Chapter 10. Healing Wonder

The following morning, Lilly was taken aback by the rapid improvement in Jacob's condition. His arm, which had been stiff and sore just the night before, now moved with a surprising fluidity that impressed her greatly. "Your healing speed is remarkable," she marvelled, her eyes wide with admiration. "It's astonishing to see you move so well after last night." Jacob, with a nonchalant shrug, brushed off her amazement, attributing his swift recovery to a family trait passed down through generations. "Good bloodlines," he quipped with a proud glint in his eye. In a playful tone, Lilly teased, "That must be quite handy for your adventurous life,"

Jacob mockingly gasped and widened his eyes in jest. "Are you suggesting I'm a troublemaker?" he playfully protested before boldly claiming, "Well, guilty as charged! The troublemaking champion!" His infectious enthusiasm elicited laughter from Lilly. After the mirth settled, Lilly excused herself for work. Jacob's voice broke the silence, his tone suddenly serious, "Walter is right. My presence here only increases the danger for you. I can't risk that after all you've done for me." Pausing at the door, Lilly's eyes sparkled with hope. "Your disappearing act may have bought us some time. You could stay a bit longer," she reassured him. Grateful, Jacob nodded, "Thank you for everything, Lilly. But it's safer if I leave late tonight. Your care has helped me greatly, and I don't want to endanger you further." A pang of sadness touched Lilly's heart, but she managed a soft smile before sighing gently, "I understand. Just take it easy today; no acrobatics. Save your strength." Jacob theatrically placed a hand over his heart and vowed with mischief in his eyes, "I promise to behave." "I expect a proper farewell," Lilly asserted firmly. "No vanishing acts, Jacob. You have a knack for those." Jacob flashed a mischievous grin in response. As Lilly shut the door behind her, she observed him affectionately, aware that she would cherish these fleeting interactions. With a sense of melancholy, Lilly departed, leaving Jacob to his gentle exercise.


As the night wore on, the hands of the clock inched closer to closing time, signalling Lilly that it was time to lock up the tavern. The evening had passed quietly, as she had expected, knowing her usual patrons had likely spent their earnings the night before. She bid farewell to Ella, allowing her to leave through the front door, brooding on the other farewell that she would be making shortly, before turning back to gently guide the remaining customers out into the chilly night air. With a steady pull, she shut the imposing wooden door, its faint creak reverberating through the now empty room. Retrieving the key from her apron pocket, Lilly's movements paused abruptly as the door swung open with a resounding thud.

In stormed three Templars led by Peter, their heavy boots echoing on the wooden floorboards. "Another wretched day," Peter grumbled, his voice rough with frustration. "That Hunter bastard has cracked the whip all day. And demanding we sit in the cold watching this place all night? Well, bugger that!" His sharp eyes bore into Lilly as he demanded brusquely, "Oi, sweetheart! Pour us a drink!"

Lilly exhaled wearily, weariness etching lines on her face. "I'm sorry, sir, but we're closed for the night," she stated firmly.

Peter's expression twisted with anger, a scowl darkening his features. "Your doors were open; I want a drink woman," he snapped imperiously at Lilly while motioning for his companions to sit down.

One of the Templars glanced nervously at Peter and protested in a hushed tone. "But our orders! If Hunter finds out we disobeyed… You didn't see what he did to Oliver on the bridge…" His voice trailed off in fear.

Peter waved off his concerns dismissively. "Oh, I heard. That twisted gobshite likely got well ard from strangling poor Oli to death. Everyone knows the stories about him and his fantasies..." He then shot Lilly an insinuating look that made her skin crawl. The Templar's cry pierced the air, "But Peter!"

Startled, Peter redirected his focus to his companion with a stern command, "Shut it and sit, you coward!" The other Templars promptly settled at the bar at his demand, and Peter firmly secured and locked the door, sealing off any escape. With a smug grin, he turned towards Lilly. "Now then, how about a private drink since we've been working our arses off keeping your streets safe?" His comrades chuckled in agreement, their protests now forgotten.

Lilly stood resolute, her arms crossed in defiance as she locked eyes with Peter. "We are closed for the night," she stated firmly, a touch of anger creeping into her voice. "I am tired and eager to retire. Please... leave!"

Peter advanced towards Lilly, invading her personal space and looming over her. Breathing heavily, he remarked, "Retire? To an empty, cold bed? How about I keep you warm?" With a sudden and unwelcome grip on her hips, Lilly's irritation flared, and she demanded, "Remove your hands at once!" Ignoring her plea, Peter chuckled callously and forcefully pushed her against the wall.

A wave of terror crashed over Lilly as the other two Templars joined in the cruel taunting, egging Peter on with malicious intent. "Come now," he sneered, pinning her harshly against the wall with his body while his other hand trailed insidiously down her thigh. "You're too lovely to stay a widow forever. Let us show you what you've been missing... what do you say, lads?"

Lilly's cry pierced the air, a raw sound that reverberated in the tavern, but it was abruptly silenced by Peter's cruel grip as he roughly flung her over the bar. With a sinister smirk, he started to lift her skirts while his partner held her arms down tightly.

