Chapter 19
1127 Words
As I jabbed at the woodland sprite, he expertly moved out of the way. He had been well trained, and it was obvious he had been in battle before. I threw the jagged rock to the ground, it was pointless. Had I a gun I would have killed him long ago, perhaps. He looked at me with a mixture of satisfaction and vengeance.
"You think a gun would help you?" He laughed, "You had to send a team just to kill one of my kind darling. I am too cunning for you!"
"What do they call you trickster?" I finally asked.
"Sgail." He said loudly giving life to his gaelic accent.
"Shadow." I translated, I knew the language well. I picked my brain for a few seconds trying to remember if I had heard of him.
"Don't bother, I was forgotten by the gods and humans long ago." He leaned next to a tree, resting and healing his wounds.
"Shadow what?" I pressed on.
"Mad Shadow is what I am called but to my kin I am Jessel." He wiped the blood from his face again but it kept flowing out. He finally stood straight, holding his side which was also bleeding. He walked towards the clearing then collapsed on the ground, his eyes wide open looking straight at the sun.
"I can't seem to remember the last time I looked at the sun. All I have known the last centuries are the shadows given to me by the gods and the crows. They loved me once you know, we were the fairy children of the forest. We kept everyone at bay with our tricks, but they grew tired of us soon enough. Throwing us away like trash." His words slurred as he spoke. The mead had finally entered his blood stream, making him sluggish.
He rolled over on the ground and groaned as he touched his side. He chuckled weakly, ignoring my presence. It was as if he was broken, he was welcoming death perhaps. I stood straight and with a deep breath I sought my immortal powers along with that of my wolf.
I snarled as I walked towards his slumped body. I freed my canines as I met his eyes, he had a smile on. "I have grown so tired over these centuries." He said sluggishly. He turned his head and narrowed his eyes, "You look like the goddess of death. If you were the last face my brother saw before his death, he was a lucky." He laughed again. He was lost in his own misery and grief.
"I know you are stronger than me, Crow. You were toying with me, I am well aware of it." He lazily tried to sit up but instead just sat halfway up, propping himself on his elbows. "Now what? Are you going to kill me as well?" He taunted, knowing I could kill him right there and then.
I loomed over him, towering above him like a predator ready to pounce on its prey. I knelt down until I crouched on top of him, straddling him with my legs. His eyes were full of curiosity as his gaze fell upon me. I reached out and grabbed his neck squeezing hard, his face turned red as the pressure increased. He did not fight back he just laid there, at my mercy.
As I looked at him dyeing a small troubling feeling built up inside of me. I released my grip, and he began to cough in between laughter and taking deep breaths. I looked down at my hand stunned by what had just transpired. His desire for death had made me hold back, I would be releasing him from all his grief if I killed him. I was not a merciful creature, he would suffer.
Hands gripped me and tightened around my waist. Jessel sat up straight, cradling me on his lap. He was bemused by the hesitation, a crooked smile spread across his face. He snapped his fingers and produced another gold coin. He flawlessly ran the coin through his fingers. When he snapped his fingers again the coin disappeared. I had never seen such tricks but I thought it to be a neat trick.
"Childish games." I retorted, feigning disinterest. "Aye" He responded, then without warning he bent forward and kissed me on my lips. A surge of warm light burst through my body and a feint smell of honey mixed with earth engulfed me. As he pressed his face harder, I tasted the mead he had been drinking. It was sweet with a wild and erotic taste that could not be described other than that.
He moved his body until he was on top of me somehow. I stared at him as the warm light I felt inside burst out of me and engulfed us both in a soft glow. He broke away from me then, a smile spread through his freckled face. A gleam of malice appeared in his eyes as he looked at me. He pulled at the jacket covering my body until I was exposed once again.
My head felt fuzzy and my limbs felt weak. It was as if I was in a trance, I looked around me searching for an answer. Jessel spoke to me, but I could not make out his words. I closed my eyes and focused on my body, trying to search for my strength.
A loud howl broke through my mind and my eyes flew open as I snapped back into reality. I kicked him off me and he flew across the clearing smashing into a tree and breaking it. I stumbled to my feet, trying to regain my composure. I heard him laugh from across the field then I heard another howl. I looked around to see where it was coming from but I saw nothing.
"What..." I struggled to compose my words, "did you do to me?"
"Tis the charm of the leprechaun. Irresistible, isn't it?" He responded. My eyes flashed with anger at his words, he had tricked me!
I growled ferociously as I stood up, my gaze fixed on the faerie. "Take your tricks out of my territory!" He c****d his head, then began to dust himself off.
"I thought immortals were not affected by magic?" He sneered. I straightened up and raised my head, trying to feign disinterest.
"I am looking for something, once I take it I will be off." His accent fluttering through once more.
"I will take you deep into the dungeons of my mansion and you will be tortured. Leave now!" I growled.
He chuckled, then slowly and gracefully he bowed, "As you wish!" he snapped his fingers and then he was gone just like that.
- Writer
