Title: Oh, the misery, everybody wants to be my enemy
Warnings: violence, death, explicit language.
Reviews:
tomdarryecs: Blaine is definitely a cinnamon roll in this one lol. We promise Rachel will make more appearances though! Thank you!
MarciaChapter2: We love it lol. You will find out the cat's identity in this chapter! There will be more of Sam puppet too! Glad everyone gets what we were doing with him haha. You will also find out more about the cats this chapter! We hope you enjoy it and don't want to murder us after it's over! Haha
Guest: thank you so much! We are so happy you are liking it!
Blaine's siege of the obsidian castle began as soon as he arrived that afternoon. So what if it was a one man siege where he literally had only the dagger Cooper gave him to defend himself that he had stupidly forgotten about when he met Kurt? And so what if it was against a wizard who could kill him as easily as crushing an ant? He was here and he was going nowhere without Lady Rachel.
He had successfully snuck away from Lima that morning after replenishing his food supply. He left a note and some money as a thank you and tried not to think about how disappointed they would all be that he had gone. Especially Felix and Felicity. They had begged him to put on a show for them and he promised he would. He intended to keep that promise too, just as soon as he returned Lady Rachel to her home.
After pitching his tent and building a fire, Blaine spent the evening humming to himself as he made his dinner and admired all the stars in the sky. What was his plan? The castle was a disquieting giant looming in the dark. He couldn't just camp outside the walls until Hummel grew annoyed with him and put him out of his misery. The thing that had saved him from death had been how he had treated the graves of his parents. Well, that and his charming personality. At least that's what he believed.
But maybe that's what he needed to do! Blaine sat up from where he had been laying on his mat. The fire snapped as a burning log fell. He needed to impress the wizard. Butter him up, so to speak, so that he would favor Blaine and give Lady Rachel back. This was foolproof!
He started the very next day. He washed in the river nearby and put on his fresh set of clothes from his pack. Then he trimmed his beard very carefully with the dagger and tried to make himself look slightly presentable. He would treat this like he was an ambassador and he was visiting a hostile king or dignitary. Easy. He could definitely get into character and pretend. Before he left the river, he gathered up lots of wildflowers into two small bouquets and tied them up with scraps of velvet ribbon he found in the bottom of his pack.
Next came the fun part. He pulled out his sewing kit and his felt and set to work. By the time the sun was in the middle of the sky, he had a quite adorable little cat. The wizard seemed to like cats since he had a whole army of them.
All the time he had been getting ready, the fluffy gray cat had found him and sat watching him curiously. Blaine talked to her like she would actually answer, telling her all about his family and his puppets and his travels. She seemed to listen, batting at the ribbon with her paw and curling her tail back and forth. Blaine was actually glad for the company since he had never really been alone for this long before.
Satisfied with his work, Blaine took a few seconds to compose himself.
"Just think peaceful. Think positive. He's not going to maim you!" The cat made an odd coughing noise at that and Blaine frowned at her. "Don't be rude. I'm doing my best here— What is your name by the way?" He bent down and looked at the little silver plate. "Mercedes? That's a pretty name." He pet her gently which she leaned into before stilling and looking towards the castle. She meowed and took off towards the entrance, stopping and looking back like she had done the first time. Blaine gathered his gifts and hurried off to follow her.
It was earlier in the day than the previous time he had been there and just as breathtaking. Blaine admired the ice as he carefully walked through to the courtyard, jumping at any sound and cat that crossed his path. He was sweating by the time he made it to the graves.
Kneeling as he did before, Blaine placed the bouquets he had arranged in front of the stones and said a quiet hello. Unlike before, the wizard was already down in the courtyard and nearly gave him a heart attack.
"You know, I thought you were foolish, but now I'm wondering if you just have a death wish." He had been leaning against a slab of ice in the shadows behind Blaine's back, but he sauntered forward. Blaine nearly jumped out of his skin. "Are you part of some society that enjoys the thrill?" Hummel tossed off his gold and emerald brocade robe and began to roll up the sleeves of the well-fitted silk shirt underneath. He laughed coldly. "You do have courage or perhaps no sense of danger, but no matter. The brave and the cowardly all sizzle the same."
