RED | A dark retelling of Red Riding Hood | WATTYS 2021 SHORTLIST

Chapter Twenty-Two: A Treachery of Ravens

AN

I love this chapter so much :D I hope you guys enjoy it! 

The bird moved through the red sky in a fury of sleek, black feathers. It dove between the throwing of hands and limbs, into the heart of the fight.

No reservations lived in its slender body.

With wings tucked tightly underneath its belly, the shape of the little beast mocked the silhouette of an arrow in flight, headed straight for its target.

Vivian's eyes remained flooded in white, looking through the gaze of Petyr instead of her own. As she tightened the Woodsman's fingers, she took no heed of any warnings.

The creature struck. It slashed its dark beak over the woman's face, drawing a long line of angry red from the bridge of her nose to the bottom of her slender left cheek.

The witch came alive.

Petyr's hands squeezed and then, released Marjorie.

She hit the ground with a heavy thump, collapsing an inch from where Fenris lie, eyes still closed and breathing shallow. She curled into his warmth for only a moment, and then, a cough ripped through her body.

That was right, she thought. Breathe. Breathe.

She inhaled deep. Air funneled into her throat like cold water on a summer day—even when she had her fill, her body still ached for more. She crawled to her hands and knees, breathing and breathing and breathing, until the world came back to her in bold steams of life.

Fenris's warmth.

The dirt and blood stuck to underneath her nails.

And Petyr's guiding hand caressing her cheek.

He bent down to Marjorie, horror reflected in his doe-eyed gaze. There was no time to soothe the wrinkles between his brows, but she still pressed her thumbs underneath his eyes in an attempt to soothe the tears streaming down his face.

"You are bruised," Petyr announced, his chest heaving from the energy it took to attempt murder. His fingers grazed softly over the blossoming necklace of purple and blue on her slender neck. She hissed from the pain. "W-We are leaving. We can't—we can't win." He wrapped gentle hands beneath her arms and dragged her unceremoniously to his chest. Beneath her ear, his heart beat wildly. "I can lose everyone, Marjorie, but I refuse to lose you." He took a step toward the opposite direction of the clearing, where the villagers remained shackled like animals waiting for slaughter.

"No," Marjorie whispered. She pressed her palm flat against his chest. Her sticky fingerprints matched the splatters of blood already on his tunic, a parting gift from Fenris. "You can run, but I am not."

"You will die if we stay here." He dragged her another step forward.

The movement cause her to turn into deadweight. She was not like Petyr. She was not scared of her death.

"Marj—"

Her name was cut off by the name an echoing caw. The shrill animal scream reverberated through the valley like an unexpected rain. She searched the sky for the sound and found it in her raven.

The beast flew a foot above a blade Vivian drew. The woman jabbed the sword up, and the tiny beast knocked it out of her hand. It landed across the forest floor soundlessly.

"Enough of this game," Vivian shouted into the sky, like she reckoned with a god instead of a mere bird. "Reveal yourself, little shifter. Or do you wish to die dressed in your feathers?"