26. Ashmaker #2
He cocks his head, his large, eerie blue-gray eyes meeting mine, and a cold shiver races down my spine.
"You have a lot of questions, Ashmaker. Some I'll answer, some you'll come to understand on your own.
" He takes a step closer, and shows me his empty, gloved hands, in a platitude that he doesn't mean to harm me.
If he thinks that will make me trust him, or relax my stance, he's unhinged.
I don't know this man, this Ghost who seems to haunt me, and I'm not sure I want to.
Don't lie, you're at least curious. The voice that sometimes appears inside my head chooses this moment to make itself heard, disorienting me, and I have to fight not to close my eyes as a wave of dizziness overtakes me.
I can't leave myself vulnerable. This man before me is a predator, and I don't mean to be his willing prey.
"Yes, in a way I'm like you. I hunt demons who hurt others and make them pay. We differ in our methods, and I enjoy my tactics more than you do. I delight in their screams and pain, and I'm not ashamed to confess that."
"We are not the same then. What I do is necessary; it's a purification of their sins. I do not hunt them for enjoyment, or relish in their deaths. Murder and torture have a harsh price on one's soul, and mine is tarnished with theirs."
He takes another step forward until he is fully in the light, and I quickly rise to my feet, brandishing the blade, and refusing to be at a disadvantage.
"We're more alike than you know. We are both damaged from what we've suffered.
We were once prey just like those you now pursue justice for.
We've seen evil and survived. We know the ugliness that lives in the world around us, hidden by the shadows. "
Something about him seems very familiar, something I can't quite place, and it's disconcerting.
Is it his voice, the size of his frame, even his eyes?
I've seen them somewhere before. A sharp pain begins at the back of my skull, and it has me flinching, which I instantly regret as I register he's noticed, his hand lifting as if to touch me.
His dark eyebrows rise closer to his hairline, and he takes a larger step forward, only to stop when he sees my reaction.
"You are unwell, Ashmaker. All of this is beginning to take a toll on you.
You have worked too hard at your task. Let me help you, let me be an extension of your strength and will.
" His words slide across my skin like the finest of silks, and in them I register need and anxiousness.
Why would he want to help me? How does he know all of this is weighing on me?
Does it weigh on him too? Are his hands as permanently tainted as mine are?
So many questions to the puzzle before, I wonder if I'll live to find the answers.
Maybe death would be a blessing, then all of this would finally be at an end, and I could rest.
I drop the blade to my side. "Why? Why do you want to help me?"
Instead of moving towards me, he shifts silently and heads for Jesse, crouching down in front of him, and giving me his back in an act of trust that I won't stab him from behind.
"I told you, we're very much the same. Two kindred souls, both broken, but still living and breathing.
I'm inspired by your work, and admire your courageousness to seek justice where it has failed.
Let me help you, and together we can rid the world of more men like this one. "
He raises his black-gloved hand and squeezes Jesse's chin, as he screams in pain and terror behind his hastily gagged mouth. "He deserves to die, but he hasn't suffered nearly enough for his crimes. Let me show you that I can be your servant, Ashmaker."
He looks over his shoulder at me, his intense gaze bearing into mine, and I feel a bolt of exhilaration flow through my system.
It's been so long since I truly enjoyed delivering punishment.
Lately it has felt agonizing, like I too was losing a piece of my soul with each death.
I no longer feel the relief of their deaths, just the pressure to rid the world of the next one, knowing that the number of predators in this world is endless.
Perhaps he can help me. It would mean I could get through my tasks quicker, and more women and children could be saved. Yes, I desperately want and need that.
He reaches out his palm and beckons to me for the knife, his eyes never leaving mine.
I hesitate for a moment, and an instant sadness seems to pervade from him.
"I will show you that I can be worthy of you.
I will not disappoint you, and I will never allow you to be caught.
You have my solemn vow, from my dark soul to yours. "
I step forward and place the blade in his hand, but before I release it, I squeeze his fingers tight around the hilt, and bring his hand to point at his heart. "How do I know I can trust you? All men lie and deceive."
He pushes the blade closer, the point tearing through his clothes, until I am sure it's puncturing his skin. "I am yours always to command. I will lay down my life for yours. Your heart will always be in safekeeping in my hands, and mine in yours. We were always meant to be together."
His pretty words have a ring of truth to them, and cause my chest to constrict.
It's on the tip of my tongue to refuse him; trust is earned, not freely given.
He must see the indecision on my features, as he nods his head in understanding and turns away.
He pulls the blade away from his chest and turns back to Jesse.
"You have hurt people, women, and children.
Your sins must be punished, and your sentence has been pronounced by Ashmaker. "