"Wait!" Blaine shouted and stepped aside to show the flowers. "I brought gifts!"
The wizard stopped and squinted at Blaine. "Should I be jealous? You bring my dead parents flowers? Are you in love with them or something?"
"What? NO! Of course not!" Blaine sputtered.
"You do know the message you're conveying with all those flowers is not very flattering."
Blaine wheeled to look at the flowers. "Oh, damn! Really? I'm sorry, I thought they were just pretty—"
The wizard laughed nastily. "No, stupid. My are we gullible."
Gritting his teeth and hissing a breath through them, Blaine pulled the little cat out of his pocket. Hummel flinched back, but Blaine showed him the little felt cat before he could attack. "For you!" he said proudly as he held it out.
Suspicious blue eyes flicked from the little stuffed cat to Blaine's face. He didn't move. Blaine could have sworn Mercedes sighed.
Slowly, Blaine set the cat down on the stone and pushed it towards the man opposite him with his toe. "I made it! As a peace offering. I know you still won't give me Lady Rachel back, so I intend to win you over! Every day, I shall prove myself to you!" He grinned winningly at the wizard's blank expression.
"Tell me," he said mildly. "While you were gathering those flowers, did you happen upon some pretty mushrooms and did you eat them? Because that would explain a lot…"
Blaine set his jaw. "You mock me."
The wizard smiled, just a tiny thing. "A little, yes." While he didn't appreciate the joke at his expense, that tiny little smile was a crack in the door. If he could just push a little each day, he would soon step over the threshold.
"Isn't it rude to your guest?" Blaine asked lightly.
"Oh, I would be cautious were I you. I have every right to kill you where you stand. I specifically told you not to come back, yet you did anyway." The wizard made a shooing motion and a little bolt of the green lightning shot out at Blaine's feet. He yelped and leapt away. When he looked up, the wizard was already putting his fancy robe back on. "Leave before I change my mind. And stop bringing things. It won't work. I shan't give her back to you." He didn't even look back before slamming the door he went into that last time.
Sure, Blaine got slightly discouraged, but he wasn't going to give up. He left the little cat on the ground and began planning more gifts.
It became a ritual; for the next several days, Blaine would prepare some sort of offering with Mercedes watching as she lounged in the sun. Then he would go into the courtyard and give it to the wizard who completely ignored him. Blaine wasn't sure if he would rather the wizard talk to him and be mean to him or just ignore him. There was a pile growing of all the little gifts Blaine brought him in the same place. Maybe the wizard didn't trust him yet. Still, he found it very rude that he wouldn't even check. He was running out of food and he knew he couldn't live in a tent for the rest of his life.
It was the fifth day and Blaine was bringing three very shiny rocks he found at the river as his gift that day when he heard a commotion. He was almost to the courtyard as the yells and sounds of a struggle made him rush the rest of the way.
It was a knight in gleaming armor with a sharp sword that she definitely knew how to use. Blood from an injury to her shoulder stained one side of it red as she pointed her sword at Hummel who seemed quite unbothered. He was also completely unharmed, much to Blaine's relief. He might not be able to find Lady Rachel if Kurt were deceased. He shook his head. He wasn't familiar enough to call him by his first name. Best not even think it so he wouldn't slip up.
"So you don't repent of your sins, bleeder?" She spat the slur like a curse. Blaine had heard it before, along with the propaganda that all magical beings murdered people for their blood so they could cast spells. It's what made Hummel look suspicious for taking his parent's bodies.
The name didn't seem to land on Hummel as he twisted one of his rings. "Sins? Like trespassing onto a strangers land and trying to kill them? Ohhh, wait. That was you, dear." Hummel's smile was made of malice. "All of you are the same. Hypocrites through and through."
