"Tell me why I shouldn't stick this knife down your throat," she growled.
"Woah, Abigail," Archer muttered, ignoring Harry's disapproving frown. The woman didn't seem to hear him. In fact, it was as if the two young men weren't even in the room at all. Roderrick's tongue twitched against the blade as she slowly pushed it in further, to the point where just a simple swallow would make him bleed. His breath came out in a ragged wheeze, which seemed to fuel Abigail's lust for his demise. "Beg," she said menacingly. She yanked Roderrick's head back, clinging tight to his greying hair. His Adam's apple bobbed desperately against his skin as he fought the urge to gag. Abigail was determined to make him choke on her knife. "Beg /me/ for your life!" Her grandson could take it no longer and made to lunge forward, but Harry had a firm grip on him by then. "Archer, calm down," Harry hissed. "This isn't your problem." "I can't let her do this!" Archer snapped, hitting Harry's hand away and giving him a stern look before turning back. "BABS, STOP!!" The woman wheeled around, slicing through the connective tissue at the corner of Roderrick's mouth. He screamed, which only tore it more. With great effort he clamped his mouth shut and doubled over as far as his restraints would allow him, yanking wildly at them as he moaned in pain. Abigail ignored all of this, her knife poised to skewer Archer who was advancing slowly towards her. "Don't call me that," she whispered, eyes wide and burning with a fury that was unlike any other Archer had seen. "Don't you ever call me that." "Why?" Archer asked, making sure his hands were visible to her as he took a step forward, then another. "Because /he/ used to call you that?" "Don't," Abigail warned, holding the knife even more threateningly. But Archer didn't stop, his gaze focused and his voice steady. "Because /Alistair/ used to call you Babs? /His/ Babs?" "Stop," the woman choked, trying hard to control her emotions. The blade shook in her hand, so she gripped it with both. "Why are you doing this?" "Why are /you/ doing this?" Archer countered quietly. "Because he killed Alistair!" Abigail screeched, jumping behind Roderrick and grabbing hold a fistful of hair again. Archer stopped as he watched the blade, its tip now digging into the soft skin of the man's neck as Abigail continued to scream. "He tortured him, made him suffer. He tied the noose around Alistair's neck and he watched him hang." Roderrick let out a grunt as the blade pierced his skin. It wasn't deadly, but it was certainly getting there. Archer stood frozen, bright eyes gaging the situation before he let his hands fall to his side and his shoulders slope in defeat. But Abigail was a statue, she didn't budge. Archer sucked in his cheeks before letting out a puff of hot air. "You know, you once told me that your biggest regret was having the blood of this guy on your hands. You said it turned you into a person that you had never wanted to be, that you didn't even recognize yourself half of the time." Archer gestured to Roderrick and took a step forward. Abigail still didn't move, her eyes glued to his face. "You don't want to do this, Abigail," the young man said, his words firm and gentle. "I've seen what it does to you. And that's with Alistair still alive. Imagine the destruction it'll cause now." Archer's words trailed off as his warm fingers wrapped around hers. They were as cold as the blade still pressing against Roderrick's neck. "He wouldn't want this for you," Archer whispered, coaxing Abigail to remove her knife. "Not then, not now, not ever." The sound of the blade hitting the floor seemed to snap Abigail from her stunned reverie. She jerked back, trying to create distance between Archer and herself, but his grip on her hand was ironclad. "I hate you," she whispered, blinking furiously in an attempt to stop the tears. "And I hate him. I will kill him someday--" "No you won't," the young man said firmly. She yanked her arm free, glaring at him with a queen like expression that made his stomach flip. "You're a fool," she finally spat, her eyes darting over him. "And one day it'll get you killed." "No better way to die, ma'am," Archer said brightly. Abigail turned on her heels and marched out of the room while Harry came up behind Archer. "So are you gonna let him live?" Harry asked, glancing down at Roderrick who was staring up at them with enough venom to take down a bull elephant. "Me? Yes," Archer said before giving out a low whistle. The door at the back of the room which had previously gone unnoticed opened. The young man smiled as their accomplice strolled casually in. "Clement on the other hand...." Archer met Clement half way then handed him the knife. The two exchanged a few words in a low whisper before Archer squeezed his friend's arm, smiled, and turned back to Roderrick and Harry. "Let's go," he said, not giving Roderrick the time of day as he breezed past him. Harry's frown deepened as he looked between Clement and the detained man before he sighed and followed Archer out of the room.
