Private Tales On the Run

[James Lanvarok]

Guards from Vel Anir had been chasing James all afternoon. The woods were growing thicker, and he didn't know how much more he could run. Pain gripped his chest, his heart and lungs overwhelmed with physical effort. He heard a harsh shout and froze, like a deer caught in a blizzard, right in the middle of the forest. Jumping to one side, he hid behind a tree, it's shadow masking him from the guards as they scouted the path just a stone's throw away.

"Shit, shit, shit!" He cursed to himself.

He didn't have time to wind his crossbow, but he could sense their anger. Like a tidal wave, it overwhelmed and brought his temper to a boil.

"Arrkk... Fuck!" Throwing his head down, he gripped his hair and clenched his teeth, veins throbbing at either side of his head. He wanted to run onto the road, to face them in combat and kill every last one, but logic forbid him.

Fortunately for James, he was as logical as he was turbulent and had become quite good at using logic to repress the torrent of emotions he siphoned.

"We know you're here, piggy!" One of the dreadlords said.

"Fucking bullies, leave me alone," James growled through clenched teeth.

The anger and murderous focus of the dreadlord drew near, and James knew he had to run. He gasped, pulled his back from the tree and sprinted, far across the bark, without taking a moment to look back. Dodging trees at every turn, he ran as fast as his stumpy legs would carry him. His chest ached. Throat dry, he almost wept from the pain, but dared not stop. Closing his eyes, he ran forward, them tripped straight over a ledge in the middle of the ground.

He was too preoccupied with face-planting the ground, he hadn't noticed the woman he had crashed into. He bowled over her, face flat in her breasts, and knocked her to the ground. The anger of the dreadlords subsided, and he felt them fade into forest. Sputtering, he pulled himself to his feet and looked down, to see the woman on her back. Had she been running too? From what?

James didn't know. Either way, she had been in his way and just about broke his face.

"Watch where you're going, bitch!" He shouted. "I'm moving here!"

A twig cracked. James sprung up, eyes wide and combed the air for the emotions of the dreadlords. They were present, but feint, meaning they were looking else where. He was thankful, but not entirely relieved. Slumping his shoulders, he sighed and brushed leaves and dirt off his front.

When he turned around, he saw the woman properly and...

Oh shit.

She was hot.

"Uhhh...." He shifted his eyes awkwardly and fiddled with his fingers. After letting a pause follow, he raised a hand and scratched his head, staring at a tree.

He sprung up, arms stretched out by his side and his eyes wide and filled with false surprise.

He was really, really bad at being diplomatic.

"My apologies! I should have been looking at where I was going!" He blurted out, with about as much as effort as it took him to take a piss in the morning.

"Ehe," he laughed.

James pulled the ends of his mouth back in an awkward, terrible smile, his blue eyes sheepishly directed at the sky. Hands clasped behind his back, he rocked back and forward, maintaining an aura of horribly forced innocence that he hoped would make the pretty lady forget about how he had just spoken to her.

 

[ZafiraJade]

"Freeze!" the soldier shouted at her for the umpteenth times as Zafira's black boots skidded. She looked at the dark woods, noting the high trees. Looking back at the three soldiers chasing her, Zafira put her hand out, green eyes morphing gold as she whispered a soft enchantment.

Zafira yanked at the water droplets in the sky and let it fall on top of their heads. For a moment, they paused in surprise. Probably expecting something more painful.

"Like hell, I'm going to freeze," Zafira muttered to herself, donning the hood of her cloak and pushing into the forest. They were chasing her for something that wasn't even her fault!

Well, technically not her fault.....

Zafira recalled the old, ugly man from the tavern, his belly probing from the white greasy tank he wore. He had been the loudest, most obnoxious man at the bar, bragging about his gambling abilities and taking from tourists and passerby's who didn't know better.

While everyone else was amazed by the man's 'skill', Zafira had noticed the sleight of hand he'd used. The man had made over 30 gold coins by cheating the people around him.

That was when Zafira had decided to join a game with him. He'd laughed at her, calling her a 'pretty, little lady' who didn't know better. She smiled at him sweetly and then had proceeded to lift every last coin that he's won that night.

A shiver of pleasure ran across Zafira's spine as she remember his engorged face turn into a bright purple.

So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed the young man running in her direction until she had collided with him. Zafira fell back hard, her head banging harshly against the man's. "Ow, what th-"

"Watch where you're going, bitch!" He shouted. "I'm moving here!"

