"Me?" I snap in disbelief. "Explain." She turns on her heel without a single word. I watch her natural sway as she strides away from me. I sigh. My veins bubbled beneath my skin at her proximity, and as she leaves the feeling of distress creeps back in. What is wrong with me? Her disappointment, her distance, it bothers me on a subconscious level that even I don't comprehend.

          "Sera, why?" I try again. She gives in and rewards me with a response.

          "Because you are a giant lie. You are a black hole in my already imploding universe. I was doing the best I could with the life I was dealt, it was rough but I managed. Then you came along, and showered me with phony affection and like a fool I would grovel for it. Then I find out it was all fabricated, just so you could use me. The only 'love' I had ever felt, and it was all a joke. One day, you will feel just as small and humiliated as I have. Someone will come along and humble you too. They'll grab you by that massive ego, and they'll squeeze the arrogance right out of you."

         "So you'll stay, just one night here? I promised Axar I would find someone to help him understand and perfect his abilities." She walks off once more.

          "For him, not you. I intend to go get my own things from home to wear and eat. I will stay in the guest room. Stay away from me."

          "As you wish. I will go retrieve your things for you..."

          "No. I'll get them myself. I won't eat a thing you touch. As for clothing, you have touched any of my clothes or garments for the last time."

           "You can come with me, or I can ask Narius."

            "I am not leaving Axar by himself here, and I don't want Narcissist anywhere near my home ever again." A fitting nickname for him actually. I smile in spite of the situation. 

            "Axar tells me you called me 'Noxema'." I try to lighten her mood. I follow her and try to put my arm over her, she quickly evades.

           "I called you much, much worse things than that. Though that was my favorite." She nearly runs to the kitchen  to check on Axar, who's at the bar with several sandwiches and a little bag of snacks. Potato chips. I can feel the change in her upon seeing him. He beams at her and I stay back from them, giving them a false sense of privacy.

          "Did he really promise you that he would find someone who would help you?" She whispers to the boy who nods.

        "Yeah. He said he would help you too, with your abilities so you can be safe. Do you know how old he is? He was alive when the titanic sank. Isn't that incredible?" Axar whispers with a soft smile. I peer into Sera's mind and instantly regret it. It would be incredible, if only he were on board. I struggle to keep my face straight and neutral.

        "It is. Are you comfortable with him near? If anybody here makes you uncomfortable, you come to me. If anything were to happen I would want you to run and escape, do not wait for me in emerg-"

         "We will be fine. I've got you with me. Don't worry so much, you look so tired and stressed. I don't want you to feel bad." She sighs and plays with his curls as he eats his potato chips. "I just think if I could learn this stuff, maybe I could help people. Or at least keep those around me safe, like warm them. I don't know. I just need to know how this works." I can sense his shift in mood, and all it takes is the slightest bit of gloom and Sera has already folded.

        "We will stay, tonight. Tonight only. After that they can come to us. I've got to go home to get food and pajamas for us, do you need anything. Would you go with us?"

         "Actually, I really wanted to stay and finish eating. Will you be hone long?"

         "No. I will not leave you for long. You do not go outside his house. I'm locking his doors for you." He lays his head back on her and she kisses his forehead and refills his juice. The chemistry between them is like she has been with him all his life. She treats him like she had birthed him. Her heart beats faster, and her earlier boldness fades. She's all nerves and emotions as she checks doors and windows. She is terrified to leave him. She give his hand a tight squeeze and shuffles towards me.

        "Are you ready?" She stares at her feet and nods. "Well, for you to be able to accompany me you will have to touch me." She walks back and grabs a thin throw from the back of the arm chair. She wraps it around herself.

         "You touch nowhere that isn't covered by the blanket. I'm not touching you." She turns her back to me and I burst out laughing. I can't stop myself, and my breath wheezes out as I try so hard to stifle it. "Why? That's all I want to ask. What do you think that blanket is going to accomplish?"

        "I...I'm not sure. I just don't want you to touch my skin or try to suck anything else out of me." I groan.

       "I didn't suck anything out of you. I absorbed negative energy. If anything you felt better."

       "You sucked my blood, like an asshole leech. You sucked the joy right out of me..." I know she's being dramatic, and I nearly chuckled at her until I noticed her shoulders shaking and the overwhelming depression surrounding her. I pull her back into my chest and her tears fall onto my forearms. I don't know what to say, so I say nothing. I just hold her to me tightly, and I bury my face in her hair. Her sadness does not stir my appetite as it does with others, but I feel uneasy.

       Soon her apartment comes into view as we materialize in her livingroom, almost beside her front door. She tears herself away from me with little grace as she bolts through the house like a mad woman snatching things to stuff in her grocery bags and grabbing food for herself. She achieves a new level of pettiness when I watch her refill her own gallon of water.

       "We have water at home." I argue as I try to wrench the water from her hands.

       "Your home, not mine. I prefer my own water. You probably poisoned the tap with whatever voodoo you do. I'll drink my own, thank you." I facepalm.

       "Just stop! Please. For whatever it's worth, I am sorry. Better?"

       "No!" She turns her back to me again.

       "Just look at me."

       "Go look at yourself!"

       "That doesn't even make sense. You could at least try to be coherent."

       "You do not make sense! You can't tell me what to do." I force her against me as she tries to dodge and throw elbows. I hold her tightly again as we return home.

         I can tell she's crying again, and it dawns on me that her combative behavior and pettiness is a defense mechanism. She is building her walls high to keep me out. But I need her. I don't know why, but it's undeniable that I do. I will help this kid, and I will teach her just enough not to expose herself to mortals, but not how to use or that she has extra abilities. I can't have her leave me yet. My body reacts without my input, and I kiss her forehead before I think better of it.

         "I'm sorry. I didn't...I don't even know..." I mumble. "Sera..." She doesn't respond, only sniffles. Once back to my house she immediately checks on 'her baby', and then sulks back to the guest room. It's hard to focus without her, but I lead Axar into the small library with me as I begin to search.

        Having been alive for so long I've acquired many books and ancient pieces of literature.  Some are in immaculate shape, others are torn segments and several pages, barely tethered together by bits of spine. Many of these are family heirlooms as well, handwritten and handed down to future generations for guidance. Some are my own notes and contacts, roughly scribed here and there and then stuffed back onto shelves. I find several books on banshees and a couple on cambions. I find some on death as well, and I stack it into my arms with the rest the pile.

        "Take this one too." Axar softly suggests, as he pushes a book of poetry to me.

         "Why would I need this?"

        "I thought some of them were nice. They express sympathy and guilt. Maybe you could use them for Sera as a way to say sorry somehow. I don't know. I just know my foster dad always used poems and flowers. Chocolate. Gummy worms are cool too!" I take the book from him and he smiles. My displeasure of having him around diminished by the second. I've never been one for kids, but this one softens whatever heart I suppose I had. He is wise beyond his years, helpful and kind. He is just like Sera.