Tenshinaki

The only sound was the buzz of the refrigerator. Two bowls sat empty on the table, two people sat in front of them, both trying to avoid looking at the carcass a few feet away. All in all it was an uncomfortable situation. "You want more soup?" "No." "Okay." This was the longest conversation they'd had in a long time. Both Alec and Nian were clean, rested, fed, and generally in good health. The whole process had taken four hours; they had not spoken a word to one another the entire time save for Alec's long, awkward, and piecemeal explanation of how he turned tap water into a deadly weapon. "I've always been able to do it. It's just

Elle's whole body jerked awake, and for a moment she had no idea where she was. She blinked in the darkness, turning her head to see Mias’ face just inches from hers. He lay on his stomach, one arm draped over her waist, his snores a deep hum in the back of his throat. Elle sighed, throwing the sheets off her upper body to allow fresh air to lick her nightmare-dampened skin. Whatever had plagued her dreams had evaporated the moment she opened her eyes, and as she lay trembling in the darkness she could not remember a single detail. I can imagine, Elle thought with a shiver. Elias. She shoved the image of his sneering face from her mi