The knight roared at him and charged with her sword. She was faster than Blaine thought and he almost cried out for Hummel to be careful. She was only inches away and he had made no move to defend himself. He moved his hand and an invisible force knocked the knight's legs out from under her. With a sickening snap, they crumpled out an angle they weren't supposed to, making her collapse. It was completely silent for about three seconds before she let loose a horrible scream of pain.
Hummel watched passively for a few moments before bending at the waist so that they were almost eye level. "Yes, all the same I'm afraid. Tale as old as time. Pity."
She seethed, screaming at him as she swung her sword in an arc. Hummel sighed and twitched his hand with all the effort of shooing a fly. The sword flew from her hands and skittered away with a metallic clang. The knight's eyes flew wide and she put her hands up over her face defensively. "Mercy! Please don't—" She was cut off with a bloody gurgle that dripped from her mouth as she looked up in shock at the wizard. She slumped and dropped to the ground with terrible finality. He had barely moved once again and her throat had been slit so easily that Blaine scarcely believed it.
In that moment, Blaine knew two things: one, Hummel was even more ruthless and powerful than he thought. The other was that he was unsure how he had managed to stay alive so long. He should have done something to help her, but he had been frozen to the spot like he was also made of ice.
Hummel stood back up and walked away without another thought. The cats had gathered, staying off to the sides, but obviously waiting for something save Mercedes who sat very still beside Blaine. The dead knight seemed to melt into the ground, the red of her blood and the silver of her armor blending together in a puddle before bubbles began to form and pop. A large one, a pinkish color popped and a ginger cat leaped out. She joined the others and immediately began to lick at her wet fur.
Blaine looked away before he was sick and saw Hummel picking up the sword, holding it away from himself as if it was a rotten piece of fruit. He caught eyes with Blaine and smiled coldly.
"What's wrong? Not squeamish are we?" He carried the sword to a section of the wall that melted away as he waved his hand, displaying a huge pile of all manner of weapons: swords, axes, shields, spears, maces, and more. He tossed the sword with a disgusted twist of his mouth and it landed with a sharp clank. He wiped his hands on his trousers as the wall closed back up.
Blaine finally found his voice, weak as it was. "You— you killed her! And then—" His voice cracked at the thought. "She was begging for her life!"
"And she would have gladly killed me were she better at her sword craft. This is what I've been trying to tell you. I am not to be trifled with." He stalked closer, making Blaine back away until he hit an ice wall. Hummel's eyes seemed to glow and his smile widened in a frightening way. "Haven't you heard all the stories they tell? I'm an evil monster with a heart of ice! I'm the cause of every bad feeling. I am every plague, every misfortune!" Blaine's heart was slamming into his ribs as the wizard leaned even closer. Had his luck run out? Blaine wondered if he would be melted too. He had never been this close to Hummel before. His eyes weren't just blue, but green too and it was like they could see through him into his very soul. Blaine could feel a slightly uncomfortable pull towards him and he wondered if it was magic. His musings were overshadowed by intense fear for his life as Hummel trapped him against the wall. He leaned over, causing Blaine to flinch and scrunch his eyes shut tightly. He was braced for the pain when Hummel whispered in his ear. "What you are trying to do here is useless. Want to know why? Because they are right. I wish them nothing but ill will and the darkest ire. I wish for them all to die in excruciating pain. Let them wilt and burn and die away. Every. Single. One."
The complete seriousness in his voice was chilling. He moved away just enough for Blaine to be able to breathe again. "But— but you spared me…"
Hummel frowned and pushed away, putting space between them. "I have thus far. A decision I regret. And one I reconsider every day. I might be a heartless bastard, but I honor respect. And I'm still considering turning you into a cat."
His legs nearly went out from under him. He chanced a look at the cats and realization dawned. "All the cats…" Blaine could hear the horror shake his voice. "Are they all… people?"
The wizard smiled evilly.
Dropping his rocks, Blaine ran away back to his tent as fast as he could. The wizard's harsh laughter echoed around him, spurring him on faster.
Once he was inside, he flopped down to his mat and took several shaky breaths as he willed his heartbeat to calm.
