Diamonds and Ice

It’s time to go home! Finally! As fun as this trip has been, I’m happy to be returning back to the grand mansion and sleep on my own pillows. As the carriage driver load the language, I’m confused to see none of it belonging to Liam.

“Aren’t you coming?” I ask.

“Not yet, I still have to finish my part of the trail and my wound delayed my part of the mission long enough.”

“Won’t that look suspicious? Me coming back from a business trip without my boss?”

“I figured something out, so it shouldn’t,” then he hands me a folder. “You’re running an errand for me. Give these documents to my father. They need his signature to make all the trading deals official.”

“Okay, will do,” disappointed that he won’t be riding back with me, I accept this small assignment.

Liam takes it upon himself to fix the expression on my face. Before allowing me to step into the carriage, his hand cradles my face and the gravity of his draw pulls our lips together. The collide is unapologetic and the movement of his affection seeks no one’s approval, except for mine.

“Liam, people might be watching,” my heart skips a beat.

At a moment like this, it’s hard to remember that he’s my boss.

“Perverts,” his smile is a contagion and takes my world by storm.

“Please, be safe,” I don’t want to let go.

“You too. Go straight home,” his tone is tense with worry.

“I’ll be fine.”

Our different paths are almost not enough to separate us, but we make it enough.

The driver commands the horses forward and with a small tug, I feel the coach taking me away. As our distance increases, Liam’s touch on my cheek is mine to take. The warmth lingers. I bite my lip to reminisce and almost can taste the memory of his kiss.

Time goes by quick when one is day dreaming. By the time I take another glance out of the window, it’s already dark. But it’s okay, I can still dream in my sleep.

A sudden stop interrupts it.

“Hey, get off the road!” the driver’s voice is muffled by the walls.

Who could he be yelling at?

Once again, I hear him demanding the obstacle to get out of the way.

Someone answers, but I can’t make out the words.

Whatever was said to him, agitates the driver.

I open the window to see. “What’s going on!?”

But I get only half of glimpse of the shadow figures lined up in a row.

“Don’t come out, Miss Sterling. Lock the door,” he tells me, trying to stay calm.

This can’t be good. In haste, I do as I’m told and brace myself as the driver tries to turn the carriage back around.

A thunder shatters the quiet road.

Oh, no! This can’t be happening! To my horror, I recognize it.

Next, I hear a thump. Outside the right window, the sight of my driver on the ground makes all my fears real.

“Stop!!” I bust out of my hiding.

But it’s too late. My driver doesn’t even gets the chance to think what he would want his last words to be as his hand slips from mine. Determined, I remain guarding his lifeless body with mine, as the largest shadow approaches me. The moonlight eliminates the face of the killer as he comes close. It’s that mountain man who came to the village.

“Why?!” I scream at him.

“Shut up! I’ll be the one asking the questions!” He shouts through the ice crystals dangling from his mustache.

The hunting dogs that he brought along with him, circle around me. Overcome by fear of their jaws’ close proximity, I flinch away from their aggressive sniffing.

“Don’t try running. They’ll tear you apart if you do,” the sinister calmness is his voice sounds as if he had done this before. “Tell me, what’s a young lady like you doing out on the road in the middle of a winter night?”

“Delivering law documents to the mayor. You’re going to answer for this,” I cry for justice.

“Oh, but we are only out for a friendly night hunt,” laughing, he hovers over me. The casting shadow swallows me whole.

“Hunting? Is that what you call it?” I remind him of the mindless death he caused.

“Hunting for wolf. And I can see my dogs smell it all over you,” the madman justifies his way of life.

“You’re making a great mistake! You’ll hang for this!”

But my angry threats don’t fathom him one bit.

“Agh! Shut this girl up. She’ll tell me where the rest of her pack is later!” turning to a much slimmer shadow standing behind, he commands for action.

As the hunter’s face dives back into the darkness, another one takes his place in the snow’s faint glow.

“No,” I shake my head.

His approach feels like a slow death. Just as I though this couldn’t get any worse, Mika is here to stab me in the back once more and my soul gushes salty blood through my eyes.

“Please. No,” I beg this pain to stop.

Without a single word, Mika ties a scarf around my mouth. Then, ties my hands and takes me captive.