Zafira's eyes narrow at the man's comments as she stood up. "Asshole," Zafira murmured quietly, shooting daggers at the man. She dusted the dirt off her cloak, eyes not moving from the man's. That was when she heard the rustles of footsteps, more than before.

Zafira bit back another curse. The rude man in front of her was being chased too. At his next, blubbering comments, Zafira refrained from rolling her eyes. Instead, she quickly circled her cold fingers around the man's wrist, pulling him close to her by a tree.

"You're going to have to stay very quiet for me, okay darling?" Zafira said in a soothing voice, offering the man a soft, sweet smile. On a normal day, it would have been sincere, but considering the man's crass comment, Zafira didn't feel very nice. As the guards and soldiers passed by, Zafira's eyes glistened.

She imagined the blue-eyed man's life thread in her eyes and borrowed some energy from it, intermingling it with her own. Slowly, the pair blended into the forest as the soldiers yelled, shouting for two different people.

 

[James Lanvarok]

"Asshole."

James heard the woman growl as she rose to her feet. Sputtering, he spat dirt out his mouth and pulled twigs and leaves from his hair. He spun around and stared at the woman accusingly. He wasn't the asshole. She had been the one in his way. Throwing his hands down, James curled his hands into fists and stared her down, his eyes running up and down her perfect figure.

Before he could spit another insult, the woman grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the shade of a tree. Footsteps rustled in the undergrowth, and the rage and intense focus of the dreadlords seeped into James, letting him know they were near.

"Hey! I... ah!" He shouted, almost falling over as the woman pulled him.

He followed her to the tree, where the two of them took cover. She told him to be quiet, her voice soothing and very patronizing. He had even apologized for the way he had spoken to her and she repaid him by bossing him around. James smirked. She probably had no idea what she was doing. Even though her words were laced with honey, James could sense her disgust of him. He wrenched her wrist off his hand and smacked her hand away.

"Don't tell me what to do!" He barked.

The woman ignored his demand and pulled a thread from his physical make-up, masking them both from the views of the shoulders. James sprung up, his eyebrows raised in surprise. He had to admit it was a pretty cool power. He certainly didn't know any invisibility tricks. Still, he didn't appreciate her using magic on him without his permission, but he had no time to protest, because she grabbed his hand and took off into the forest again.

They sprinted. Puffing and panting, James sensed the dreadlord's emotions fading the further they ran into the forest. His chest ached, and his lungs were strained. He wasn't sure he could run anymore.

"No, no, wait! Hah!" He panted.

"Uuugh..." He groaned. "I'm too fat for this!"

Halting in the middle of the road, James keeled over and placed his hands on his knees. He panted and gasped for breath, then reached for his water flask and raised it to his mouth, chugging most of it. He screwed it shut, attached it to his belt and released an exasperated sigh, then wiped his face on his sleeve.

"I can sense them, they're leaving." Raising a hand, he pointed to the trees where he sensed the soldiers departing.

 

[ZafiraJade]

"Will you please shut up?" Zafira snapped with exasperation, her hands momentarily slipping from the writhing man. "I'm trying to help us both out,"

She saw the fight leave the man, his eyes raking over her body once again. The look was so...carnal. Zafira looked away, feeling herself flush. She gave the man a pointed stare, tugging him just a bit closer so that masking them would be easier.

Zafira leaned back against the tree, her breath calm and even. She could feel his body heat radiate against her body, his breath soft against her skin. Zafira's golden eyes peered around them. The sound of the soldier's feet became less pronounced as they moved away from their general direction. With a soft sigh, Zafira released her hold on the man and herself. She genuinely did hate using another person for her magic - especially without their permission.

But this was different - desperate times called for desperate measures.

Had it been someone less crass, Zafira might have apologized. Instead, Zafira pulled the man with her again, running deep into the forest. She didn't want her trail to lead back to him if he got caught. Plus, despite his behavior, Zafira doubted the man did something absolutely terrible.

Vel Anir guards just sucked.

As they ran farther, Zafira heard the man's breath draw out in heavy pants before he stopped completely. Zafira wanted to run a bit more. She didn't know how far the guards were, and she'd rather not escape from the cell again. It was difficult enough the first time. "Let's just go a bit longer," Zafira tried to convince.

"Uuugh..." He groaned. "I'm too fat for this!"

