The Fifth Nightmare

The Castle

Trilla POV

I peeked over at him thinking of how to tell him. Its not that I couldn’t speak but that I was afraid to speak. Even though it had been a year since Markus had died, I was still afraid of what he had done to me and fear that he isn’t dead. I always fear that he is right around the corner waiting to give me another punishment waiting for me to trip up so he would have an excuse to hit and cut me. His favorite thing he liked to hurt me for was talking, growing up I had been a sassy know it all. When Markus first met me, he found it endearing, later he decided it was a quality he would have to beat out of me. So, even after his death I avoid talking at all costs and when a few words do slip out I brace myself for an expected hit. I think my lack of confidence and inability to sass scared Aldwin more than he was telling me, but when he was near he never betrayed any sort expression that revealed as such. I think that it was a good thing he didn’t pity me and give in and coddle me as much as my other siblings. It made me feel strong again.

Terrowin looked at me expectantly. I rolled up my sleeve revealing the detailed tattoos covering my arm. He inspected them with interest looking at the detail and inspecting the handy work. I had many objects on my arm. A dagger etched into my palm, a sword running up the length of my arm, vials of different colored liquids depicted on the flesh of my arm. On my middle finger was a fine-looking lock pick and the other fingers decorated with other tools like screwdrivers and wrenches. I held my hand out palm up showing off the ornate dagger, I took my other hand and seemingly stuck my hand into the flesh and pulled back out taking the dagger with it. I playful twirled the dagger and casually tossed it in the air. With a wave of my hand the dagger exploded into smoke and disappeared.

I could pull the designs from my skin and use them how I pleased. They acted like real objects until I dismissed them. If I summon from my skin, it did not get rid of the tattoo. I could summon as many of them as I pleased, not that I needed a pile of daggers. But it was still a useful skill to possess.

He narrowed his eyes at me, taking in the tattoos he could see. He glanced at the other hidden arm, perhaps wondering at the concealed ink that was under the fabric. “You any good with a weapon?” He asked. I turned my right hand and pulled the blade form my hand with a twist of my wrist before launching the blade between two stones sticking out proudly from its spot. “Is that good enough for you?” I snarl at him before waving the blade away. HE raises his eyebrows in surprise, and I jerk back waiting for the blow.

He steps back putting his hands up in an innocent fashion trying to calm me down. I shake violently unable to prevent my skin from crawling. I wrapped my arms around myself to hold in the quivering. I backed myself up against the wall trying to get as far away from him as possible. I pushed myself into the wall, looking up at the male I begged him with my eyes not to hit me, to forgive me for what I said.

He inched towards me still a few feet away.  “Its okay little one. Calm down. You have nothing to fear from me.” He said in a soothing calm tone. His face is glassed over showing no emotion. It wasn’t something I could trust an expressionless face but the voice was smooth reminding me of molten liquid. Yet his voice was deep, almost gravely. Even with his reassurance I still tremble uncontrollably. He huffs in annoyance before standing. “Come on little one. Lets get you to a room.” He says turning to walk down the hallway giving me his back. I take a shaky step forward and growl in frustration, I was not little and it annoyed me that he thought I was. He looked over his shoulder in surprise at my growl “Do you not like to be called little one?” He asks a smirk. I glare at him in response before huffing out a breath in annoyance not responding to his taunt.

“Lets go then unless you have something you want to say to me, little one.” He says putting inflection into the last words. I could hear the grin seeping into his tone. I could almost picture his lips curling up in amusement. His thick lips working more than one would have originally of imagined when looking at this male from a distance. When he spoke I pictured his lips forming the words I snarled when I pictured his lips form the words little one. But I said nothing as we continued moving. It was clear he was avoiding showing pity and trying to frustrate me so I would no longer be scares. And as much as I hated to admit it, it was working. Even with my unhappiness at the nick name it did make me feel slightly more at ease with his teasing words.

We passed the hallways in silence stopping in front of a small door. “ This is my room, come to my room if you ever need anything.” On the other side of the hall was a matching door he points casually to it. “That’s yours. Go in and I’ll give you a few moments to get settled and then I will bring you to dinner.” I nodded slightly going to open the door. “Ill give you ten minutes go get ready.”