Hummel was the devil. Of that he was certain. He was trying to bewitch Blaine and had almost succeeded in making him think he was harmless. Except he wasn't. Blaine was horrified. How could he do that? To the people? To the knight? Bile rose at the memory of what he had seen. How did Hummel get this way? How did he go from a quiet boy in the village to a monster who murdered his own father and others without a second thought? And why did he have Lady Rachel? Surely he would have taken pleasure in crushing Blaine's hopes if she was already dead. And why hadn't he killed him yet? He obviously had no problem killing people.
It was too many questions. Blaine dug the heels of his palms into his eyes and saw colors swirl like the fireflies he loved to watch so much. He was conflicted and confused and no closer to to rescuing lady Rachel than he had been a week ago when he started this. Maybe he should just give up. He could never come close to the bravery and skill of the knight and look at how that turned out.
A meow cause him to sit up sharply. Mercedes sat in the opening of his tent as if waiting for him to invite her in.
"Come in," Blaine said. He gasped when she did and sat down in front of him. "So you can understand me?"
She nodded.
Blaine nearly fell over. "All this time? Can you talk?"
Although she was a cat, the withering look she gave him was all human.
"Right. Sorry. So, you aren't a cat? You're a human?"
She nodded.
Blaine forgot his earlier terror and scooted closer to her. "So have you been here a long time?"
Mercedes looked toward the castle and nodded slowly. Her ears drooped.
He felt for her. "Why is he so awful? Never mind. You can't answer that." He scrambled for another question. "Have you know him a long time?"
She turned back to him, nodding eagerly. Blaine wondered how long it had been since she had gotten to communicate with another person. "So was he always like he is today?"
Her eyes grew sad and her ears fell again. She shook her head.
Another question made his heart pound. Dare he? Today had proven Hummel was not forgiving. He looked to Mercedes. "Have you seen Lady Rachel?"
Her ears twitched as did her tail. She nodded.
Blaine shifted and licked his lips. "Is she... alive?"
Mercedes nodded.
He breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, that's good. Could you take me to her? Would you be willing?"
She looked down to the ground at her paws sheepishly.
Blaine's hopes fell, but at least he knew Lady Rachel wasn't dead. "That's fine. I guess he might hurt you if he thinks you betrayed him." He caught her eye again, his resolve solidifying. "I'm going to find a way to free you. All of you. I can do it, I just know it. Will you help me?"
She purred and nodded, her golden eyes lighting up.
This was going to be difficult, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Kurt Hummel was a puzzle, someone who he didn't understand and honestly left him a little scared, but he had spared him. He had at least spared all the cat people. He couldn't be all terrible. Mercedes had confirmed he hadn't always been that way and Blaine was determined to help him see he could be different. He looked down at his pack where a few of his puppets were and he formed a new plan. It would require bravery, or stupidity rather, and a little luck. But he had to come up with a way to spend more time with him.
Cross my heart and hope to die, welcome to my dark side
He went to the courtyard early that next morning, his puppets and Mercedes accompanying him. She had slept next to him in his tent that night and he was glad for her presence. Was he afraid? Very much. But he was also stubborn.
When he was ten and Cooper was sixteen, he had eaten more berries out of sheer determination to beat his brother. Did he spend hours sick and vomiting every few minutes? Yes. Did just the smell of those berries turn his stomach even to this day? Also yes. But had he won? Absolutely. This was just another challenge. If he was going to do this, he had to think of it that way or he might lose his courage.
"Hello, friends!" Blaine called out as he entered the courtyard. The cats looked up curiously as he and Mercedes spread a blanket on the ground and one between two poles from his tent he brought. He had chosen a spot facing the graves and sat behind the blanket. "I have a very special show for you today! I'm sure it's been a long time since you have had any sort of fun." He shot a pointed look towards the castle. "So I've put together a little show for you all!" He smiled at the graves. "Both of you too. I'm sorry your son is so mean." He turned his nose up at the castle and began his show. At first it was only Mercedes, but soon some of the other cats came to watch. He was about halfway through and had gathered a little crowd when the door opened and Hummel came out. He was in different robes, just as magnificent as his others, but purple and black this time with gold embroidery. His arms were folded across his chest as he approached and his eyebrow raised. Blaine began to sweat, but he didn't let his fear show.
