Blood Memories [Last of Elves book 1] (NaNoWriMo 2014)

Nineteen: Panthera

Panthera

He truly enjoyed riling her up, getting on her nerves, irritating her. She seemed to come most alive when she was annoyed, her eyes flashing with emotion, colour usually appearing on her cheeks as she snapped at him. There was something about that drew him to her, and she could guess that she felt the same, but just didn’t know what to do about it.

He knew exactly what he wanted to do.

After that conversation, she appeared to not know what to say to him, and so stayed away. Not that he cared all that much. He didn’t want to talk to her, see her. After all, she had taken his freedom away from him, and was forcing her beliefs onto him. He wasn’t happy about that at all.

But he still thought of her.

As usual, she came to see him at the most peaceful time of the day, when he was at the railing of the balcony, watching the sun set. He could smell the deep of winter coming, the clouds becoming grey and heavy with snow, promising cold.

“Panthera?”

He didn’t move, as was normal. He rarely reacted to her.

Despite that, she came closer, standing beside him. She had a dark green cloak on, rather than her normal blue one, but he decided that it suited her better, bringing out the very faint green tinge in her eyes. Rather than looking at him, or speaking, she just stood there, watching the town below as it slowly became less hurried, the people making their way inside to have their evening meal.

He refused to be the first to speak.

In the end, he succeeded. She sighed at last, turning to him. Her hood was down, resting on her shoulders, and the light breeze played with her hair, teasing tiny curls out of the intricate style. She pushed them away from her face impatiently.

“Panthera, what can I do to help you? I know you don’t like it here, but can I do anything?”

He lifted an eyebrow, glancing at her for a brief second. “Do?” he echoed. “Apart from let me go? No. There is nothing a human can do for me now.”

She sighed, annoyance flashing into her eyes. “You know what I mean!” she said, exasperated. “Please, Panthera. I want to help you.”

He turned completely, taking her by surprise as he gripped her elbows. “You do not understand,” he hissed, shaking her slightly. “You cannot understand, priestess. I am an elf. We are made for, built for, the earth, the trees, the forests. This.” He swept an arm out over the town, encompassing all of the stone buildings. “This stone, priestess, suffocates us. You wonder why I spend time out here – well, now you know. Nothing except my freedom can help me now.”

She looked shaken, her mouth open slightly and her eyes wide with shock. He let her go, turning away from her as he sought to hide his emotions. He hadn’t meant to reveal that to her – he’d meant only to scare her, and brush her off, but that had come out instead. He didn’t quite understand why, but he wasn’t going to ponder it now. Not with her still around.

When she spoke, it was with a small voice.

“Do you want me to let you go?”

Angry now, he spun, glaring at her. “Yes!” he snapped. “But you can’t. I know you are pushed by your goddess, girl. You feel obliged to obey her. The earth understands that. I understand that. It does not mean that I like it.”

She lifted her chin. “I will!” she said defiantly. “You are not happy here.”

He snorted disdainfully. “Fool,” he muttered. “You have no understanding of my people.”

“Is that any surprise?” she retorted. “You refuse to tell me anything?”

“After what you humans did to us? Why would I tell you anything?” He narrowed his eyes at her, furious. “You slaughtered us, priestess.”

She stepped closer, her eyes revealing her distress. “Please,” she said softly, her anger vanishing. “I want to learn. I want to know what we did wrong.”

He studied her for a long moment, considering it. It wouldn’t harm them to tell her the small things that had no effect on them any longer, but to tell her their secrets? No. He couldn’t do that. It was too dangerous for him.

“A bargain, priestess?” he asked softly. “How does that sounds?”

She swallowed, but didn’t look away from his gaze. “What do you want in return?”

He smiled dangerously, testing himself by stepping closer to her, until he could feel her body heat. Her breath quickened slightly, but he made no move to touch her.

Not yet.

“You ask dangerous questions, priestess,” he whispered. “Maybe I ask for dangerous answers.”

She shook her head slightly. “Panthera…” she whispered, beginning to shake. Smiling slightly, he stepped away from her, returning to his place at the railing. “Panthera, what do you want to know?”

He glanced at her, and then back at the sky, which was quickly becoming covered in steel grey clouds, the wind getting stronger. “First, priestess,” he said, almost mockingly. “You have a name, do you not?”

When she didn’t answer straight away, he knew he’d touched a nerve. He looked at her.

She was white, staring at him, barely breathing.

He sighed, and gripped her arm, towing her inside. “Sit down,” he said roughly, jerking her towards one of the chairs. She obeyed slowly, still staring at him with wide eyes. He shook his head impatiently, and crouched in front of her, snapping his fingers under his nose.

“Girl,” he snapped, irritation coursing through him. “Snap out of it.”

When she didn’t respond, he sighed, and left her, returning outside. It seemed like he was going to have to wait.