Unaware of the looming danger, the third Templar stood unsuspecting until a swift shadow from the dim corridor descended upon him with ruthless force. The shadow lunged at the leering Templar with a sudden burst of energy, his body moving like a released spring. His hidden blade found its mark with ruthless precision, piercing the enemy's abdomen before swiftly retracting with a savage swipe. The Templar crumbled to the ground, grappling to contain the spill of entrails from his mortal wound.

Peter and his stout companion stood frozen, their eyes widening in astonishment at the sound of Jacob's commanding voice cutting through the chaotic atmosphere. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Jacob's tone was a dangerous murmur as he smoothly revealed his hidden blade with a deft flick of his wrist. A mischievous grin played on his lips as he teased, "Seems like manners are in short supply, wouldn't you agree, lads? Let's correct that, shall we?" The hulking Templar, his face flushing with rage and alarm, relinquished his grip on Lilly and advanced menacingly. Jacob's sharp hazel eyes flickered over his burly adversary, meticulously assessing every detail in silence. The man's imposing stature hinted at strength, yet Jacob discerned a lack of agility beneath the bulk.

Peter's rough grip yanked Lilly's hair, causing her to wince in pain as he dragged her upright, his fingers entwined tightly in her locks. With a cruel sneer, he aimed a pistol at her temple, his voice trembling with rage as he bellowed, "THAT'S THE BASTARD WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR! GET HIM!"

The imposing Templar exuded an aura of overwhelming authority, contrasting sharply with Jacob's fluid movements akin to a whispering shadow—soundless, lethal, and agile. Evading a clumsy swing effortlessly, he countered with calculated ferocity, his hidden blade slicing upward to rip through the brute's jaw with brutal precision. The strike was unrelenting, and the hulking figure collapsed to the ground, abandoned like a discarded puppet. Jacob's gaze, intense and menacing, fixed on Peter as he advanced steadily, every step echoing with a menacing hint of impending violence.

"STOP! Or I WILL decorate this wall with her pretty brains!" Peter's voice thundered through the tense air. Lilly's eyes widened with terror, shimmering with unshed tears as she looked at Jacob—a mix of fear and desperate hope in her gaze. Jacob paused near a humble table strewn with bits of cutlery—the ordinary scene starkly contrasting the violence unfolding around them.

Peter's voice oozed with malice as he clutched Lilly's throat, his anger palpable in the air. "So you have been harbouring him," he sneered, his tone laced with malevolence. "Is this your heart's desire? A handsome saviour?" Drawing closer with a menacing presence, Peter murmured in her ear, "Rest assured, that saviour won't be so pretty once our relentless Hunter has him." With a sinister laugh, Peter taunted Jacob, "Give up your arms and come with me, or she will suffer the consequences!"

In a fleeting moment of silence, Jacob's intense expression transformed, a malevolent smirk slowly stretching across his features. Deliberately, he carefully set down his pistol and kukri on the ground, nudging them aside dismissively as if they were insignificant obstacles in his way.

"Devilish Bastard…" Peter's voice thundered with anger, his eyes blazing with fury. "Don't think I've forgotten about that cursed glove! Take it off, NOW."

A sudden sharp rap echoed at the tavern door, followed by Ella's muted voice urgently calling out to Lilly. In that precise instant, the interruption played out exactly as Jacob had anticipated, and with swift and merciless precision, he snatched a fork from a nearby table and hurled it directly into Peter's eye. The sharp metal pierced its target unerringly, causing the Templar to reel back in excruciating pain, his anguished cry filling the room. Sensing her opportunity, Lilly summoned all her strength and pushed herself free from Peter's grasp as he frantically reached for his injured face.

Peter's agonized screams tore through the night, echoing like a banshee's wail as he stumbled, desperately trying to lift his pistol against the ruthless Assassin. But before he could even take aim, Jacob descended upon him with the fury of a raging storm, unleashing a brutal cascade of savage blows that pummelled Peter into the ground. "Devil, is it?" Jacob seethed, each strike landing with explosive force. "Pass on my regards to the real thing!" he spat, driven by an almost primal rage that extinguished the fire of pain in his shoulder, fuelling the relentless, merciless onslaught

Lilly's figure slumped heavily against the bar, her hands trembling as she massaged her bruised neck, desperately wiping away tears of fear. Amidst the chaos of Jacob's fierce clash with Peter, Ella burst into the room through the rear entrance, her eyes wide with terror at the horrific sight. Lilly tried to cry out to her, but Ella's piercing scream drowned out all other sounds as she fled in a panic.

In a frantic bid to change the course of events, Lilly hurled herself towards the fray, reaching out with trembling hands to grasp Jacob from behind. Startled, he whirled around, accidentally striking her with his arm and sending her crashing to the floor. Realizing his mistake, Jacob's voice was filled with urgent concern as he grasped her arm firmly, "Lilly!"

Gasping and struggling to shake off the shock of the fall, Lilly scrambled to her feet, her voice quivering with desperation as she declared, "I'm unharmed, Jacob. But we have to leave now... my barmaid has gone for more Templars... we need to run!"