Running on Empty

RUN | 23

"He really did save me, I was shot and dying–"

"Don't take what I've said the wrong way, Amira. That pup may have saved you from some insignificant physical injuries, but you are the one who saved yourself. It was you who broke the Thrall, and it's you that will bring Eon to his knees. You. Eon really did a number on you, on all of us. He's still playing the game, but he doesn't have his most important asset on his side anymore," she laughed at that, shaking her head and making the leaves within it rustle like they were still alive on a tree. " I would pay so much money to see his face when you severed the Thrall."

I couldn't fight the smile that threatened to crinkle my tear-stained cheeks. But it faded a moment later.

"He's going to kill me," I hated that it hurt to say.

"Oh Amira, he would never kill you," He's far too obsessed to do that, I thought. Leaflet stretched her arm out to grab at the bag and pull it towards us with a small grunt.

What on earth could she even still have in that thing?

"I'm really just a pawn," I tried to convince myself, if I was just a pawn then he wouldn't have any issues with letting me go. With moving on.

"Trust me, you would certainly not be alive right now if that were the case. 'Just a pawn'," she muttered with a snort. "You don't know him as well as you think you do, who he is, what he is. From a human standpoint, you may think that we are all monsters, but that boy is the stuff of nightmares for my people," My head dropped to my hands.

"What is he then? No one tells me anything," I grumbled and Leaflet sighed.

"A hybrid."

"A hybrid of what?"

"I can't say," I frowned.

"You can."

"Okay then, I won't," this was pointless.

"Why won't you."

"It's not my place to say, and–" irritation clawed at me and I turned my harsh gaze back to the fire.

"And what? What!"

"I have my theories, I was trying to piece it all together with what you have in your head, but it isn't enough," The fire crackled. "I think there is more going on than just an extremist hell-bent on destroying people's peace."

"You are making just as much sense as he is," Leaflet glowered, the glow to her eyes coming back as all of my hairs stood on end. Something didn't feel right.

"Do you know where he came from," It was a question phrased as a demand, and I shrugged, looking down to my dirt-packed fingernails.

"He never talked about it other than that time at the Lemont's I guess. He knew Reggie, talked about how they were in the same," I reached for the word, flailing my hand like it would help me answer. "Thing."

"He called himself a God," Leaflet mumbled, standing up sharply from her patch of moss that was now all bright and green. Witches man. 

"He was nuts–"

"There was a-a sect of the Shadows that had some really fucked up beliefs years ago, worshipped a shunned God, one that liked to play mortal," I squinted.

"I really don't follow, and I really don't know enough about the Gods and Goddesses to be helpful–"

"Shut up," Leaflet cut me off absently, pacing around before placing herself back down carefully on her patch of moss.

"Can you please just tell me what the fuck you are going on about?" I groaned in exasperation, accidentally smacking my leg hard as I dropped my arms down from my burst of frustrated movements.