At the comment, Zafira let out a breathy chuckle, her own heart racing. Still, Zafira's eyes flitted around the greenery, perusing for hints of metal armor. Seeing no one, and hearing nothing, Zafira felt herself calm down just a bit. Still, they had to move if they were going to properly escape. At the man's exclamation of how he could 'sense' the guards move away, Zafira's eyebrows raised in surprise.

"You can sense them?" she asked, watching the man drag down all the water from his canteen.

 

[James Lanvarok]

"You already helped by breaking my face with your tits," James slurred, his tone thick with sarcasm.

Zafira tore her hand off him and glared. As she leaned in, James narrowed his eyes and stared, fixated at her chest. His eyes widened and he withdrew a breath, his irises blue and striking. Zafira grabbed his hand and pulled him into the tree. With little time to protest, he slammed his back against it and tensed up as Zafira's shoulder brushed against his.

He pulled his head around and eyed down her form, heat radiating off his mouth and chest. Leaves crunched beneath the guard's feet, and James' attention was quickly pulled away to more pressing matters.

As Zafira cast her spell to make them invisible, James pulled his back from the tree and ran beside her. They sprinted into the middle of the forest, and he quickly became puffed out. He keeled over, placed his hands on his thighs and gasped for breath, drinking desperately from his water flask. Zafira then laughed at him, and James scowled, his eyes wide and terrifying.

"Hey shut up!" He shouted, the water flask in his hand.

If he ran any further, his heart might act up. He needed to rest, whether Zafira liked it or not.

She asked if he could sense the guards, to which he nodded, exasperated. Water dripped from his mouth, which he wiped off on his sleeve.

"Yeah, I'm an empath," he slurred. "I can sense emotions." A nod, and he attached the water flask to his belt.

Taking a long breath, he stood at his full height, puffing and panting. He walked past Zafira and looked around for somewhere they could hide. The trees grew thicker, and the sun was setting. Sliding between trunks, James jumped down a ledge and cut across a clearing, which lead to a hollowed out rock in the side of a cliff. It was deep, and appeared to go on for several meters, making it a good place for them to hide. Raising his head, he combed the undergrowth for any sign of the guards, his eyes wide as he felt any notable emotions they were emitting.

"They're spreading out, some should come around here soon." He shifted his eyes.

There was a pause, and he waved a hand towards the hole in the rock. "We can hide here," he said, then walked across the clearing.

Thunder clapped across the sky, threatening the onset of a downpour. Within minutes, rain pattered on the leaves, growing heavier as the sun set. James ducked under the hole and walked in. He followed it for a few feet, until he was concealed by it's shadow. He plonked himself down and started to wind his crossbow.

"If any of 'em come by here, I got this." He didn't actually intend to kill any of the guards, he just wanted Zafira to think he was tough. He had never taken a life before and had escaped the dreadlord academy before he had been forced, and didn't plan on doing so today.

 

[ZafiraJade]

She was still checking for any signs of soldiers when she felt more than saw the man's unsually bright, blue eyes stare down at her chest. She put a hand under his chin, forcing up to meet her eyes. "Focus,"

"You already helped by breaking my face with your tits," James slurred, his tone thick with sarcasm.

Zafira growled at the man's disrespect. One minute he was checking her out, and the next he was being a downright pig!

Men. She would never understand them.

"I just saved your ass. I don't expect a thank you, but some respect would be nice," Zafira said, her voice surprisingly calm. They walked a bit more in the opposite direction as Zafira came up with a plan. The guards hadn't seen her face, just the black cloak she wore.

Zafira would be able to go back to Vel Anir without anyone giving her a second look. More people were pleased to see the arrogant man get cheated the way he had with them. Unfortunately, the man she had lifted from was also a more prominent figure in the city.

Zafira regretted nothing. She would have done it all over again if she had the chance to. The only difference would be that she would head to the library and not dash off like some madwoman to the forest. She eyed the man walking beside her. She wondered what he did. At his reply of being an empath, Zafira's brows shot up in surprise.

"Ironic considering your crassness," Zafira muttered quietly. She wasn't usually so coiled tightly, but the unnamed man had pissed her off. And when she had finally found some calm, he'd gone and made that stupid comment. Zafira's hood fell back and she ran a hand through her side. Where the hell were they?

At the man's speculation, Zafira let out a soft, unfeminine curse. He was right. They'd just narrowly escaped the soldiers, and running back now would be a waste of all earlier efforts. With a sigh, Zafira nodded and followed the man.

