Page 127 of The Blackened Blade

Whereas someone like Red, if she had suffered anything like that and alone…a heavy breath leaves my chest as I rub the spot there, a strange feeling making its way beneath my hand as I look toward her.

If anyonehadhurt her–even so much as a papercut–I would gut the fucker.

I’d rip the flesh from their bones and burn them alive. And then rinse and repeat that shit everyday until there was nothing left. Not even a speck of dust would survive what I’d do.

Red was one of us now, and no-one gets to hurt her.

She was mine, and ours, and she deserved the world. Every blade, every diamond and every chocolate muffin.

My woman wouldn’t just eat crumbs, she would have the whole fucking cake and everyone else’s too. If I had to threaten, rob and maim I would.

What's life without a little fun anyway?

I watch on as Ezra tries to talk her around again, but she just shakes her head.

My Red didn’t know how to treat herself. Guess that was our job from now on, and making her smile would be our number one priority.

I notice my brother's frustration and give him a small nod before making my way over toward the shop's owner.

Apparently they do custom metal work here, and I’ve got something perfect in mind for Red. Something with a bit of me and Ezra written all over it. That way, anyone who saw it knows she's taken.

Andours.

Micai’s POV

It starts to get dark as we make our way out of the small metal trinket shop, called‘Ellies’. Such a strange name for a shop that held metal work. But maybe it was a family name?

Either way, the metal work, antique weapons and jewellery were beautiful. So many pieces caught my eye, and I think we had spent a good part of an hour just browsing through it all.

I look up just as the street lights flicker on. Maybe it was time to head back? Classes would also be over by now and the frustration from this morning and weight of last night had already been eased. Just as I’m about to say as much, Ezra grabs my hand and pulls me quickly across the road. There's a grin so wide and full of genuine glee on his face that I forget what I was about to say.

We stop in front of an old building at the end of the avenue and further away from all the other shops. This building looks older and more run down than any of the others in town.Well other than the boys slaughterhouse.

The once dark green paint on its walls is chipped and falling off, and all its windows are boarded up with planks of thick brown wood. There's a faded sign sitting above us with dull pink painted letters making out the words ‘The Roller-Room’ behind broken neon light bulbs.

This place couldn’t possibly still be in business in this state. So why were we here?

Ezra whips out a set of keys and opens the large rusty doors in front of us. And before I can open my mouth, he takes my hand gently in his again and tugs me inside, as Annex follows closely behind us.

The place is completely empty inside and exactly what you would imagine an abandoned eighties roller rink to look like.

Ezra gives my hand a small squeeze and grin before letting me go and heading over to a booth across the room. After a couple of minutes–and the sound of him tinkering with something–the lights around the room flicker on, giving us a better view of the space around us.

I make my way further in and notice the huge roller rink encasing two thirds of the room. Its red flooring is discoloured with three large pale black stars printed through its middle. To one side of the rink are a couple of large booths with large stereos or racks of dusty rollerblades. And to the far right of them were some benches to sit, some old arcade games and a small kiosk-like-stall that seemed like it once held sweets or hot food.

The largest of the booths–where Ezra went–sits to the very back of the room with large brightly coloured lights above it and two huge speakers at each end of it.

I look around the huge space and toward the large roller rink just as music starts to play around the room. Colourful strobe lights begin to come to life and flash above the rink to the rhythm of the song that's playing, giving the whole room a different atmosphere.

Ezra makes his way back over to us, carrying a bundle of rollerblades in his hands and a huge grin on his lips.

“What is this shit?” Chuckles Annex as he grabs a pair of skates and points toward the large speakers around the room.

“It was all eighties tracks.” Ezra shrugs. “And I love a bit of Toto.”

Ezra chuckles as the song ‘Africa’ plays around us before handing me a pair of old rollerblades. Taking the white and purple shoes from him, my mind goes blank.

Did they actually want me to skate?

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