Chapter Twelve

Adam had not realized that he had spent an entire day here in Apfel. It was odd, but still remarkable. He was normally very good at remembering and following the time as it passed so as to always be on time, but it had somehow managed to sneak up on him and run away. Then again, a lot had happened today. He got to see the early development stages of demented-ness of the old hag, has seen a sunrise and has enjoyed the warmth of the sun, and he has discovered who Snow White and what she looked like.

"It is a shame that she is so beautiful. . ." Adam could not help but think as he walked through the town to his lodging. "Then again, the old hag did tell me she used her beauty to manipulate things in her favor; this was going to be a much harder task than I thought. . ."

Adam had never seen another creature quite as beautiful as Snow White. Pure porcelain skin, black silky curly curls, doe brown eyes, apple red lips, and a heart of kindness. From the moment that Adam had met her she has shown nothing but kindness to the world around her; even him. It no longer surprised him why the fools, the old hag called them, failed to carve out her heart and bring it to her. Even Adam began to doubt his own abilities in killing her. It would be easy, every so easy. All he had to do was reach out with his bare hand and touch her. She would shrivel up like a prune and wither away with just the simple touch of his hand. He stopped and looked at his gloved hand and slowly clenched it into a fist. "It would really be too easy. . ."

He glared at his hand. He had accepted the fact that he was more venomous than snakes, spiders, and vermin, but that did not relieve him of the worst poison that dwelled in his body. That agonizing sense of loneliness made him more numb to the world, created an armor in the Anti-World filled with nothing but darkness, kept a mask of eternal calm on his face; yet somehow in this Realm, Apfel had found a way of showing him warmth, kindness, and even a longing for belonging that rekindled that horrible awareness that he would forever be alone. His fist clenched tighter as rage began to pump through his veins.

"Sir Adam?" that dove voice cooed and touched his shoulder. Those doe brown eyes looked at him in concern and he went rigid.

"What are you doing here?" his voice came out in a harsh hiss, and although her eyes widened in surprise, she did not remove her hand.

"I was sent into town to retrieve a few items for dinner." He looked down and saw she had a basket hooked over her elbow and a piece of paper gripped in the hand. "I just happened to see you and - Are you all right? You look rather pale?"

Her little hand reached up to touch his face, sweating unbeknownst to him, but he tightly held her hand.

"Do not touch me." He warned gently and her smooth forehead furrowed in confusion. "You do not need to get your hands dirty for touching me."

In truth he did not want to cause a scene in the middle of the street with so many witnesses that would require him to go on a murderous rampage. If she touched him now, especially now that he was aware that he was sweating, she would die of poison.

"I-I'm terribly sorry." She did not try to take her hand back, but merely flushed and looked away as he continued to hold her hand above her head. "I meant no offense -"

"You did not offend me." He gently let go of her hand. "I apologize. I am rather unfamiliar with certain touches and certain movements are not fond of me as they are to others."

"You do not need to explain that to me." She smiled and seemed to somehow pale and look sallow. "I am familiar with the movements that I am not fond of . . ."

For a moment he had to stop and recall their conversation in the library to remember what it was that she had referred to. It was difficult for him to acknowledge that anyone would want to harm such a beautiful creature, but then again the old hag would harm her own creation so it was not that big of a surprise. Snow White looked down again to avoid his gaze and Adam noticed in the distance a few hooded figures that were lingering a few feet away, pretending to be interested in the stalls, but were all too interested in Snow White.

"Do you need an escort?" He asked and held his elbow out to her.

"I'm sorry?" she blinked in surprise.

"Allow me to escort you while you shop." Though he looked at her, he could see the two hooded figures watching them. "It is getting late."

"Well. . ." She chewed her lower lip rather nervously, but Adam would not give her a moment to think about it. He took her hand again and looped it through his elbow as he guided them through an alley. She tried to spout some sort of nonsense that this was impractical and that they were going the wrong way, but he did not listen to her and took her back to the main square where he knew there were shops in a public area.

He kept his pace quick and steady, but made sure that it was at a pace she could keep up with. Sadly this meant that the two hooded figures would also be able to catch up. At some point though she quit her squabble and just continued to walk with him.