There was a clearing that would have been so easy to miss. Zafira looked at the man in surprise. How had he managed to find this place? It only set Zafira more on guard. Was he used to being chased by guards?

Zafira sat at the corner of the cave-like clearing, leaning her back against the stone wall. She closed her eyes for a moment, exhausted. She hadn't slept for about a day and a half, so stressed by all the occurring that had recently happened. Going to the tavern was meant to be her way of destressing. Instead, Zafira had done her reckless, infamous action of sticking her nose in places where they did not belong.

"I am capable of helping pretty decently, thank you very much," Zafira said lazily. Falling asleep would be such a terrible idea, but felt so tempting.

 

[James Lanvarok]

The woman held her finger to James' lips. He immediately froze, struck by her touch and planted his back against the tree, his eyes shifting all over the place as he listened for any sign of the dreadlords. After he spouted his remark about her breaking his face with her breasts, she growled at him, scolding him for his disrespect. She was surprisingly calm, and said that she didn't expect a thank you, but just some respect. Pulling himself away, James threw his hands down and grumbled, unfazed by her request.

"I didn't need you to help me," he growled, failing to admit that the woman's efforts had helped a great deal. He was just sour that he hadn't been able to help himself.

When she remarked that James being an empath was ironic considering how crass he was, he smirked. She was right that it was surprising, but she also didn't know that it was the reason he was so foul-tempered. A smile crept onto his face and he hung his head, fiddling awkwardly with his hands.

"The dreadlords are furious, and whatever rage I sense from them gets transferred to me," he explained with a shrug.

"That's why I'm so pissed off," he growled and lightly kicked the dirt.

James lead the woman to a clearing in the middle of the woods, where a large hole had been hollowed out into a rock. He had become good at finding places to hide after years of being chased by dreadlords. The woman sat down by the side of the rock and closed her eyes, clearly tired. Hauling his crossbow off his back, James sat down beside her and wound it. Rain began to fall, and pattered on the leaves outside, bringing a fresh smell into the cavern.

The woman said that she was capable of helping decently, to which James scoffed.

"You could help by not falling asleep," he snapped.

Growling, he nestled his back into the wall of the cave and propped his crossbow on a rock, his eyes darting between the entrance and the woman's chest. He tried to look elsewhere, and groaned. He was tired as well, and would have liked to fall asleep, but he needed to keep watch.

There was an awkward moment of silence, disrupted only by the pattering of the rain. Staring out at the entrance of the cave, James aimed his crossbow at the woods outside, then turned around and faced the woman.

"I'm James, James Lanvarok," he slurred. "What's your name?" He asked, his tone softening slightly.

 

[ZafiraJade]

"Sure you didn't, darling," Zafira said, walking in front of the man. He was practically seething behind her at her comment of help. Her eyes scanned the greenery carefully. The man may have been an empath, but Zafira had been in enough trouble to know to always be watchful.

The cave wasn't large, but it definitely was not small either. The smell of stone filled Zafira's nostrils along with something wet. Fresh. It must have been the rain from last night. Despite the rain, the floor that Zafira sat on was not damp. Cold, yes. But Zafira had been through worse.

Zafira's attention snapped to the man about the Dreadlord's. Her eyes turned to him and she regarded him with a new interest. She looked him up and down slowly. It would make sense with Zafira's initial profile. She hadn't thought about him as a serious trouble-maker until he'd opened his mouth. "So you're not just naturally an angry person?" Zafira asked, a light teasing tone in her voice.

Maybe they'd gotten off on the wrong foot.

As Zafira closed her eyes momentarily, the tapping sound of rain breached Zafira's senses. It was wonderful and comforting. It only made Zafira want to be anywhere but here. Preferably alone in her cottage with a book in hand and a piping hot, maple drink in another.

"You could help by not falling asleep,"

Affected by Dreadlords or not, the man was a serious asshole who couldn't make up his mind. Her gaze snapped up to his, and she offered him a smirk. "But then you'd be able to ogle at me properly,"

"Zafira Car- Jade. Zafira Jade," she said, heart skipping lightly at the slip-up. "I'd say it's a pleasure, but given our circumstances..."

 

[James Lanvarok]

James flushed scarlet as the woman continued to tease him. He knew full well that she had saved him, but refused to admit it. Shrinking into the collar of his cloak, he recoiled, eyes wide and terrifying as he stared her down. There was a smirk to her tone, as though she was not nearly as threatened by him as he would have liked. Looking to the side, he avoided her gaze and rubbed his arm awkwardly, his vulnerability showing through his fragile, aggressive defenses.

