Enchanted -N. Lantsov

I'm Not Your Problem Anymore

"No, it can't be me, that's highly improbable" He waved her off, ignoring the scowl that kept getting worse. "You can't stand that bloodletter as you so graciously demonstrated for us. Gutsy considering your lower status." He continued.

"My lower status?" Olysia's scowl deepened even more.

She knew he knew how she felt about it. He knew all about the inescapable pressure that built in her chest from how all the children taunted her for being a Fabrikator. He had also been the one to comfort her, tell her that they were stuck up assholes who could never truly appreciate what they do.

Those words stuck with her, even when he didn't, but now he was openly mentioning that forbidden topic to shame her for what she was born.

"You said it yourself, what you did was frowned upon." He said so quietly Olysia almost didn't hear.

"Using Small Science for combat as a Fabrikator, yes. I was unaware that my Grisha order determined my worth." That was a lie. She knew very well that it did but at this point she was just looking for any reason to fight him, anything to allow her anger from the past boil over into the present. "But since you have all the answers."

He sighed heavily, deciding to not engage in the fight she so desperately wanted, that she so desperately needed. "You risked your own reputation to defend others."

"I didn't do it out of the goodness of my heart. I only helped because I didn't want trouble with something as trivial as a star student killing crew for no other reason than pride." Olysia dismissed.

"So what did he tell you after you broke the rules?"

"What did who tell me?" Olysia blinked in confusion.

"The Heartrender." The redhead looked at her face closely for any indication of what she was thinking but could not get past the barrier that Olysia put up.

Behind the emptiness Olysia showed, her anger dimmed down at the memory. She brushed it aside before she began to spiral.

"Why would that matter to you?"

"Well I did say that he would become shark bait if he threatened anyone on my ship and I am a man of my word."

"That doesn't matter." Olysia sniffed indignantly.

"It does to me." His voice hardened. He took a small step forward. "This is my ship and quite frankly he could use another reminder of that."

"Well he didn't threaten me so your word is still true."

"And has he been treating you correctly?" He said with a clenched jaw.

Olysia felt her small sneer fall and her blood ran cold. She was well aware of who he was talking about. She just glared at him and unwilling to dignify him with a proper response.

"I thought my lower status constituted treating me as lesser?"

"You know damn well that's not what I meant." His tone was passionate.

"I don't know you at all." She matched his tone. Not anymore at least. That truth made her heart clench in her chest.

Olysia could pretend that she knew him all she wanted. That she could understand the hidden meanings in his words, a secret message in his face like she used to, that she still knew him, but she didn't, not anymore and she hasn't for the past three years, maybe even more.

"I take my position as captain of this ship very seriously and I don't care if he's the Black Heretic reincarnated, I won't tolerate that behavior again." His eyes darkened at the memory that was painted so clearly in his mind. "The Darkling bleeds like any other."