"You are suddenly very quiet." He noted and her grip on his elbow tensed.

"I'm sorry," she kept her gaze ahead of her. "You see, I can't help but feel so appreciative of your escort at the moment."

"And why is that?"

"I've been followed again. . ." her grip tightened and trembled on his elbow.

"Is this a regular occurrence?" he rested his other hand over her trembling one as they walked.

"Only when I have to get groceries for dinner. . ." He could tell that she wanted to look over her shoulder, but she only tightened her grip on his arm. "They've only caught me once before. . . But I never thought that they would try again."

He felt his eyes widen and he became very aware of the presence of the two hooded figures that still followed them even in the crowd.

"What do you mean by caught you?" the hairs on the back of his neck prickled and he suddenly felt very warm.

"I feel as though that would be self explanatory -"

"What did they do?" he asked bluntly as they remained in the shadows of the square. She looked down and only trembled more all the way down to her toes. Her silence did not bode well for him. "What did they do to you?"

"They ensured that my title as a princess meant nothing . . ." her voice was hoarse and just barely above a whisper.

The warmth just became a heat and there was a fire that quickly spread through him. He could not tell if he was breathing any longer, but he knew that he was no longer sweating and a certain blood lust that he had not felt in a long time was growing in him.

"How long ago was this?" He spoke ever so softly to her.

"Two years ago." She gripped her basket tightly in her hands. "I do not see them often, but they have been around in Apfel more recently."

"You are to notify me when you are to do an evening grocery run." He said indefinitely and caught her attention. Those brown eyes were glistening with tears that were ready to flood the floodgates.

"Why are you doing this?" There was such an honest curiosity in her eyes that it caught him off guard.

"At the moment, it is my duty as a man to escort a lady of your status." He took a step forward into the light. "After this, I have yet to decide. But for now, just get the groceries that you need."

He gave her a gentle push to the vegetable stalls and kept her within hand reach as he scanned the dying crowd for the hooded stalkers. He could not see them, there was a chance that they removed their hoods, but he could sense their lingering presence.

In no time at all Snow White had tugged on his elbow, linked arms with him again, and was soon escorted back to the castle with the hoods following them all the way.

"I can only take you as far as the gates." He told her. "Once you are past the gates, I'll have to return into town to finish my exploring for the day."

"I-" She gripped her basket full of meat and vegetables for the evening meal. "I'm sorry to have taken you from your original tasks, but I cannot begin to express my gratitude for your escort this evening."

"You have nothing to apologize for." He unlinked their arms and gave her a push. "You need to get past the gates; now."

She hesitated, but went running as fast as she could in her clogs through the gates. He stood and waited to see her make it to the castle doors before he turned and looked to the shadows of the alleys that he would soon take. The hooded men were nowhere in sight, but he knew that they were not gone. More than likely waiting to ambush him once he escaped through the alleys. If that was going to be the case, he would just have to lead them to his new abode.

In one smooth quick stride he leapt into the shadows and sprinted through the alleys with chasing footsteps right behind him. His coat was heavy and cumbersome and weighed him down, but he would need it for later purposes so he would not rid himself of it. He pushed his speed and he could tell that they were just barely able to keep up with him. A smirk crept on his face and he could not help but feel the excitement from the heat as he led the rats to his trap.

Taking the routes that would lead to the backdoor of his new abode, he led the strangers straight to his new house. He left the door open for them even as he entered. With the hoods over their faces, they followed him in and shut the door behind themselves. Adam merely stood in the middle of the room and watched them try to be looming and scary figures.

"Cocky lil' brat to be leadin' us straight here," the one on the left sneered.

"That broad was ours, she is ours. We came to collect her." The one on the right sounded somewhat smarter than the other.

Adam said nothing and merely stared at the two that tried to claim Snow White as a sort of prostitute.

"We knows ya speak English," the one on the left hocked a logy. "There ain't no point in ya keeping quiet. What the hells you wantin' with our broad?"

"Do not refer to her as that." He growled ever so slightly as that blood lust went through him.