"I didn't," he mumbled.

Sure, dude, as if they wouldn't have chased you down anyway.

Scowling, James walked past the woman and into the cave. It was cold, but not too damp. It would do for a place the hide until the dreadlords gave up. James plonked himself down and started to load his crossbow. As the woman sat down, he stared, fixated on her backside, then immediately looked away once she turned around to face him.

She asked him about his empathy, whether it was what made him angry, or if he was just like naturally. Since James was born with the ability and had dealt with it his whole life, he didn't know for certain. He just knew it made everything harder to deal with.

"I don't know!" He blurted out, "I was born with it, so I don't know if I'd be any different without it." He shook his head and shrugged, unable to give a certain response.

There was a pause, and James huffed. He relaxed his hold on the crossbow and set it aside, then rested his cheek on a fist. He was tired, and needed to lie down, but he couldn't risk getting caught by the dreadlord. Being caught meant execution. His life depended on getting to Elbion. Brow creased, he frowned deeply, a lock of ratty, dark hair falling in front of his eyes. He blew a raspberry to blow it away.

"But it makes everything a lot worse to deal with," he looked down and mumbled, his words barely audible.

"Mostly I get mad because people are mean to me." Clenching his teeth, he folded his arms and grumbled, a huge scowl on his face. Everyone, his father, the dreadlords, the other students at the academy, all thought he was a joke, not to mention every girl he'd ever talked to. He wasn't sure if it was because of his empathy, or if it had just caused him to brow bitter, frustrated and less tolerant over time.

When James told the woman not to fall asleep, she snapped at him, then retorted with a speedy, witty remark. James snapped upward, then started at her, his eyes wide with fury.

"What? I..." He stammered.

He held a finger in the air, about to berate her, then stopped. His features softened and he nodded.

"Excellent point," he said, almost impressed, as though the woman had just proved a mathematical conjecture.

She gave him her name, and the ends of his mouth turned up into an uncharacteristic smile. At the mention of the circumstances under which they had met, James smirked, holding back laughter.

"So what are you doing out here?" He asked, shifting on the room to make himself comfortable. "Who are you running from?" Brow creased, he pulled his eyes away from Zafira's chest, then pulled his attention to the opening of the cave. She was beautiful, but being around her made him bothered and confused, as though he didn't know what to say or do.

 

[ZafiraJade]

"Whatever makes you happy, James," Zafira smirked, leaning back. She felt slightly more awake now, fascinated by the person in front of her. Noting his awkward stance, Zafia eased the teasing. Naturally, she was a more playful person, but James didn't seem to take it that way.

Zafira pulled the cloak of her hood onto her head so that she could get more comfortable. She'd rather not get her hair all wet and gross because of the damp walls of the cave. She waited for a little more time before finally breaking and starting a fire. The rain was getting heavier, the weather dropping around them tremendously. If they didn't get caught by the soldiers, they would die because of cold conditions.

Zafira's eyes morphed into a golden swirl, as wier fingertips. Quietly, she set the damp stones together, grabbing a few dry branches and starting the flick of a fire. She'd have to contain it through the night, but at least they would be warm. Zafira gestured for James to come closer so that he wouldn't pretty much die from the cold.

"I imagine it would," Zafira said when he talked about his anger. She couldn't imagine feeling everyone else's emotions all the time. It would drive her insane. Thoughts of the small girl she used to be probed her thoughts - a girl who did everything she could to please everyone around her. It wasn't the same thing.Still, Zafira could imagine a tinge bit of the struggle James' must have been going through. It was for that reason Zafira let their initial, terrible meeting escape her mind.

"And you never learned to control it?" Zafira asked, tilting her head slightly. Her eyes met James. They were nice - a light, blue color that seemed to show everything that he was feeling. "You're exhausted,"

Zafira grinned when she saw James' mouth curve into a smile at her comment - she thought it might have been too much with what he had revealed to her, but he seemed to find the humor in the situation as much as she did.

"It doesn't matter what they're chasing me for. This time, I actually am innocent. All I have to do is get to Elbion after this, and all will be better," she said, a slightly bitter tone at the beginning of her sentence. She wasn't naturally a bitter person, but this was corruption at its finest. Sure, maybe she shouldn't have reacted the way she did, but it had exposed the wretched man in front of everyone, effectively ruining his reputation. Despite the situation, a prideful smile resided on Zafira's mouth.

