Eternal

We stood there toe to toe, both of us daring the other to break the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between us before he pushed his fingers through his hair and took a step back.

I realised that the screaming had stopped and wondered if the man was now dead, I wasn’t really in any hurry to see Kat again, but I guess fate was against me in more ways than one as she walked through the door way, with a pair of black sunglasses covering her eyes. The thing is, I couldn’t get the crimson colour out of my head, it wasn’t just the irises that had been red, but the whites of her eyes as well as the pupils. To be fair they had been beautiful and I know that may be a strange thing to say, but they truly had been. What with her fiery red hair and the freckles that were splayed along her nose, they just seemed to add something extra to her appearance.

I had said before that she was breath taking in her own right, but looking at her now I realised that I had been wrong in my first evaluation. She wasn’t just breath taking because of the own surety that she held herself in, but also in the fire that she held in her eyes, the way she can make you feel three feet tall with one look when she could only be about five foot three herself. She looks as though she could be snapped like a twig, but I would dare anyone to actually try something as stupid as that and you can tell that she likes herself just the way she is and be damned anyone who may think any differently.

She approached me cautiously, as though she was afraid that I may have suddenly broke out in a run, and never set foot in her place again.

“I am truly sorry for what I did to you Unya, I hope that I did not harm you,” she sounded defeated as she said this, I couldn’t help but close the distance that was between us and wrapped my arms around her.

I know from my experience with Addy, that when someone is hurting, they could really do with nothing more than a hug and to be shown acceptance.

She stood as still as a statue until she suddenly wrapped her arms around me and returned the hold that I was offering her.

“You don’t need to apologise to me, I have been on that side of violence to many times to not realise t I had unwittingly bought it on myself,” I stated this with the surety that I felt within myself. I really did not hold an ounce of a grudge against her, if I hadn’t of stormed inside like I had, then she never would have tried to kill me. I wasn’t going to sugar coat it, I knew exactly what she would have tried to do, if Lawson hadn’t come to my rescue, yet again.

“I guess I’ve got some explaining to do,” She said, but she didn’t sound too happy about that idea.

“Oh didn’t you hear, apparently somebody has been catching Unya up, she now thinks she knows everything there is to know about her and the world that we exist in,” Lawson said that with such disdain that I couldn’t help the dirty look I shot in his direction.

Kat looked rather perplexed by what he said and I knew that they both doubted I really knew anything of any real consequence. I pulled a cigarette out of the packet and checked it was okay with Kat for me to smoke in her place. She nodded her head, obviously still shocked by the events of the day, Lawson offered to get me a light but was soon eating his words when I snapped my fingers and a flame appeared on the tip of my pointer finger.

I could tell that they were both gobsmacked by my demonstration and I found myself saying a quiet prayer of thanks to Marcus, for all the training that he had offered me.

You’re probably thinking I mastered my gifts faster than expected, but that was nothing more than a party trick in comparison to what Marcus could do.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Lawson

Oh shit, why did she have to show me that? I would have preferred to have lived in ignorance to her growing abilities, it would have worked out a lot better in the long run, given that I still hadn’t plucked

up the nerve to hand my report in to the boss who held all our fates within the palm of his twisted hand.

“I did tell you my true nature had been revealed Lawson dear,” Unya said it with such a sickly sweet tone, that the condescension practically dripped from her lips.

“Oh fantastic, so let me guess, you can control the elements which would hint at you being a sorceress, but with the way you heal, that would mean that you also possess god like abilities, is there anything else you wish to share?” I asked, secretly hoping she would just say no.

“Well, actually there is, but seeing as you said I shouldn’t trust you; I think I will keep the rest of my cards close to my chest.”

I wanted to laugh at her reply but was more relieved than anything. I welcomed the state of denial I could adopt until Kat had to go and ruin it.

“I meant to ask Unya, did you hear about that lad who jumped off of Hooken cliff, apparently he was around your age I think, I just wanted to make sure that he wasn’t a friend of yours or anything?”

Unya’s eyes widened at the same time as mine, as our gazes locked together and I felt that sweet denial being stripped away.

“Actually, he was my ex, please don’t apologise though, he wasn’t exactly one of the good guys,” She replied simply.

“Can any of us really claim to be one of the good guys though?” I asked, in a harsh tone and I noticed Kat’s visible flinch. I hadn’t meant for my words to affect her; I had been too preoccupied with watching Unya and noticing her cold detachment to the events that had played out since we had officially met.

“I better go, tomorrow is the summer solstice and it’s a big day apparently.”

I went to walk her out, but Kat beat me to it as they huddled by the door, speaking in whispers. I knew there was no point in trying to eavesdrop on them and besides I was so worked up I knew the best thing to do would be to work out some of my frustration.

I headed down in the training room as my bared fists repeatedly connected with the punch bug, until my knuckles were sore and bleeding. I stopped when I realised, then shook it off and carried on, relishing in the biting pain that it was causing in my hands. I carried on until I was physically drained, then quickly had a shower to clean off and collapsed in my bed, welcoming the all-encompassing sleep that followed.

Z

I knew I was still sleeping, as I had no recollection of ever dragging myself out of my pit, but I couldn’t make sense of why I was dreaming of the obsidian Palace that my boss resided in.