How to Train Your Channeler

[Oriena]

Honestly, she would have preferred it had he just run. She could certainly do without all the fucking yelling at her. Sasha’s voice was hoarse; he sounded like a wounded animal – pathetic and confused – and had she thought he’d actually stick up for himself she’d have struck a match against the anger he must be feeling somewhere inside, just for the catharsis. Ori could take the punishment. But even if he labelled her the villain of the piece, it wasn’t like he was going to actually do anything about it. It all felt like a waste of breath.

There were a thousand things she could have said to explain. That Nox had warned her he was in trouble and she didn’t have to come and save his ass. That she did what made sense in the moment to get that thing out of his head, and it had come with a price. She didn’t even know what exactly he was asking her. Why what? But it sounded like an accusation, and she didn’t like that.

She shifted languidly to her feet. Raked a hand through her hair, and adjusted to the new lightness inside. Sasha had crushed himself back up against the wall, and she thought about leaving him there. Fear was only ever useful to her when it leveraged retaliation. The kind that made someone break and cower just reminded her of every bully she’d ever cut down in her youth, and she hated it enough that the kindest thing she could do was leave. Comfort wasn’t something anyone ever sought from Ori.

Still, she crouched in front of him.

“Why what?” she snapped.