"What's this foolishness?" Hummel asked.
Blatantly ignoring the person who could squash him like a bug with very little effort, Blaine continued on with his show. "Now, ghosts and cats. Let's have the second act of our show where The Very Rude Wizard contracts Mean Pox for being mean to our heroes, the Bard and his cat friends. Let's hope in this half, he falls in a hole."
The wizard came close and looked down on all of them. His face was neutral except for a twitch in the corner of his lip. "What if The Very Rude Wizard decides he wants to turn the… Bard, was it? The Very Foolish Bard into a mop so he can have some fucking peace and quiet for once?"
Blaine was trying to think of a response to that that wouldn't get him turned into a mop when the arrow struck right next to him. Immediately, the cats scattered and Hummel wheeled around towards the direction of the arrow. A man in a hooded dark robe was shooting a bow at them from behind a stairwell. He notched another arrow and let it fly. Blaine didn't even have time to run, but he knew it would hit him. It fell towards him, whistling through the air when it was batted away right before it hit him. Blaine turned to Hummel in shock. He had moved the arrow. Oh, and did he look angry. All it took was a sweep of his arm and the archer was struck with the green lighting and set aflame. He screamed and ran, but the flames only grew higher and higher until he disappeared into a pile of ash, bow and all. Above him an icicle melted, dripping over the pile and wetting it. It formed into a block and rolled over to a wall before sinking in perfectly to an open place.
Slowly, Blaine turned back to the wizard who was breathing heavily and still looked quite pissed. He looked at Blaine and came towards him, his eyes scanning him.
"I'm alright," Blaine said shakily. "I'm unharmed."
"I don't care," Hummel replied. "Move. I want to check the graves for damage."
Blaine did as he was told, a smile creeping onto his face. "I thought you didn't care about them?"
Hummel didn't turn around, but he paused. "I never said I didn't care. I just said you're an idiot."
"Oh, truly." Blaine clasped his hands behind his back as he watched him check over the stones. It took longer than he thought it should. "You obviously care—" Blaine stopped. His smile widened.
Hummel turned around, suspicious. "What? Why are you smiling at me like that? Stop it!"
"You saved me," Blaine said joyfully.
The wizard wrinkled his nose. "I did no such thing!"
"Yes, you did!" Blaine stood and slowly advanced on him. He was gratified to see Hummel take an uncertain step back. "You tell me every chance you get that you are going to kill me, but when you finally get the chance, you save me instead!"
"I didn't!"
"You did." Blaine stepped forward as Hummel stepped back again. "You saved my life."
He shook his head. "No."
"Yes."
"I only moved the arrow so it wouldn't hit the graves! I do not care if you live or die!" He glared at Blaine.
Blaine stopped, aware he shouldn't back a dangerous person into a corner. "Regardless, I owe you my life."
"You don't."
"Yes, I do! And I know what that means. Do you?"
Hummel frowned deeper. "Absolutely not. Don't you dare—"
Blaine kneeled and Hummel looked pale. "I pledge my life and service you, Kurt Hummel, dark wizard and Lord of the Obsidian Castle."
"Fine. I release you. Up you get."
"It's too late." Blaine grinned triumphantly up at him. "It's done. I won't ever give up. Now what do you require of me first, Master?"
Something flickered in the wizard's eyes that Blaine wasn't quite sure he liked. A calculating smile curled up his lips. Blaine gulped.
"Very well. Move your tent into the courtyard. I accept your life. I will inform you of when I have need of it." He stepped forward, pushing Blaine back a few steps. "Until then, just stay right here." He winked and then spun away going back into his castle.
Blaine's heart was pounding. He did it! He was slightly worried about the ramifications of pledging his life to someone so violent, but he was one step closer to rescuing Lady Rachel and helping Mercedes along with the other cat-people.
