A Means To Hurt
Everything had been a rush. One minute she heard Kain barking across the hall from Zek’s room, the next Laurent was dead. The stillness, the sudden absence of a person screamed at her magic. Laurent was dead, and his soul would be free to run to the Shadowland or whereeverWorgens went after death.
She had held his angry violent soul, letting it beat violently against her giving her the challenge of her life to keep him inside his body. It was only ask Zek had resurected Laurent that Temperance felt the emotions crash around her. Flying thoughts that had zoomed past her crashed around in a brilliant wreckage that she was stuck watching. When the medics arrived she slipped out of the room, she needed time, she needed to be away so she could figure out what was happening.
Falling to the ground outside his room she covered her face in her hands. She could smell the vomit, the sweat, the sour smell of the alcohol. It’s putrid scent kept her grounded in the moment, in the painful realization that burned her heart.
‘You know, I shouldn’t be suprised he’s alive still. I think some say that dogs are hard to kill.’ Son’ispa’s voice slithered up from the back of Temperance’s mind. The once comforting voice had turned into something Temperance fought against. ‘Why are you crying? He’s alive.’
But she couldn’t stop cryig, even if he was alive, the pain in her chest reminded her about what she almost lost. Her voice was a whisper, as she didn’t want Laurent to overhear her. She didn’t know how good his hearing was. “I still lost him for that moment Son. I feel that pain.”
‘You haven’t even seen him for the last month, why do you care?’
She knew why. Temperance felt Kain sit beside her and she wrapped her arms around the large dog. The contact was what she needed and she looked at Kain with a greatful look. “You did such a good job, thank you for getting me.” She kissed the pup on top of it’s large head but her body still lowered and made her let out a long breath.
‘He’s going to be fine, probably up to his normal boring antics in a matter of days. Just, get your crying out and we can move on.’
But a small rush of annoyance she had to say it. “I watched someone I love die and I didn’t tell him.”
The silence was palpable in Temperance’s head.
‘Did you say that you love that man?’
The question was so simple, but it was villed with a poison that Temperance feared. Son had made Temperance promise to not fall in love with Laurent. But emotions were not things you could plan.
“I am. I love him and I know he doesn’t love me. So shut up.” Temperance’s voice was harsher. “I don’t want you whispering in my ear about him being a mess, that he’s unworthy, just... stop it. He might be fine, but I know he doesn’t care about me like that. And that’s fine.”
She rest her head against the hall wall. “That’s... just fine.” She said the words and felt her heart turn in her chest. “He’s in love with a woman who didn’t love him. I at least get to be his friend still. It’s alright. I wanted him as a crush so he didn’t use me. Being in love with him is... more of the same, just I know I need to accept I’m going to be alone but be his friend.”
Son’Ispa coiled up in a frothy mess in the back of Termperance’s mind. ‘You lied to me.’
“You lied to me too. In Panadaria. This is me rebelling.”
‘I was trying to help you.’
“And I’m trying to grow up.”
Son’ispa was quiet for a moment, but the entity spoke. ‘What if he hurts you.’
“There are a million ways to be hurt. I’m going to get hurt. I’ve been hurt. You’ve hurt me. He won’t mean to hurt me. He’s not going to know he’s hurting me. Which is fine. He has enough on his plate.”
‘No truer words were spoken Ducky... You’re lucky Alexander likes him. Priest won him over with that level of devotion... If you get angry with him, can I then hurt him?’
“No. I won’t let you or Alexander hurt him. If you do that. I’ll hate you both, forever.” Temperance opened her eyes and looked at Kain. “You dad’s a good man, he’s just needing a lot of help.”
‘I’m never going to get you away from him... I might as well get used to the fact my daughter prefers to spend her time with priests than other void users and witches. I would wonder where I went wrong, But... I think this is just you, isn’t it? I somehow got a beautiful empathic daughter... who has the worst taste in men.’
Tempernace rolled her eyes. “You have bad taste in men. Laurent doesn’t mean to hurt me. Unlike the guys you try to hook me up with.”
‘I would have a snarky remark, but I can’t think of any right now. So. Enjoy your victory.’
(( Mentions @laurent-price. I’ve been waiting for his conversation to happen. Growing pains will be happening with them too, The angst isn’t over for Son and Temperance and their disagreements))















