Inferno
She breathed through her nose, succeeding at finding some level of placidity in her bones. Her knife was attached to her hand, ready for use. It was that instead of a gun because a gun was much too loud, and there was no telling whether any of the Hawk Clan had stuck around in the cover of the woods.
Her eyes scanned every inch they could reach. Her ears focused past the natural sounds of the outdoors. She hated to recognize that her senses were beginning to wane, but they were no longer as advanced as they were. No, they were nearing human conditions at this point.
Rouhem was a decent amount of space away. They covered more ground with this tactic. Maybe it was best if he found the girl? She was not feeling very heoric at the moment.
There was a rustle up ahead. Then a whimper. Bingo!
Inferno pounced ahead, weapon raised. She had every intention of returning Poppy back to Edwin, traitor or not. She hoped for the latter.
The girl, having not sensed the female pixie, continued to crawl away, even as it was clear the motion caused her great pain. Inferno could respect a female with passion and determination, and more so in the face of torture.
She blew out a breath before pulling the weapon on the girl. Poppy responded with great struggle, though it was weak. She appeared adamant on escaping whatever anguish she assumed was approaching.
"Relax, flower girl," Inferno said as she pulled away the knife and decided to back off. "You have nothing to fear... Unless you try to bolt again." She studied the girl. Poppy had a lovely face. Dark brown complexion. Busy, contemplating black eyes. Enemy or not? She would soon find out.
She put space between them, eyeing the blade that was momentarily at her neck. "Please, just let me go." The sweet whisper of her voice caught Inferno by surprise.
Inferno settled onto her knees, pushing her weight on the back of her legs. "Why did you run? Trying to give information to your clan, huh?"
Her tight curls shook along with the motion of her head. "Of course not."
"Answer the first question, flower girl. I am not very patient these days."
Her expressive eyes watered. She was on the verge of sobbing. "I can't do this. I can't."
"Can't do what, flower girl?" Inferno decided not to just drag the girl back to the house. She stunned herself by first wanting to listen to what was on the girl's mind.
"Every second I stay in that house is another second I push Edwin toward danger. I can't put him at risk anymore. I wouldn't be able to live with myself..." she wiped at her face, ridding herself of the tears before they fell. The effort was fruitless as more drops poured down her face.
"Let me get this straight," Inferno huffed out a breath, "you came here to escape your clan, and now you want to go back to them. Why did you come in the first place, then?"
Poppy's expression was struck with honesty and determination. "I love Edwin, more than I love myself. He is so sweet and so kind. He's everything I could have ever dreamed of. I came, because I believed, for a moment, that we could escape Oxy. I realize now that we can't. I can handle Oxy hurting me, but it would destroy me if anything ever happened to Edwin."
Inferno was not one who defended the idea of true love. She had thought it a myth up until she had seen it with her own eyes between her best friend Annika and Soren, a once prince and now king. They proved the existence of bonds between two lovers which withstand the test of time. And when she peered into Poppy's vulnerable eyes, she saw the truth. "You love Edwin, I believe it."
Poppy gave a bitter and low laugh. "It doesn't matter how much I love him. Oxy doesn't care. He will kill you all. I can't allow that."
Inferno gazed at the female in shock. "You would go back to Oxy, sacrifice yourself for the sake of his family?"
She nodded her head. "Oxy killed my parents, did you know that? Everyone thought they died in an accident, but I knew better. And it enraged him because he knew it. All these years, he has been obsessed with abusing me, making me into his obedient doll. No matter how I tried to please him, to stop the pain, he only worsened my torture. And then Edwin came." A adoring and sad smile crossed her lips. "He saved me, and saw me for who I really am, even now when I have caused him nothing but trouble. I don't deserve it." The self-loathing in her entire being raised sympathy from Inferno.
"I hate to break it to ya', but this feud has been brewing before your meeting Edwin. If it wasn't because of you, it would have been because of some other useless, random reason. Hell, at least now they've got decent motivation to hand out some whoop-ass. Nothing like a small justification to fuel a series of brutal ass-kickings!"
Poppy smiled at Inferno's dramatic choice of words. It was a fleeting expression replaced once more with melancholy. "You may be right, but what if they lose?"
