The Prince and the Puppet Thief by Justin Arnold

Author:Justin Arnold [Arnold, Justin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Midnight Tide Publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

16. After Midnight

“The darkness, the terrible, terrible darkness!”

Hans writhed, his eyelids closed tight, as he shook and struggled on the small bed of leaves. Marco and Simon held him down, each grabbing an arm.

“What is wrong with him?” Isobel asked.

Marco didn’t respond, instead holding Hans down even tighter. “You need to calm down,” he urged the servant. “Deep breaths. In and out.”

“Who are you to order me about?” Hans muttered in a low voice from the depths of his throat. “Who are you to be respected?”

Marco widened his eyes in surprise at Hans’ tone.

“What is the matter with you?”

“The darkness,” Hans whispered with a hoarse gravel in his voice. “It is all here around me.”

“Is he possessed?” asked Simon.

“If my soul went into Hans’ body I’d be quick to get back out,” muttered Flora.

“Shh,” said Isobel.

“Well it’s true.” Flora couldn’t help but smile. “I mean, have you met him?”

Isobel tried not to giggle. “This is serious, Flora. Something is wrong.”

Marco snapped his head to stare Isobel and Flora down, “Could you two stop with the tryst for just a moment and help us?”

Isobel put her hands to her hips. “Well I’m so sorry, Doctor Marco, I didn’t realize we were obstructing a great physician.”

“Stop,” Simon said. “Just all of you stop, before he jumps up and kills us all!”

“Do you really think I would kill you?” Hans’ eyes had opened and stared into Simon’s soul. “It is not I who wishes your demise, puppet thief.”

Simon narrowed his eyes at the servant. “What?”

“Some are not born for happy endings.” Hans grinned, and for the first time Simon noticed that his eye teeth were pointed. “Some are merely cattle for slaughter, fools approaching doom like a firework racing toward explosions in the sky.”

“Stop talking, Hans.” Marco pushed Hans by the forehead back to the forest floor. “You’re saying crazy things.”

Hans winced at the force of the prince’s hands and resumed his wincing and writhing. “Something clings in my heart. Something dark. Help me.”

Marco lowered his ear to Hans’ chest, listened to his heartbeat. As he did, Hans glanced down at the top of Marco’s head and back at Simon before he winked at him.Simon felt his cheeks burn up, tried not to show that he actually felt jealous at this. Prince Marco lifted his head again and Hans resumed writhing as though nothing had happened.

He’s faking this, Simon thought. For whatever reason.

Simon stood and walked toward the shore of the lake. He’d had enough of Hans for now.

When he’d gone a distance, Hans slowly stopped writhing, breathed deep. “I want to rest now. Please leave me. I need to sleep. That is all.”

Simon looked back at the servant to see that he was fast, and deeply, asleep.

“Idiot,” Flora muttered under her breath.

“Do you think he’ll be all right, Marco?” Isobel asked.

Marco didn’t respond to her.

“Marco.”

He still did not respond.

“Hey!” Isobel tried not to shout so she wouldn’t wake the servant. “Oh, fine.”

Prince Marco stood and walked away, toward his own bed of leaves.

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