Ignis

4th Chapter

Elisa was sitting on the couch. Her grandmother was smoking cigarette on the armchair across. They were looking at each other without any word when the younger one finally spoke:

- What did you want to talk about?

Older woman blew the smoke out of her mouth.

- How do you feel?

Elisa shrugged with her shoulders and looked away for a moment.

- How should I feel? Beside you all threating me like I'm sick and psychotic, I'm well.

- You don't feel cold?

After a long silence Elisa answered:

- No.

- That's strange. I've heard the opposite.

- Well...I had a cold. But since I got well, I don't have a problem anymore.

- Is it? Just a cold?

- Why are you asking me that?

- Why don't you want to answer me?

Elisa took a deep breath.th

- Is this about me being in love with Aleks again?

- You tell me.

- Didn't we establish a week ago that he was just accidentally passing by the...scene of the event? He is only the first person who concluded that I'm normal, just outside the usual boundaries.

- You're not feeling anything toward him?

- He is my professor. I feel respect.

- You're lying.

- Excuse me? – Elisa asked with shock on her face.

- Just what I said.

- Well he stopped me from calling  the state police. He brought me home. I'm grateful for that.

- And?

- There's no and.

- Sure there is sweetheart. You're just denying it.

- Okay... This is enough! – Elisa stood and started walking up and down the living room – I don't understand what do you want from me? It's almost as if you're expecting me to say I love him!

- Maybe we do.

- Why?

- Because that would mean that you're facing the reality. And when you start doing that, only then we can start discussing future consequences.

- What consequences?! Aren't they already visible? I mean... I know now why I can see through people's intentions. I understand why I ripped off the skin from that men a week ago and bit them on the right spot of their necks. And I'm trying to deal with the fact that I could do that to someone else if they made me feel endangered again. Isn't that enough for me to be...quiet and desperate?

- I understand this is a shock, trauma for you, but...

- But what? – Elisa interrupted – I should keep the negative thoughts for myself and smile during the day?

- That's not what I was going to say... Now, listen to me. I can't feel what you're feel right now, but I can be your support. And I want you to know that, whatever you feel, it is okay. Because that is what makes you a person, thinking. You're not an animal. – woman stood and walked to her granddaughter who was leant against the fireplace – What you did, was purely in self-defense. Someone else might have stabbed them or shot them...you did what you had to do. And Special Police didn't charge you guilty with the reason. Now, conscience, that's something else... I'm not asking you if you like Aleks or not without the reason, yet, if he makes you feel better, then you should spend more time with him. Because if you suppress your pain and neglect your likings, you're going to explode.

- What do you suggest me to do?

- Talk with Aleks. Despite me hating him, he is not a bad person. He is just a little bit self-centered. But not when it comes to you and that is the most important.

Aleks was sitting in his office armchair and trying to think. Which was extremely hard ever since Elisa's acting showed she feels something towards him. That was the proof that he really managed to attract her somehow which meant it was his fault they bounded. If they haven't had met better, she would have never liked him as much as she was. Maybe, just maybe, he was thinking, I could make her start hating me. But as soon as he started thinking about it, he quit that idea. It was impossible for him to do anything wrong to her for which she could be disgusted by him. That's why he changed tactics. If she was inexperienced with whole Nephilim-think, and she was, he should introduce her to that world. Who could do it better than him who was living in it his entire life? Well, the biggest part of it, until he managed to escape. Oh, no! he remembered. Now. when that bounding had happened, there was no chance that the information won't reach his mother. And when his mother was to hear that...he had to prepare Elisa. He had to find a way to escape inspection with the explanation why his student was living with him. But first, he had to persuaded her to move in. That was his decision, now he only had to present it to her. And her parents. Just great! he taught.