This time, it was Inferno who grinned. "Edwin, sweetheart boy, has clearly failed in providing you with the vital information of just exactly who The Pack is!"
Her brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Edwin's family is not just some group with insane anger issues and a shit ton of money... Haven't you ever wondered why Oxy hasn't outright attacked their home until now?" Poppy nodded along. "They are the deadliest group of bounty hunters this world has ever seen. When in battle, there are grand tales of their boundless ferocity! Edwin included. They are as deadly as any clan you can think of. These are not people you just fuck with out of the blue. You hurt one of their own, you expect the wrath of god to retaliate in response."
Her eyes were wide with awe. "Really?"
Inferno nodded, finding her own face to be more grave than she intended. Every word she spoke was true. The legacy of her once-family was as grand and as true as they came. It left a bitter and stinging taste in her mouth when she had to conclude that she would never be a part of The Pack.
"Can you promise me that they will defeat Oxy? I can't imagine he is someone that will go down without leaving a trail of blood behind him." There was still the presence of that insidious and smothering fear in her dark eyes.
Inferno felt anger swell in her chest. For a man to plague an obviously sweet woman with such fright was an insult to all females. Oxy had to die. "I can guarantee that those who have made your life so shitty thus far will pay steeply. I'll personally see to it." Ah, what the hell did she just get herself into?
Poppy nodded, sagging from some of the burden being lifted off her shoulders. She wiped at her dwindling tears. "Okay," floated from her lips. She was defeated and liberated in one word.
Inferno sprung to a stance and held her hand out. "C'mon. Your sweetheart boy is probably losing his shit as we speak."
Poppy smiled one which illuminated the air around them. "I think he is. Look at me. Not one day in our official relationship, and I am already hassling my man."
Inferno didn't know why but felt she had signed Poppy under her own guardianship. She wrapped one arm around her delicate shoulders and frowned as they made their way back to the house. "Sounds to me that you are starting off right. Men gotta work for their queens, don't they? I mean, if you ask me, I think that women should constantly bust men's balls so they always know who is boss."
Poppy exposed her pearly whites in a full-on grin. "That sounds like a great reality."
"More like the perfect reality."
The shorter female laughed in response. "Is this a belief you use in your own relationship?"
Inferno nearly tumbled over, but saved herself when she realized she would be taking Poppy down with her. "With who?!"
"Your male companion," she frowned in thoughtfulness, "I think Edwin refered to him as Prince?"
Heat rushed into Inferno's cheeks. "Where did you get that idea from?"
Poppy shrugged. "I just assumed. He stands over you like a dragon protecting their treasure..."
Inferno didn't respond and directed their path back with intended soundlessness. She was silenced by her own bombarding train of thought.
She would be a fool to ever believe she could fight the attraction she felt toward Rouhem. He was built specifically to tastes she didn't realize she had. Each sharp edge and hard surface of his body was carved by a skilled, loving hand. His vibrant eyes told a spectrum of stories which brushed against a wide variety of emotions from humor to tragedy.
Not only was he a man from any woman's physical fantasy, but he provided an emotional and mental stability Inferno found she craved. He provoked emotions from her she thought herself incapable of feeling. Rouhem proved to be every bit of fierce and loyal and reliable as he was beast. It surprised the hell out of Inferno.
But she also reminded herself that there was a reality she must return to.
She was also a fool if she believed anything good would result from whatever the hell was happening between the two of them. He was a prince! Inferno was a foul-mouthed pixie soon to meet death. He deserved so much more than the angry and dying pixie that she was.
And she would die if all efforts failed. Inferno wanted more for him than a ticking time-bomb. She was prone to explode any day now. And though she may have been a royal bitch majority of the time, she detested selfishness. It was not his responsibility to clean up whatever was left of her. Why would he want to anyway?
"We aren't in a relationship," Inferno said out loud to reassure herself more than Poppy.
"Could've fooled me," she muttered. They came out into the clearing and Inferno decided not to carry on the course of the conversation.
A ruckus back in the forestry caught Inferno's hearing. She kicked herself into gear when Rouhem's growling registered in her head. "Go back to the house," she commanded the confused Poppy.