Weird and wonderful world of mine, I'm a man but I'm just grown
He wasted no time moving his things into the courtyard. He chose a place under an overhang of ice that looked the least lethal should it fall on him. At least now something would break the wind a little and stop knocking his tent down.
The first night was a little lonely. He had sort of hoped the wizard would at least come out for a walk, but he was disappointed. Then the cats came. They caterwauled all night, startling him out out sleep and making him a little less sympathetic to their cause. Mercedes wasn't around and the others didn't respond to him the way she did.
On a better note, it was a surprise to him that it wasn't cold being surrounded by all the ice. He was also happy that he could still see the stars clearly.
The morning dawned and Blaine was up with the sun, first going down to the river to wash, then making himself some breakfast with his dwindling supplies. He would have to go refresh them soon. He wasn't anywhere close to full and had to keep his meal out of reach of all the cats, but he began his day. He went around the entire courtyard, clearing away any vines and buds that had fallen. Then using a soft cloth, he polished the gravestones.
It had only been an hour and he had nothing else to do. His new master hadn't shown his face yet and the cats kept trying to get into his things. So he decided to snoop.
He found nothing of interest around the perimeter of the courtyard other than cats and evidence of cats. The wall was very thick and very solid. Blaine wondered if anything could actually knock it down. He found a staircase and took it up to the top of the wall, marveling at how far he could see. He had never been up up so high before. It was breathtaking. The trees looked as tiny as toys and the river was more like a stream. The village of Lima was too far away to see, but the path to it wound up and down the wooded hills and valleys.
A pang hit his heart then. He wished for someone to be beside him, to share in this. His family for one. He had missed them every day, but something about seeing this view all alone had him homesick. Cooper would be an idiot and try hanging off of the wall. Doug would chastise him and probably hide on the steps. And his mother would snuggle up next to him to protect him from the wind even though she was tiny. She would smile and admire the view with him. His father would have wrapped him and his mother up in a tight hug. Tears pricked his eyes at the thought. He could imagine it all clearly.
There was something else though. The same feeling he had countless times before. He wanted his family of course, but also that faceless someone who he wanted to share all his special moments with. Maybe after all this was over, he could spend some time looking for him. Until then, he had a job to do.
All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put me back together again
Mercedes Jones was feeling more cat than person these days. Ever since Kurt had changed her, she felt it day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year.
When he had begun changing the others, she was very excited because she thought she would finally have someone to talk to who would actually listen. But the others weren't like her. They succumbed much faster to it than she did. She wouldn't even look at Kurt for a whole month after that. Not that she had a perfect relationship with him anyway. She was mostly equal parts angry, frustrated, and sympathetic towards him. However, she had a feeling that might change soon.
The inside of the castle was nothing like the foreboding outside. It was a little dark, but warm and beautiful. Gilded rich wood carvings covered the walls and decorated the staircases. The walls were dark blues and greens, crimson and grey. Plush velvet furniture was scattered everywhere, but more than that were the plants. No flowers, but vines, trees, bushes, and ferns flourished from every available surface. Mercedes often felt as if she were outdoors while she was inside. At first, she wasn't sure why Kurt would want plants since he didn't seem to care about anything but revenge. However, once she found the lab it became clear.
She went there now, certain she would find Kurt inside. This room had no plants, but housed shelves and shelves of bottles, books, candles, and instruments to process the ingredients. There were wet and dried forms of all the plants everywhere, a room of potions and poisons. He would spend hours and hours here, pouring over his books. Sometimes he wouldn't eat or sleep for days, even with her constant reminders.
Sure enough, he was leafing through that stupid old book, its cracked binding carefully mended as best he could. The gold hinges that held it closed swung a little as he compared one passage to another farther in. Mercedes had a sudden desire to attack the swaying clasp that she squashed, cursing it. She would never give in fully.
Kurt was whispering to himself, tracing words with a fingertip. With his other hand, he ran his fingers through his hair and released a deep breath. He twisted the two stacked gold rings he wore on his left ring finger. They were the least expensive of the two, but he treasured them the most she knew. He was so focused on his book that he hadn't even noticed her yet. He was getting worse and worse about that. She reached out to him, but he stared at the book, eyes unfocused.
