Vanessa

I look at the sleek gun pointed at Nate's forehead, and something melts in my chest. Not in that cozy, oh, I'm in love way. It's like I had frozen stone lodged in my chest cavity, and now it has become molten lava. That man saved my life. Nobody has ever tried to save my life. Not ever her- no don't think of her you know better-the man presses the gun into deeply tanned flesh.

I don't react, but slowly I start to bring forth that fire in my veins. I look at him, John. The sadistic bastard. He always had the most enjoyment from my suffering when we bonded as he likes to say. I still carry the scars I got from time spent with him. With them. The NTSCU

I raise all the energy I've gathered and focus it on John. The times he stabbed his long blades deep into my flesh. Each time the whip would beat across my back. The broken bones and bruises spanning across my body. The fire. All of it. He enlights in a pitch-black ball of flame. His screams echo off the walls.

His men abandon Nate and try to help put out my flames, but they too quickly become a part of the fire. A couple are smart enough to try to run, but the fire jumps and consumes them at an even faster and more painful pace. Eventually, the flames die out, and I look down at what remains of their charred remains.

Most of their clothes are burnt away, leaving an open view of their lack of skin. The flames had reached to their bones. They ate away at them until there was nothing but crispy, blackened, charred bits left in their wake. Even if they did survive, they wouldn't stay that way for long. Hopefully, that's all the reinforcements he has, or we'll have a more significant issue on hand.

I rush over to Nate, my heart going a mile a second. I was too slow. I know I was, I'm always so fucking slow. There's blood on the floor, but luckily the bullet didn't go through his head. His right shoulder, on the other hand, will be needing some mending. My breath swiftly leaves my body. We got lucky it could have been worse, much worse.

I reach for him and avoid the temptation to fall to the floor and simply lie there. "Are you okay?" I lean over, and my hair falls, framing my face.

"Yeah, It's just a bullet hole, no biggie."

"Jackass."

"Yeah, well, I was shot. I'm pretty sure Ima aloud to be."

"If you say so." Stand up straight, and I let out a sigh. I hold out a hand and haul him off the ground. I stagger slightly under his weight. Luckily Nate isn't that injured and keeps me from falling down. He didn't look that heavy to me, must be the extra height he has on me. "Sorry. It's been a shitty long day."

"Did you mean a long day."

"Nope." My lips pop slightly as the word leaves my mouth, and Nate lets out a gaff choking sound that I quickly realize is a laugh. He turns around, looking for something.

"What is it?"

"Where's our shit?"

"Oh, come this way." I lead him over to an inner wall and move a piece of broken driftwood. There lays our bag and the other clothes that I thought would come in handy. I had to eyeball for Nate's size, but it should all fit more or less. I look at him and see the strap across the chest.

"Oh good, you found it. Was it hard to find?" I walk over to him to get a look at our new bag. It's way bigger than our current. Plus, the zipper actually works.

"Not really. So is that a witch thing?" He narrows his eyes my way. "You just happen to know everything."

"Not everything." I scoff, he raises his eyebrow, and I roll my eyes. "Some things are easy to see and just come to me. Generally, I see things that borderline life and death."

"Whatcha mean?"

"Hmm, how to explain this?" I start walking back towards the entrance and notice some of the charred remains are still moving. Nate bends down and swipes his hand across its jugular ad windpipe area. Blood blossoms across the floor. I then see the glint of steel in his hand. "Where'd you get that?" I pale and put a little space between Nate and me. It's an NTSCU standard issue; you don't just have one of those handy.

"Oh, this? I picked it off one of those guys back before we had to take our lovely drive." He reaches behind him and shoves the knife into his waistband. I nod my head, and my shoulders droop, Oh thank the High Spirits that makes sense. "So you were sayin' about witchy powers."

He looks at me and then kneels down to start packing our stuff in the duffle.

"I can sometimes see things that will either benefit or mean ill for me," I say, rolling my eyes, but my stomach drops thinking of past premonitions. Recently they've increased, and I don't know why. I've never had so many before in such a small period.

"So, you just know what's going to happen?"

"Sadly, nothing in life is that easy."

"Hmm."

"It all depends on the choices of others as nothing is stuck in stone. Say I get a vision of a bag. I know it's important but not what it stands for. Only the person who makes the choice will know that answer. Get it?

"Yeah, I got it." He darts a few small looks my way. "Don't you want to know?"

