04-07-2019, 06:53 PM
He dug under her skin. The space he occupied. The arrogance that soaked his stance.
“I’m sure he was pleased you kindly threw his sister into the bargain,”she said drily. Natalie didn’t care for the inferences, but no defense sprung in retaliation. Argument soured her tongue like poison but she swallowed the vitriol with bitter control. It wouldn’t help, and she didn’t care what Axel thought. Jay denied the brutality of the Custody’s indoctrination, but she’d heard from Brandon’s own lips how the methods employed might have killed him, and that was only the most recent in a dark traipse of demons. He wasn’t weak. Survival was a matter of perspective, though.
She shifted as Axel turned his attention to Cayli. Power still pulsated from her, though it didn’t seem she was doing anything with it. Natalie didn’t turn to gauge a reaction, though she could feel the tension seeping into her own muscles. He wasn’t worth betraying that secret for; not unless he acted.
He finally offered an answer, or the hint of one anyway, curled to invite question, though it wasn’t the one she asked. “And what was it you wanted?”
“I’m sure he was pleased you kindly threw his sister into the bargain,”she said drily. Natalie didn’t care for the inferences, but no defense sprung in retaliation. Argument soured her tongue like poison but she swallowed the vitriol with bitter control. It wouldn’t help, and she didn’t care what Axel thought. Jay denied the brutality of the Custody’s indoctrination, but she’d heard from Brandon’s own lips how the methods employed might have killed him, and that was only the most recent in a dark traipse of demons. He wasn’t weak. Survival was a matter of perspective, though.
She shifted as Axel turned his attention to Cayli. Power still pulsated from her, though it didn’t seem she was doing anything with it. Natalie didn’t turn to gauge a reaction, though she could feel the tension seeping into her own muscles. He wasn’t worth betraying that secret for; not unless he acted.
He finally offered an answer, or the hint of one anyway, curled to invite question, though it wasn’t the one she asked. “And what was it you wanted?”