She growled. KURT!
He drew in a harsh breath through his nose and the clouds in his eyes cleared. "Hmm? What?"
Her tail curled around her feet and she gave him her meanest cat stare. Did you eat?
"I'm not hungry." He fondled the golden clasps.
It's been two days. You need to eat.
"I'm fine."
I want to be human again and that can't happen if you DIE. Eat.
"If I don't get this shit right, no one gets to be human!" Kurt spat. Wind blew through the room, swirling the pages of opened books and rattling the glass.
Back arched and fur standing up, Mercedes hissed. The wind ceased immediately.
Kurt's legs seemed to buckle and he slid into the floor like he was made of the flimsy paper of his books. He knelt in front of her and held a hand out.
She turned her head, sticking her nose in the air. No way was she forgiving him so easily.
Kurt's eyes filled with tears and he let his hand drop. She noticed his eyes were red and purpled underneath. Of course he wasn't sleeping either. She wanted to bite him for not taking care of himself.
"Please, Mercedes. I need you. Don't you leave me too. I'm sorry. Please…"
She sighed. If she hadn't seen the boy he used to be, she wouldn't believe him. Quickly, she touched her nose to his hand.
I'm still angry with you, but I'm with you. However, you must take better care of yourself. Your glamours might work on Blaine and the assassins, but they don't work on me. You must eat and sleep or you will be too weak to wield your magic.
He sniffed and gently stroked her head. She resisted leaning into it. "You wound me. I don't look that terrible, do I?"
All she did was flick her tail once and he understood. He put his face in his hands and leaned his arms on his bent knees.
"Damn. I just have to make certain I have the whole thing committed to memory. Unfortunately there's no way to test it first."
Mercedes shifted uncomfortably as she thought of that annoying but innocent girl.
Kurt, she's innocent. Will you please reconsider—
He stiffened and drew his hand back. "We already agreed this was the best way. They owe us this debt. You speak of innocence? What was I then? What were you? We were but children! How else am I supposed to—"
Fine! I understand. I just wish it could be different.
He shrugged petulantly and toyed with his big emerald ring. "I sleep quite easily."
When you sleep.
He shot her a glare but she didn't care. She wasn't letting this go.
What about Blaine?
He didn't look at her but instead made little rainbows with the stone in the shaft of sunlight. "Oh, is he still here? I had hoped he drowned in the river already or choked on one of those god damned puppets."
She flicked her tail, disrupting his light.
Don't pretend you don't understand what I'm asking. Why are you keeping him around?
He wouldn't look at her. "I'm not 'keeping him'. He is free to leave at any moment. He's the one who thinks he owes me a debt. As I have stated repeatedly, I don't care what happens to him."
She definitely wasn't convinced. However, she wasn't used to not knowing Kurt's plans.
You don't do anything without reason…
Kurt stood then, only a little wobbly. He dusted off his jacket. "He's naught but a silly fool. A curse sent by a mother whose child I have dispatched. Nothing more. Don't burden yourself, Mercedes. Come. I'll eat and rest and then we can take our walk."
While she was disappointed, she knew it was pointless to keep pursuing things. Kurt was tired and weak and easy to talk to at the moment. However, once he had eaten and slept, he would be single-minded and surly. He could snap into one of his rages at any moment and she intended not to be the cause. She padded beside him as he used magic to help him down to the kitchens like a crutch.
If you wish to keep secrets, so be it. Just don't harm him. Please. He's a lovely person.
He didn't answer. He didn't have to. She knew he wanted to use Blaine for something, but as to what she was as clueless as the man himself.
Side note, this chapter was a whole lot darker in its first draft. So before you yell at us, just know it could have been worse lol.
*Music used in chapter titles/breaks:
-Enemy: Imagine Dragons
-Darkside: Neoni
-Home: Barnes Courtney
-All the King's Horses: Karmina
*we do not own music!*