Wednesday has come around again, and I’m happy to present this week’s flash fiction.
“Where were you?” The accusation stung Stephan. He glanced sideways at Crystal’s second. Reg just glowered in return. In that disapproval he heard the man’s question, the accusation again.
Where were you?
Where had he been? Yanking his gaze forward, Stephan saw the men break before him, revealing Crystal motionless on the slab. Where he had been would not matter. Not to them.
Stephan shoved forward. Reaching for her hand, he clasped it. Cold. “What happened?”
“She went against the witch you.” Stephan heard the anger dripping from Reg’s voice. Anger he knew would echo in every other man’s face.
Stephan braced himself against the slab, forearm cutting into the cold stone. Not colder than her. He shoved the intrusive thought away. Why? Why go against the witch by herself? Why hadn’t she waited for me?
Stephan’s mind flew to the pack he’d left with horse when Reg’s bellow had summoned him. His desperate quest, useless now. Why hadn’t she waited?
“She actually thought she could make a difference,” Stephan whispered his own answer.
Reg coughed lightly and Stephan raised his gaze. The man stared despondently Crystal. They both knew that was the answer.
Turning back to Crystal, Stephan brushed black hair from her forehead and whispered, “You did make a difference.”
She had. She’d brought him into the fight. She’d brought Reg and the rest of his men.
It would not end here. Not like this.
Stephan leaned close to Crystal and whispered, “I promise I’ll finish what you started.” Pressing his lips to her forehead, he sealed the vow. Straightening, he turned to walk away. The gasp of the other men in the room halted him.
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Be sure to check out the other Wednesday Words authors’ take on the prompt.
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