sound, followed with a dull thud.

Her heart pounding wildly like it was going to jump out of her chest. She was witnessing a murder. A brutal murder. She was in the midst of it. She stood still, her shoulders hunched, her body was shaking from head to toe.

It was silent now, there was no sound but the rustling leaves on the trees. Slowly, she turned to see him, her trembling hands were still on her face.

"Don't turn back." He warned.

"You're not going to like it"

She startled and turned away again hastily, but this time she made the mistake of lowering her hand and opening her eyes. The dead body of the other man laid a distant away, bathed in soaking blood.

She had no idea how she could stay conscious and alert throughout the terror, but now that it was over, she felt like she was going to faint, her vision faded, her knees began to buckle.

Suddenly a strong grip seized her and she was hauled away leaving the hideous sight. Her consciousness returned gradually as they went farther. The first thing she perceived was a clean masculine scent. Though she smelled blood that spattered over his coat, she could still smell his natural scent. The next thing was his warmth that wrapped around her as he held her shoulders. After what had happened, surrounded by his scent and warmth was deliciously comforting. She tilted her head slowly to see his face. For one who had just killed two persons at once, he looked indifferent.

"I... I'm all right now." Her voice was quivering and her step was unsteady. He looked down at her with glacial eyes, somehow they made her heart beat faster.

He stopped and released her from his grip, the warmth of his embrace disappeared from her back and suddenly she felt disappointed.

"You almost have yourself killed, empty-headed fool! What were you thinking, trying to protect the villain? Have you lost your mind?!"

Her mouth gaped open, and closed, and opened and closed again before she was finally able to utter a word.

"I... I just... I think... you don't need to kill them..."

"Really?" He said sardonically.

"Those men nearly rape you, and they would very likely kill you afterwards. What makes you think they deserve mercy?"

She choked at the dreadful thought. She swallowed nervously,

"But... it is not right to just... put them to death..."

"Had I let them go after I've scared them, soon they would prey another maiden. Another woman crosses path with them might not be as fortunate as you are to have a rescuer. Giving mercy to them means you put someone else's life in danger."

She fell silent, couldn't deny the truth in his words. He glanced toward her and suddenly she couldn't bring herself to gaze back at him. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him discarding his coat.

"Cover yourself."

He handed the fine wool to her and at the very second she just realized that most of the front of her bodice had been shred, exposing a plentiful view of her shoulders and cleavage. Totally embarrassed, she covered herself with one hand and took his coat at the same time.

She gasped in horror at the sight of his wounded hand. There was a deep, long slash across his palm, a trickle of blood still dripping from the cut. She glanced at her arm where he had grasped her just a little time ago and saw the fabric stained with his blood. She recalled the moment before when one of the villain struck him with dagger, he had fended off the attack with his hand. And it was her fault, for he flung away his sword because the villain took her a hostage.

She put his coat around her shoulders quickly and took his hand to her inspection.

"Your hand! It must be really hurt!"

Guilt filled her as she recognized it was his right hand. The hand he used to paint. She fumbled into her pocket to draw a handkerchief.

"I've survived many worse than this." He withdrew his hand from her quickly, apparently her attention was not gladly received.

"We have to stop the bleeding and cover the wound soon, otherwise it would get infected." She snatched his hand without thinking and held it firmly yet gently in her hand, then she pressed the folded linen gently against the wound.

"Does it hurt terribly?" She glanced upward worrily and met his gaze. An odd, unexpected thought floated through her brain. If pain could be shared like some sensible objects, she would take half of his pain for herself. No, she would take more.

In that moment, unexpectedly the way she looked at him, the way she was taking care of him, brought back a far, distant memory he had buried long ago. It flashed in his mind vividly, a vision of his mother easing his pain as a little boy. This moment was a resemblance of the fading memory. He showed a little cut on his palm and her mother kneeled down before him, soothing the pain, then she glanced up at him, her eyes glowing with tenderness. No one had ever looked at him that way again. No one. Until now.

She was always a filthy, unworthy, deceiving wench to him. How the image of her could remind him of his beloved mother was absolutely insane. But in this strange moment that got him tangled up with her, all his senses was telling him that she was sincere, her concern for him was honest.

Impossible. The midnight-haired witch had charmed him with her enchantress eyes.