She turned her attention to him. "I'd ask you about your situation, but you look like you'll fall over. Why don't you go to sleep? I'll take first watch," Zafira wouldn't be able to fall asleep even if she tried. Yeah, she was exhausted, but she wouldn't rest until she was far away from this damned city.

 

[James Lanvarok]

Zafira didn't complain as James invited her to lay down as sleep, even though she knew he would just stare at her. Mouth hanging open, he sat with his crossbow pointed towards the entrance of the cave and scoffed. He had expected Zafira to yell at him, but she just continued to use his words to play with him, as though she found his frustration entertaining.

As Zafira got up and started to gather sticks for the fire, James sprung up. "I thought you were going to sleep!" He shouted.

Now what was he supposed to ogle at while he was keeping watch?

The fire crackled as evening fell. Orange embers belched from the twigs, a plume of smoke rising from their midst. Shifting around, James pulled himself up from the side of the cave and sat on the other side of the fire to Zafira. He perched his crossbow up on a rock and pointed it toward the entrance of the cave, his finger lightly pressing down on the trigger. He stared at the woods outside, the ends of his mouth pulled down in a perpetual frown.

He raised an eyebrow as Zafira expressed her empathy with his condition. At least, she was trying to be empathetic, but James could sense that had no idea what it was like to be burdened by the emotions of everybody he met.

He rolled his eyes. "You don't know shit."

"You're just saying you do to make me feel better," he spat, shooting her a glare. "Well it won't work. I can see right through your bullshit." A hefty growl, and he shrugged, making himself comfortable on the rock.

She asked if he had ever learned to control his abilities, and he shook his head.

"Nope." He rolled his eyes, allowing for a moment of pause. "Everybody hates empaths, so why would anybody teach me to control it?" Indeed, there was a stigma surrounding empaths and how they leeched emotions off other people. People avoided James, and the college didn't teach the school any more, so he had nowhere to go. He huffed, arched his neck and looked at the ceiling of the cave, his matted, curly hair falling in front of his eyes.

He blew a raspberry and blasted it out of the way. His entire body ached, his heart and lungs strained from running. Barely able to keep his eyes open, he groaned, his grip slipping on the crossbow. He was tired, and Zafira could tell.

"At least you have somewhere to go, the college doesn't teach empathy." He shrugged, his brow furrowing as he spoke.

When Zafira invited James to go to sleep, he huffed. "Alright, you keep watch, but touch my crossbow and I'll fucking kill you," he spun around spat.

He wouldn't really hurt Zafira if she touched his crossbow, it was just how he talked.

Loosening the drawstring and trigger, he unloaded the arrow and flung it aside, then lay down and curled up the fire, the crossbow in his arms. It wasn't long before his eyes closed and he drifted off to sleep, a string of drool trailing from his open mouth.

 

[ZafiraJade]

Zafira startled for a moment. She took in his state, fist clench, eyes wide in almost panic. Zafira bit her lip to hide her smile. He was comical, but she doubted he'd find any of this entertaining at all.

"You thought wrong," Zafira replied calmly, still organizing the sticks. After she was done, she sat back against the cave wall in front of James, eyeing him carefully. At his 'you don't know shit' comment, anger rose deeply in Zafira, one she squandered immediately. He couldn't help himself. she reminded. And after all, it was only one night that they'd be hanging with each other. Zafira had dealt with worse people for longer periods of time.

Instead of defending herself (which was her first instinct - which would also lead to an argument), Zafira's eyes fell onto James, intense and glowing. "You're not a very likable person,"

"And the reason most people don't deal with empaths is because of your attitude. Not saying that it is necessarily your fault, but it's just the way things are," Zafira had learned how to separate being moral from the facts - how things ran. Just because she disagreed with something didn't mean she couldn't understand the other side's logic - or lack of.

"Maybe try looking for an empath who has learned to control themselves?" Zafira offered, but she could already see the man's eyes start to close. "Nevermind. Sleep,"

"James, I'd like to see you try and touch me," and her level gaze was serious. She didn't care if the threat was empty or not. Zafira would throw hell before lowering her self-respect for anyone.

And with that last statement, she turned away from James, staring deeply at the embers of the fire. Where they curled, Zafira could see the remnants of her green magic, licking away at the different flames, trying to consume only to fail and try again. She loved staring at the fire, as strange as it sounded. There was something bewitching about it.