"Know what?" I gaze innocently at him. By the glare shoot my way, he isn't falling for it, and I almost want to laugh. But it's been a long time since I laughed and I won't start now.

"You know what."

"No." I immediately respond.

"Oh, come on, it's not that bad." He nudges me in the knee with his shoulder, and I almost fall over again. What is this man made of bricks? Yes, it could be. You were probably plotting my murder though he helped me this long, and it would be a wasted effort if he backstabs me now.

That's beside the point nobody is to be trusted.

"I thought about leaving you." He deadpans, looking up at me before continuing to roll our clothes into neat rolls and then moving on to our other stuff.

"What?" I whisper, and I want to deny it, but sadly that makes sense. I'm obviously weak and am probably slowing him down. "So, what happened? Come back to grab your stuff and almost get shot?" I cross my arms and turn my body away from him.

"Nah, I changed my mind. Didn't want to leave a helpless lamb like you out here to fend for herself." He gives me a grin that's all teeth, but for some reason, the gesture isn't intimidating at all.

"I'm not helpless." I raise my head a little higher as if that would prove my worth.

"Oh, I know why do you think I've stuck 'round? You're one badass, little witchy."

"I hate witchy." My ire stains my voice, and by the smirk on his face, he can hear it. Jackass.

"Uh, I'll eventually come up with somethin' better. 'Til then it's witchy. He stands to his full height and swings the bag strap around his torso. His arm comes around my shoulder, and we leave the mess we made behind us without another thought.

"About earlier. Your eyes they-" He squeezes my shoulder slightly, and I jerk away from his hold.

"I know," I quickly cut him off, trying to end the conversation, but I forgot he's stubborn and, most of all, an uncaring asshole.

"Do all witches have black eyes like that." I count under my breath and pray to the Higher Spirits to help me from knocking him back on his behind.

"As far as I know."

"Huh." I swivel my head to look at him, suspicious.

"What." I harden myself, already knowing where this is going.

"Nothing." He shakes his head a small smirk on his face. "It's just they're very...beautiful."

"Beautiful," I repeat, mystified.

"Yeah." He agrees.

"But, they are black."

"I saw."

"Pitch black."

"That's right."

"Most people think they're the sign of evil. The devil, demons, evil incarnate, take your pick.

"That's ridiculous." He scoffs. "I mean sure they're black but..." he trails off and runs a hand through his locs. He readjusts his scarf and tightens it. He looks me dead in the eye, and I can't help but notice the lighter browns mixed with onyx.

"But?" Softly I nudge him to continue.

"Your pupils. They're white with the faintest tint of baby blue, and if you ask me, they look pretty fuckin' holy." He turns his head away and keeps walking. "Honestly anybody who believes that bullshit about witches must be some of the stupidest dumbasses to walk this side of the planet."

"Thanks." I whisper as I follow behind, looking at my feet and look at all the debris that cracks and breaks with each step. "I wish everybody felt that way." I look back up and notice a bloody trail going down his arm. "Shit!"

"What?"

"Your arm, I forgot about it."

"Oh, that's fine; we got other things to worry about."

"No, you dummy, we have to fix this. Besides, we'll leave a trail with you bleeding everywhere."

"It's fine." He clenches his jaw and speeds up his pace as if that would deter me. He obviously needs more time with me before he knows that stunt won't work. I would like nothing more than to give in to the urge to jerk him back with a wave of my hand. My abilities may be flaky, but they usually listen when I'm pissed.

"Nate" He stops and rolls back on his heels. "Please." His mouth gapes open, and I know my eyes must have darkened again, but he doesn't grow angry. Instead, he seems to soften. He fidgets in place.

"Do you even know how to fix up a bullet wound?"

"You'll be surprised by what I know." I jerk my head, and I don't look, but I know he's following my lead. I hope so, at least.

“Shit! That hurts!”

“Will if you'd stop jerking, we'd be done by now.” I grab his shoulder and try once again to dig the bullet out of the hole it's buried in. One would think that Nate would mention the fact that the bullet never exited. As if. Women at home used to complain about the stupidity of men, maybe this is what they meant.

"Wait, Vanessa, just wait a damn second." He jerks out of my reach. His eyes are dilated and wondering about the place, "There's something you should know." I scrunch my eyebrows together, and he huffs a breath. Slowly he inches closer and squats on the ground.

