Legend of the Black Rider (Preternatural - book #1)

24: a gift for daniel

Luella led Dosu, Nomel and Elsie down a corridor whose walls were clothed in dark-burgundy wallpapers. The floors were made of marble, shimmering to the dim lights hanging above them. Clocks hung on the walls, each showing a different time.

"Wait outside to be called." said Luella, her shoes tapping loudly on the marble floor.

Dosu nodded, responding for both him and his companions.

They came to a bright-maroon door that towered over them. It had criss-cross lines patterning around its four sides. In the middle of the door was a small hole that was the only lock there was. Instead of inserting a key to unlock it, Luella inserted her wand and twisted it. The door opened outwards and covered them in a satisfying breeze. It felt like opening a refrigerator on a scorching summer day.

Elsie covertly shuffled beside Luella to have a peek at what the Black Rider looked like. No one knew what he looked like. He always sent his workers out to do the work for him. From what Elsie overheard in gossip was that the Black Rider's external layer existed entirely out of shadows with silvery bones for an internal system underneath.

Luella noticed Elsie's nosiness, so she hurried inside and closed the door behind her.

"Good afternoon, my Lord," Luella greeted, but not before bowing her head and keeping her hands folded in front of her. She was strictly instructed to not look upon the Black Rider in his weakened state. Even if she did attempt a peek at him, she would not be able to see him. The room she was in was darkened by the lights put out. There was just one candle resting on an antique wooden table against the far wall. The room was almost as tall as a two-storey building. It narrowed as it went up. Long and thick lines of a hard cement-wax-like substance cobwebbed from one wall to the other. There were about seventeen of these lines bridging above Luella, and the Black Rider sat on the sixth line.

"I assume you've received my written report on finding the boy?" asked Luella, breathing in slowly. She hoped his already rotten temper hadn't increased after reading her report. He'd never hurt her — she was his most valuable employee— but that did not mean she was above being punished.

The Black Rider didn't answer her just yet. He jumped from the sixth line down onto the fourth line and shook the entire room with his weight.

Luella held her breath and waited to be scolded at.

"I've read your written words," said the Black Rider from above. His voice was distant and croaky, but Luella could still hear him clearly. "You mentioned Guinevere Hyacinth, correct? How very interesting. Yes, very interesting. I haven't seen her in decades. Last encounter I had with her almost neither of us made it out alive."

Luella coughed and quickly cleared her throat. "I ... I am sorry to hear that." she told him. "But that was a long time ago. I'm sure you've grown powerful enough to eliminate her this time."

"Guinevere Hyacinth is an impressive sorceress." the Black Rider acknowledged. "She is, and always will be, the only person to ever best me. Do not underestimate or belittle her. She is powerful, this I know. And you are incorrect: I have grown nothing but weak. Yes, there resides a great enough strength within me to still fight, but my worries lie in how quick the boy is maturing. We can't wait any longer. It's time for us to take action."

He hopped off of the fourth line and landed right in front of Luella. The candle flickered and had the shadows dance around the only two souls in the room.

Luella quivered in fear as the Black Rider walked towards her. He had a dark cloak cover his entire body. A hood hid his face, but the candlelight shone onto his pale and chapped lips. His chin was sharp and his skin was lightly wrinkled.