"Ahahaha, looks like she's hooked a line and sinkered another one." The one on the left chortled.

"Shuddup, Joe." The one on the right slapped Joe on the back of the head.

"Ow, Jack!" Joe whined. "What'da go and do that for?!"

"Shuddup!" He smacked him again then looked at Adam. "So you done fancy yourself the little Snow White, eh? We saw you tryin ta play hero with her."

"Acting as a gentleman does not make me a hero."

"Nah, we know who you are, the Queen done sent us to look after ya." Joe chortled. "We know you ain't no hero."

Jack slapped Joe again and a hissing slew of curses spouted from Joe.

"The Queen sent you to watch me?" Adam asked calmly.

"Not you. We were never sent to watch you specifically," Jack's head rolled and his hood fell from his head. "We always watch after lil' Snow White whenever she's sent into town fer the grocery runs."

"Messed her up good one time." Joe snorted. "Made sure she couldn't have no children none either."

"Yeah, that was a fun time" Jack chuckled. Jack made no effort in pretending to act tough and showed his true colors as a sleeze. "Probably the best job that we were ever paid ta do."

"Ya did a nice carving on her stomach too, Jack."

"Yes, my carving skills are always good." He casually pulled out a crooked and jagged knife out of his long sleeve and casually looked over at Adam. "I can always show ya my handy work, though my skills have gotten rather rusty over the last few days. . ."

"Really, Jack?" Joe blinked incredulously as his bald head shined from under his hood. "There's a pretty canvas there for you to get some practice in, sharpen those skills of yours."

"Why, Joe, I think that's the smartest thing you've said all day." Jack's head rolled over to Adam and a sneer of yellowing and brown teeth peered out from his disgusting mouth.

"Aw, thanks Jack - "He smiled for a mere moment then blinked in realization. "Hey-!"

"Just stay behind me, Joe," Jack whipped off his hooded cloak and tossed it to Joe. "I'm going to work on my next masterpiece."

In a fast and oddly silent sprint Jack ran at Adam with a crooked and jagged knife in each hand. Adam did not move and merely waited for the fool to keep running towards him. Something in him just snapped. Jack raised his knives to slash at Adam, but Adam merely grabbed him by both wrists in midair.

"What the -" Jack's beady brown eyes were wide in terror.

Adam, ever so nonchalantly, bent Jack's wrists in the opposite way until they both made a loud snap and those jagged knives bent back and stabbed his forearms. Before Jack could scream out in pain, though, Adam had him by the throat with one hand and held the broken and bleeding wrists in the other. Adam kept adding more and more pressure to Jack's throat.

"Oh no," Adam's voice became monotone as he held on to the knife handles. "You're wrists are broken and bleeding. You bent them the wrong way. Here, let me get them out for you, Jack."

Jack shook his head and breathed heavily in panic as Adam slowly but surely yanked out the first knife, being sure to wiggle it in the holes before ripping it out of the right wrist. A gargle yell muffled its way out of Jack's nose, but Adam refused to let him make another noise as he tightened his hold on his neck. He merely held the first bloody jagged knife in his hand as he used it to dig the other knife out of his other wrist. Jack's eyes had tears flooding down his eyes and gargled screams kept getting caught in his throat. All the while that Jack writhed in pain Joe just stood and watched. His eyes were so big and his bald head looked as though it were an egg ready to crack from all the blood that was flowing from Jack's wrists.

"There," he yanked the second knife free and casually pointed the bloody tip into Jack's throat. "I got the knives out for you, Jack."

Jack wheezed in pain and fear while Joe yelled something incomprehensible.

"Still think I'm trying to play hero, Jack?" He could not help but smile and relish at the fear and dread that lay in Jack's black eyes. Jack shook his head and began to whimper, almost in a pathetic way to beg for his life. "Good." He only let the knife slip from Jack's neck by just a hair and loosened his grip from around his throat. "Now you're going to tell me what you and your crafty knife skills did to Snow White."

"Why?" he rasped out in a cough.

"Don't do it, Jack," Joe shook his head, though he still stood frozen in fear and a horrible stench was reeking from across the room. "Don't tell him nothin'!"