"What is it?" I try to look him in the eye, but he keeps evading me.

"I'm not-I mean-shit. Why is this so hard?" He lowers his head into his hands. I look at the blood running down his arm, and I can't fathom why it seems so familiar though I do know one thing.

"You're not human." It's not a question, and we both know it. He peaks at me through his hands. "I don't know what you are, but you're definitely not human. And you rather I don't figure it out, right?" I rock back on my heels and watch as he tenses up even further.

"Preferably." He nods his head shakily

"Okay," He looks up, eyes shiny and shaking slightly, "but your ass needs to explain what the hell is going on with your blood. It's all sticky and globby; it makes no sense." I look at him and his shoulders are shaking from trying and fall back on his butt. "I'm serious, Nate it looks like some syrup-like shit like really thick, it's been sitting in the open old syrup."

"Stop, I can't take no more." He wipes at his face and scoots over to me. "I can do it, you know. I know my wounds can be hard to patch up."

"No, I think I have it. Now give me the list of injuries," I hold up a hand to interrupt and stop him as he goes to open his mouth "'cause I will find out, and I will knock you out."

"Jeez, I shoulda known you were a violent one." He shoves me a little but I get a little closer just to spite him. "The shoulder was shot. My forearm and back were shot before we left.

I nod my head as I expected as much. "A little tidbit for when you get shot again."

"Excuse you whatcha mean again?"

"Make sure to take the bullet out right away. The NTSCU likes to put traces in their weapons." I keep going as if he never spoke.

"How the fuck they manage that."

"I would say magic, but no witch I know would help them out. Even It must be technology. I know they've been getting more funding lately, even though there's not a lot to go around right now."

"East side still lookin' bad?"

"No worse than here, but there have been some settlements popping up. I heard there's one in the south somewhere, but between running for life and getting lost, I haven't managed to find it."

"Plus, if it's over the border, you'll never reach it."

"What do you mean?" I grab his shoulder and swing a leg of his thigh so that I have access to his wound. I look up at his face before I squeeze the hole slightly. He tenses and growls under his breath. I loosen my grip for a moment before I try again. A glob of his reddish-black blood slowly drips into my palms and slips between my fingers. "Okay that didn't work."

"The borders closed up pretty tight around year two of the Outbreak. We didn't get hit the hardest, but some countries weren't affected and wanted things to stay that way. At least that's what they say." He looks down at the mess in the hands that is slowly making its way to the floor. "Yeah that ain't gonna work. I usually just stitch or tourniquet it.

"Will that's not an option these bullets need to come out." I scrunch up my nose and take off my first layer and start using it as a rag. At least he'll have bandages, now...and a gag. "You're not going to like this next part."

"Whatcha mean?"

"I need to dig it out." I ball up the shirt and hold it out to him.

"Shit! Next time you take the shots." He takes the cloth and shove it into his mouth. Wow he can be silent. I push my pointer finger into the wound until I feel the metal curve of the bullet. I move slightly and am basically sitting in his lap. He has his arm wrapped around my waist. It's not tense just lying there.

I push in my middle finger and widen the hole. He groans, and I would say sorry, but sorry, never fixed anything in my experience. I push down again and get my fingers around the bullet and jerk out of the wound. His body sags. I turn to look at him, but his arm keeps me in place.

"Are you okay?" I rest my hand gently on his collar bone

.

"Just peachy." His is hoarse

"That's great because we still have two more and stitching to do yet."

"Oh, for fuck's sake." He lands his head back hard against the wall, and let's go of his hold on me. "Let's get this shit over with." Luckily the next two are easier. His blood dried up in the wounds, and after breaking it up and picking the bits out of the injuries it was a simple job of grabbing bullets. Well it was easy for me to say the least. Nate didn't have the same feelings.

He goes to the duffle and puts the strap around his shoulder once again. "I can take that, Nate." I reach for him, but he dodges out the way and keeps going.

"Nah I'm good besides this big bag on that short body will just slow us down." He looks back at me flashing his toothy grin.

"Jackass."

"Well, I do aim to please." He stops to wait for me and then we start walking down the big hall. Nate had said this place is-was-a mall. It must've been a beautiful place to visit. "Wait." Nate shoots his arm out stopping me in place. "Shit! Let's go this way." He grabs my wrist and drags me along.

"What's going on?"

"Looks like the NTSCU had backup after all." Well, isn't that just perfect.