Chapter 34: A Drop of Red I
Ralph reached over and scooped Soleia into his arms before she could drop to the floor. She was as limp as a ragdoll in his arms, her eyebrows knitted together tightly as though she was in great pain.
"Shit. Soleia?" Ralph called out, shaking her gently in his arms, but to no avail. Soleia groaned softly in his embrace but otherwise made no movement, leaving Ralph to deal with the rapidly approaching old woman and the clerk alone.
"You have quite the nerve, young man, to steal from under my nose!" the old woman yelled as she pointed a wrinkly finger his way. She stormed over, her face red with rage as several customers watched on with curiosity. "I will have you handed over to the constables for this―!"
Her words were quickly swallowed and transformed into a scream when a shelf came toppling down.
The coppery smell of blood quickly permeated the air as a bold streak of scarlet danced across the store. Swords and machetes were thrown Ralph’s way, but with a wave of his hand, the red lines curved and knocked back all sorts of weapons, creating a protective dome around him and Soleia.
"My shop!" the old woman yelled in horror. Then, with fury-laden eyes, she glared at Ralph and screamed, "Get him!"
The store clerk immediately charged over, brandishing a weapon that was raised high, ready to strike. Several other cloaked men appeared from seemingly nowhere, possibly hidden guards that the old woman had employed for the store’s safety.
Ralph gritted his teeth. With one hand wrapped around Soleia, he maneuvered them out of harm’s way, blocking the incoming attacks gracefully and effortlessly. But a sudden numbness shot through him, causing him to gasp. It felt just like when they were still underground when Soleia had touched him then.
The blood that was in the air suddenly faltered, raining down onto the ground before it soaked through the carpets. At the same time, one of the men swung his dagger down.