Uncovered

The howling wind does nothing to ease the overwhelming feeling of dread as I reach the old wrought iron gates. The only thing the wind does is blow my long black hair across my face. Reaching behind me I pull my hood up and tuck my hair in it, I bend down and grab the dagger from my boot. The last connection I have with my mother I never go anywhere without it and I have a feeling tonight I may need it.
As I push open the gate it lets out a long, loud squeak. It has been awhile since anyone has been down this way. The gate guards one of the area's oldest standing, though barely, houses. The gate clatters as it hits against the rock wall surrounding the property. I jump, ” God, Jade you need to get it together.” I yell out loud to myself. The feeling of dread is now so thick it makes it hard to walk. I look behind me thinking about turning back but feel that tug that got me here in the first place. I had awoken earlier in the night with this sharp tug on what felt like my soul was being summoned. Something was amiss. So without stopping to second guess I threw on clothes and followed the tug,
The farther I walked down the overgrown drive the stronger and more insistent that tug becomes. It becomes so much a fore thought in my mind that I almost missed the smell of sulfur as the wind blew across my face again. This house was too old for sewage so I was not sure where the smell was coming from but it seemed to be where I was being led. So I stooped down and crept around the corner of the house.
There not but four feet in front of me were five men doing what looked like some kind of black magic on a little girl. They had her stretched out on a rock with her hands, feet bound, black candles surrounding her completely, blood seeping from engravings on her exposed skin and one man stood over her with a medallion pressing into his bleeding hand. The blood dripped down over the little one's face. She whimpered as it came into contact with her skin. This was the only sign I had that she was still alive because she lay there so still.
I surveyed my surroundings not sure exactly what I was supposed to do. I mean what is a young girl like me supposed to do? Taking a deep breath to get my thoughts in order I notice one of the smaller men standing off to himself by the trees. Seeing my way in I creep up behind him and then quickly put the dagger to his throat. “Do as I say and I wont kill you,” I whisper in his ear. He nods his head and I hear him gulp as he tried to swallow past the dagger at his adams apple. “Now walk.”
I keep hidden as we slowly walk into the candle light next to the other men. As one they all look up. The candle light flickers across the dagger and instantly they are at attention. Knowing I no longer have the element of surprise I speak. “Let her go and I won't slice your little friends neck over here.” Something tells me to keep my eyes hidden so I pull my hood down farther over my eyes and stand up a bit taller so they know I mean what I say. I don't know what I will do from here. Will they call my bluff or do as I say? My knees are shaking so bad I know that have to be able to hear them knocking together. Take a deep breath. I remind myself.
The man holding the medallion puts up his hands in defeat and begins to walk over. Knowing that I could not have won that easy I stand still and alert. There is a man to my left, one to my right and then one coming in behind what I must assume is the leader. “Ok,” the leaders says as he walks closer still. “You can have her.”
“That's far enough,” I tell him when it seems as though he isn't going to stop till he reaches me. He stops in his tracks. The candle light is casting a shadow on his face so I can't get a good look at him. All I see are dark eyes, dark eyes with no soul behind them. The leader gives me a wicked smile as I can't help but shiver as I look into his eyes. With that he nods and before I know it two men come at me on my left and right side. I know if I don't fight neither I or the little girl will make it out of this alive. I center myself, shift my shoulder to get better leverage and then apply pressure. I feel the dagger slice through the mans throat as easily as butter. Blood spurts out as I quickly slice through the mans neck and then drop him to the ground. My dagger still dripping in blood I kick up and out with my right foot and catch the closest man in his chest knocking him back long enough to turn a stab the guy to my left in the heart. Just as quickly though the third comes from out of nowhere and tackles me to the ground. The first guy who has quickly regained his footing comes over and they both have me restrained within seconds.
“Very good, little one,” the leader slowly claps as he starts towards me again. “I don't know who you think you are but to kill two of my best guys is not an easy feet. After I finish with the girl I will surely enjoy watching you squirm under my blade.” The thought of him even touching me lights something in me on fire. There is noway in hell this guy is going to touch me, the little girl or anyone ever again. My breathing slows and I let the fire take over.
I lift my head just enough to shake the hood loose. The leader falters as he catches his first glimpse of my eyes in the light. “No it can't be,” he whispers and pulls a long back blade he somehow had strapped to his back. He looks over to the little girl who is smiling over at me, like I am some kind of hero. “Maybe you were right kid.” he smirks. The leader faces me again and takes me in from head to toe, sizing me up. That cocky grin appears on his face again and the fire inside me burns hotter. His next step brings him in close enough that he takes his blade and places is along side my cheek. It burns, but I just let it seep into the fire burning within. he slowly trails the blade down my face, my neck and then comes to slowly rest on my left breast right above my heart. His eyes had followed the path of the blade so he didn't see the fire burning in my eyes. I took one last look at the girl, I didn't know if she was alive or not. Her eyes were closed, her chest if it was moving was barely doing so, but the smile she still had on her face is all I needed.
I looked up to the sky, saw the clouds roll in and I felt power, power I had never felt before. Lightning bolted down from the sky frying the men holding me to ash but not even touching my skin. Shaking off the ash I looked into the eyes of the leader. He could see his death in my eyes but no matter how hard he tried he could not look away. I had him. Something inside me was now free and it held him still. Taking the blade from his now useless hands I inspected it. Lightning was still striking but I held it at bay using its light to see the blade. The hilt was a deep blood red but the blade was black, blacker then any night I had ever seen. It held power, lots of power and not knowing I let that power in. I placed the tip of the black blade over his heart and pushed, I pushed till the hilt was touching his chest and I could see myself in his black soulless eyes. What I saw startled me, my eyes were no longer their pale blue but black as the blade I held. The man before me smiled and with his last breath said, “Maybe you will be ours after all.”
Startled I dropped the blade with the man still attached to it. His lifeless body crumbled to the ground. Looking up from where I was I saw the girl again. She was still alive. Her eyes staring at me. I couldn't stand to see her bound so with the last bit of power I had still flowing through me I untied her hands from where I stood. She held out her hand closest to me and I slumped to the ground. I was drained but she still needed me. Crawling over to her on my hands and knees I knew that I was no longer just Jade. I was something else.
I reached the little girl and she lightly placed her cold little hand on my cheek. She smiled down at me and said,” You are not theirs. You are not anyone's. You are your own person and do not forget that, Things are going to change,” she slid her hand over my heart, ” but let this be your guide.” She struggled to try and sit up, I stepped up to the rock and slid her onto my lap so I could cradle her. She smiled up at me and took a silver locket from around her neck. “Here,” she said. “Use this to remember why.” With that said she closed her eyes, took one last final breath and let her spirit slip from her body.