Page 24 of Voices in the Stars
“Oh, you’re sorry?” I mocked. “Would you have been sorry after you burned the people here?”
Confusion tainted the fear in her eyes. She still nodded after hesitating. Liar. That was all she was. Even now, she couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t want her roaming free with these people. Fine. All she had done was make my choice easier.
I dropped to my knees, trapping her underneath me. She shook her head, eyes pleading with me. There was a slight shake in my hands as I raised the dagger, striking out at her.
I screamedas the dagger flashed toward me, eyes squeezing shut. Everything in me froze as I waited for the searing pain that never came. When I opened my eyes again, Atlas was leaned over me. His head was bent down; a curtain of his hair blocked his face from view. His chest was heaving as his arm was stretched out next to my head. When I turned to look, the dagger was plunged into the dirt right next to my ear.
My body trembled as I waited for him to do anything. To say anything. It felt like an eternity before he moved, shifting just enough to look at me. Fire burned in his eyes as he ripped the dagger out of the ground.
“You can’t escape me.” The promise darkened his voice. “I won’t let you harm anyone.”
I was just as confused by this as his comment about me burning people. No part of me was dumb enough to argue with him right now. Maybe ever again. Instead, I just nodded along.
“I know,” I stuttered out, hoping it would help convince him.
Atlas nodded at my words before he stood. So much for getting away from him. All I did was make everything much worse. I was sure pissing off a killer would only mean good things for me now.
“Get up,” he ground out.
I quickly followed his instructions, keeping an eye on him as I stood next to him. Disgust twisted his face as he looked me over. Fire burned in my chest as I fixed the cloak. Atlas didn’t say anything else before grabbing my elbow, dragging me back into the town.
He didn’t let go of me as he led us back to where I had left him. We walked just a few buildings down before he stopped.
“What’re we doing?” I quietly asked, looking up at him.
His gaze was sharp as he glared down at me.
“Shut up,” he hissed.
My mouth snapped shut as he pushed me forward into the building.
There were long rolls of different fabrics everywhere. They laid in folded piles on the floor. Some were draped over mannequins in half pinned dresses and vests. There were thick leathers laid across wood tables with little shoes displayed next to them. Scraps littered the wooden floors. The air was thick with the scent of leather and sickly-sweet perfume. I hissed as his grip tightened the further back we walked.
There was a couple sitting along the back wall. The man was reclined in a wooden chair reading a rune laden paper with drawn pictures added. Meanwhile, the woman sat on the floor with more fabric around her. There was pale blue fabric draped across her lap as she stitched along it.
I stumbled as Atlas pushed me down next to her. She jumped, hissing as the needle she was using grazed her finger. Her brows furrowed as her glare moved from me to Atlas, then her face fell.
“I’m so sorry, we didn’t mean to ignore you,” she groveled at his feet, flashing pleading eyes at the man next to her.
The man peered at Atlas over the top of what he was reading. He let out a small snort, fear still swirling in his eyes, before he returned his gaze to the pages. I wanted to laugh at his failed attempt at indifference. There was a slight tremble where his hands grabbed the newspaper, his knuckles turning pale. Atlas didn’t seem to find it funny, though, as his posture was rigid when he turned his gaze to the woman.
I certainly hoped this wasn’t the reaction he was hoping from me now. Disgust filled me at how she was pleading with him. She shouldn’t be forced to sit here and grovel to him. To anyone.
“That’s really not necessary, miss.” He spoke softly, like he was calling out to a scared animal.
My jaw dropped at the change in him. I did nothing but exist, and this man tried to kill me. He was making my mind spin.
She brushed her shaking hand down the front of her dress, wiping away the dirt that had settled into the fabric. I glanced over at the sitting man right as he let out a deep breath, his hands no longer shaking.
It was obvious why everyone acted like this around Atlas. The knife to my throat was all I needed to know about him. He’d done something terrible. Or was a part of something bad. The specifics didn’t matter. I just didn’t know what I was supposed to do about any of it.
“I was just wondering if you had some shoes already made that would fit my friend here?” He flashed her a fang filled grin before gesturing over at me.
My brows furrowed as I looked up at the two of them. Shoes? All of this was just to find me shoes. The lady looked over me, focusing on my feet. Her eyes lit up when she glanced back at Atlas.
“I might,” she said before running through a door behind her.
I glanced around the fabrics in front of me, listening to the rummaging and sound of things being thrown around. I was scared to name the dark feeling that twisted my stomach. I felt like an asshole. He was running around, trying to find somewhere that would have shoes for me. Grabbing one of the bundles of cloth, I twisted it around, trying to find a distraction between the folds. So, he was trying to do something nice. That didn’t cancel out him trying to kill me twice. I thought he owed me at least one more good deed to cancel each other out. Or maybe I needed to raise my standards.