Inferno came upon a sight that halted her movement.
There the prince was, dueling with a man mid-transformed into bird. She gasped when she noticed Rouhem no longer resembled the human cover she was used to. His entire body had grown by a healthy amount of inches. His jaw hung, exposing razor sharp teeth made with lethal intentions. His skin darkened with a thin sheet of swirling gold and black. The massive claws on his hands forced her to swallow. He did not appear as any animal she could imagine, and could not claim what animal was associated with his alter identity.
What the fuck was he?
Rouhem no longer sounded like a man. The noises escaping his mouth were feral and terrifying. He was obviously annoyed with the prolonged fight and seized his opponent by the neck. The male squealed in fear and looked near to soiling his pants.
The beast shoved the half-bird against the closest tree, causing dark blue features to burst out in an encircling cloud. He bellowed, releasing a roar which shook Inferno until her bones were rattling. This creature was unlike any she had ever encountered before.
"Rouhem!" Inferno shouted right as he got ready to tear the male's throat out. She took a step back when his gaze snapped her way. His eyes had a subtle yellow glow to them, snuffing out most of the blue she found so lovely.
There they stood. A war waged on in his mind, though Inferno knew not what for. Finally, he blinked and dropped the man who had passed out at that point. The yellow faded enough to return back to the gaze she knew best. His entire body shifted to the form much smaller in comparison. Relief burst from her chest.
"Inferno?" He blinked harder. Why so confused?
"You there, Cupcake?" She frowned at the shake of her voice, "thought you were gonna make pixie tacos just now with a sprinkle of bird feathers on top!"
His eyes widened with fear. "Did I hurt you?" She watched as he studied every inch of her body to check for wounds. The concern there left her flustered.
"I-uh-am not beat so easily by a weird beast who seems to listen to me better than you do."
He looked down at the body and shook his head. A few muttered curse words could be heard from his vicinity. Whatever it was that took place just then, it was clear to have unsettled Rouhem.
Inferno arched her brows at him. "Wanna tell me why you looked like a fucking demon just now?"
Rouhem scowled and snatched the male up by his neck. Blood dripped from his temple. The fact that he was not winded from lifting a grown man with one hand astounded Inferno. "Not really, now let us go give this peace-offering to the blood."
Inferno joined in stride with him, avoiding the unconscious shell. "Fine, Cupcake, but you should know that by refusing to say, you have just presented a challenge which I have happily accepted."
He shrugged. "Go ahead, pixie. Did they find Poppy?"
"Nah, I found her. Flower girl was wilted some when I discovered the poor girl. Good thing I found her when I did too."
"So you think she is innocent?" Why did his surprise frustrate her.
"I know she is innocent, Sunshine," Inferno snapped. Poppy didn't deserve to be prosecuted for the actions of people she was unwillingly associated with. Inferno knew all too well how it felt to be judged before she even opened her mouth.
"Yeah, well, didn't your-the brothers say something about a way to know for sure?" He didn't think twice as he dragged the knocked-out man through the dirt and wet grass.
"I don't comprehend half of the crazy shit that leaves their mouths'. I am sure they meant torturing her."
Rouhem nodded. "From Edwin's reaction, it can't be something good."
"Poppy hasn't done anything yet-oh shit!" Inferno came to a realization. "Poppy has a tracking device in her body. That is how Oxy knew she was here! God, it was so obvious. How could I be so stupid?!"
Rouhem grinned. "Smart pixie, huh? Good catch. They definitely need to remove it."
Inferno smiled at his words. They were complimenting each other now? She would be a lying piece of rabbit shit if she claimed to not like hearing those words from him. "Yeah, you know," she knocked on her head, "this is not just a hat rack!"
"Why don't we-" Inferno did not catch the rest as a storm of boiling and scathing pain rushed through her body. Her muscles contracted and loosened. Oh, no, no, hell no!
"Inferno!" Rouhem shouted just has she fell with the grace of a brick wall.
The grass did little to cushion her cheek as she slammed into it. Her teeth made a stinging impact into her cheek, splashing a taste of metallic onto her tongue. There was a bright, explosive barrage of stars racing into her vision.
