The Wretched and Divine {Black Veil Brides}

10 - Shadows Die

    I watched that smirk slowly spread over his mouth, pulling his lips wide and causing danger to enter his orbs.  Vermillion poured over his shoulders while the members of the crowd screamed in horror as guards rushed into the throng of people to find me.  The leader of F.E.A.R. stared me in the eye and sneered before he whipped his cloak around and moved towards his chambers.  Sixx was quickly on his feet though and grabbed the man by the neck; this didn’t last long as the executioner grabbed Sixx by the shoulders, yanking him and throwing him against the balcony edge.  I shrieked again and loosed another arrow, catching the executioner in the throat.  I could almost hear his gurgle as the ruby liquid gleamed in the sunlight and spilled onto the marble surface.

    The man looked like an angel, a savior of the people as he stood upon the gleaming white marble balcony.  The vermillion gore shimmered like rubies while his crystal clear eyes became the sky itself.  Dark hair offset the lightness of his flesh, tethering him as an earth bound angel.  In a way, I could imagine wings sprouting from his back and as our gazes met again, I felt a divine spark within me. 

    “Light!”

    I heard Pitts call for me and was forced to look away from Sixx, finding that the world was quickly turning upside down.  Pitts was running towards me with panic in his eyes; I guess I should’ve told him I was going to do anything to get Sixx out even if it meant doing something crazy.  He grabbed me by the arm and started to move me through the crowd, knocking people out of the way as we rushed hurriedly towards safety.  He shielded me from men who came in our direction in an attempt to stop us, his brass knuckles knocking the teeth out of several guardsmen.  I wasn’t sure where Sixx was though but when I whipped my head around, I found guards following me and Pitts.  I swallowed and hurried Pitts forward, trying my best to get him to go faster.  The crowd wasn’t helping though and they only became more and more compacted as we pushed onward.

    It wasn’t long before I figured out that we were going to have to fight.

    I grabbed for my bow, turning about as swiftly as I could before thrashing one guard in the head.  His neck snapped back unnaturally, body falling limply into the people around us.  There were screams and shuffling that started to pull at the herd of chattel that surrounded the two of us away as they realized a dead man was in their midst, but I only stared angrily at the guardsmen who had chased after Pitts and I.  I snarled at them with all the vehemence I could muster.

    “Bring it!  I will not suffer at your hands any longer!”

    The guards snickered at me, the short stature red haired woman who didn’t look as fierce as she felt.  I knew I looked like a joke, but I had faith in my own abilities for reasons I couldn’t understand.  Maybe it was the fact that I was fighting for more than myself, that the death of my brother had made me more vigilant and the fact that Sixx could be next made me defiant.  I didn’t want to lose any more friends and right now, I would defend Pitts with my life.  They aimed their weapons at us, poised for a fight and to drag us off into the eternity of oblivion.  I glanced over my shoulder to see the dark haired man standing directly at my side; when our eyes met, he nodded in approval of my actions.

    But then we all paused.

    “TEAR DOWN THE CROSS!” screeched a familiar voice as a group of people ran at one of the giant wooden crosses that decorated the front of the church.  They hacked at it with sharp objects, several members of the throng starting to take part in the rebellion.  Cries of battle went up and suddenly, the horde of people ran at the guards around Pitts and I and towards the guardsmen that were now rushing at the group cutting down the cross.

    “To hell with the church!”

    The cry went through the city, a group chorus causing goosebumps to flutter over my flesh.  The shadows were screaming in reply but the sound was disturbing, as though they were dying slow menacing deaths.  I glanced around, noting how the men with guns were no longer armored and those that wore the protection lay dead.  Blood pooled in the streets as the cry continued to make way through the common folk.  I smiled and whooped, motioning to Pitts for him to follow before we began to run back to where I knew Sixx was.  I put my fingers to my lips, whistling as loudly as I could and enjoying the echo as it reverberated off the surrounding walls.  Eagle would be on his way and I could only grin more broadly at the idea.