"Oh, would you rather tell me what happened?" Adam rolled his head around to Joe. "You were there too, right? I really only need one of you to tell me what happened."

Joe's bald head was sweating and his stupid brown eyes were bulging in fear.

"I ain't afraid of you." He bellowed, as if trying to convince himself.

"Oh?" Adam mused, ready to see what moves this fool would try.

"I ain't afraid of you!" Joe bellowed again and came running at Adam with daggers in each of his hands. Jack tried kicking his feet as Adam held him up in the air, but Adam flung one knife at Joe catching him in the left shoulder and stabbed the other into Jack's shoulder to pin him to the wall. Jack let out a scream and Joe was spiraling off to the left. Adam walked over to Joe and merely stood above him as he writhed and bellowed in pain as he tried to yank the knife out of his shoulder.

"Still not afraid of me?" he loomed over Joe.

"Why?" Joe shook in fear. "Why are you doin' this? Don'tcha work for the Queen?"

"Yes and no." Adam took off his right glove. "Ideally I'm working for her because that is what she originally sent me here to do. . .but I am working for myself."

"You won't live a day after this!" Joe yelled. "Once the Queen finds out that you killed us she'll - !"

"She'll replace you with two other man children who want to play bad guys." Adam pressed his left foot into Joe's right shoulder, to hold him in place.

"S-Sh-She'll avenge us!" Joe argued doubtfully.

"Will she?" Adam grabbed the knife in his left hand and stayed crouched over Joe. "Because I know that old hag very well, and she doesn't give a damn about anyone who fails at completing her goals."

"We did complete our goal!" Joe yelled frantically. "We fucked her up like the Queen paid us to do!"

"Shut up Joe!" Jack called as he tried to remove himself from the wall.

"Oh, did you now?" Adam's eye twitched and that blood lust grew stronger. He yanked out the knife from Joe's shoulder. Another annoying bellow came from Joe, and Adam rested his right hand over the bleeding wound. "Just what exactly did you do to her?"

"I fucked her." Joe laughed as he became crazed. "The Queen wanted us to mess her up so no prince would ever want her, so I fucked her and Jack made sure she wouldn't have no offspring by stabbing her here!" He tried to stab one of his daggers into Adam's groin area and stomach. "She's so physically scarred that she would never be the fairest of them all in this Realm!"

Joe began to frantically and crazily laugh, but Adam had gotten all of the information that he needed from Joe. He pressed his bare and poisonous right hand over Joe's face and remained silent. It didn't take long before Joe's bald headed face melted away and crisped into ashes. From his skull to his toes he turned into white ashes in a mere few moments. When all that remained were ashes and bloody clothes, Adam stood and turned to Jack. He did not know when, but apparently Jack vomited and shat himself just like Joe had.

"Still think I'm trying to be a hero?" Adam asked as he walked over the ash covered clothes to approach Jack.

"Yo're fucking crazy!" Jack squealed and more frantically pulled at the knife embedded in his shoulder.

"Possibly." He shrugged as he stood before Jack, his coat fluttering around him. "I am the Queen's bastard creation, so I do suppose that some of the craziness stuck with me." Jack's eyes widened. "However, this is not me being crazy at all, this is actually very calm and sane." He rested his left hand on the knife in Jack's shoulders. "I'm merely making sure that everything is right and fair." He merely stared at Jack as Jack weakly tried to grab hold of Adam's wrist to pull the knife out. "And I'm just fucking the two of you up like you did to her."

"I hope you burn in hell!" Jack spat and Adam merely placed his bare right hand over Jack's face. Just like Joe his melted away, but with more of a smoky smell since he actually had hair on his head. Just like Joe, Jack turned into a pile of ashes at Adam's feet. Still holding the knife in his hand Adam looked around his new home at the two giant gust piles and huffed. "Now I have a mess to clean up. . ."


Author's Note:

Thank you so much for reading! I hope you're enjoying the story so far!

Please leave me a review, tell me what you think!

Thanks for coming along the journey with me, stay tuned for more!

Ko-fi/SarahtheWriter