This reminded her of a transition episode, but that made no sense! She had finished growing months ago! This was unexpected and unnatural.
Swift slashes of pain whipped against her back, stretching and ripping where her pain intensified.
"Pixie, what is happening?" Rouhem's voice broke through the ringing in her head. She had to have been mistaken when she identified fear. He could not have cared so deeply enough to be that concerned, could he?
"Transition episode," she rasped out, whimpering as her bones were soaked in acid, cracking and breaking down. Molten heat bombarded her flesh and she felt like screaming until her throat was bleeding.
There was a thud next to her head right before the sensation of being lifted registered in her mind. Next was a wave of coolness washing through, fighting the heat that threatened to destroy her. She sighed, though the sound wasn't above a hushed whisper. "What the fuck? I thought you were done with this shit?"
"Something is wrong," was all she could manage.
"No shit, what should I do?"
Inferno stiffened as a pounding of raging aches echoed between the matter of her bones. She was breaking apart as quickly as she healed. It was a gruesome process seeming to be created for the lowest scum from the darkest depths of hell. "Cold shower, I am burning alive, please." He ran in response.
"Dude, what the fuck is this? Wait, is she transitioning? How the fuck-" It could have been any of her siblings.
"There's a present on the front lawn. He and Poppy probably have tracking devices. Remove them as soon as possible. I'm taking her-"
"Hold on," this stern voice had to be Jameson, "she is transitioning. How is that possible? She should be done by this age. Let me take her-"
"Get the fuck out of my way," his voice was so deadly that had Inferno not been in such pain, she would have shivered, "I know what I am doing. Unlike you, I have gone through this with her before." The scorn in his voice brought satisfaction as well as sadness to her conflicted heart.
"Please, let us help," came from Aine, the only female. Her desperation only served to worsen her mental stability at that moment.
"He's not going to budge, darling, let them go."
Rouhem's stomping continued for no longer than a minute before he slammed a door, opening another and Inferno identified the distinct soapy and chemical scents of the bathroom. A rush of water soon sounded in her ears.
The pain attacking her body lessened but was still intense. He removed her jacket and shoes and socks. She wanted to beg him to remove everything else. It was all so heavy!
Her ribs felt like they were being crushed. Inferno cried out. Something about this transition felt different. It was intense, which anyone could have expected, yet she did not feel so much that she was growing but transforming, molding into something she dared not guess of.
"Hey, now," Rouhem whispered as he carried the both of them under the water, "didn't we agree I liked being in pain? And balls! Remember that, my liking balls?"
Inferno smiled past the pain at his impish attempts. "You do."
"That's right! That reminds me, too!" His voice soaked into her skin, creating an addictive antidote to her suffering.
"What?" she mumbled, gritting her teeth, trying her best to ride the haunting flood of torture to the best of her abilities. Inwardly, she was sobbing like a baby, but never out loud. She had to be strong or appear to be at the least.
"Did I tell you that I have another guilty pleasure?"
"No," she managed to get out, because her mouth was muffled by the hard surface of his chest, "what?" She inhaled and basked in his scent. So what if she was being creepy?
"I enjoy cooking."
"Really?" The idea of food did not exactly help, but she was surprised.
"I ain't nothing to brag about, but I enjoy it all the same. Want me to cook for you?"
Inferno was so tired. "You gonna poison it?" She slurred like a drunk. Hell, she would gladly take intoxication over this terrible episode. It was why she drank so often.
"No, I promise." His voice was so husky, like a storm rolling over an arid forest, bringing promises of rain and life.
"Then yes."
"Sounds like a date then, Pixie!"
Before she drifted off to sleep, Inferno came to the stunning discovery that Rouhem's hand laid flat against her back, and instead of worsening the pain, his touch proved to trigger alleviation from what terrible sensations constantly latched onto her mistreated wings.
Whether it was a sign sent from the gods or from the devil, that sign had to be addressed all the same.
Because if her inference was correct, there would be a heck of a lot more touching between Inferno and Rouhem, which would probably serve only to complicate relations further between them. But she could not have cared less at the repercussions, just that there was the possibility of obtaining relief from her plaguing conditions of dying.
Only time would tell.