Thread: Twisted Thoughts

Danger? It didn't stop her. He didn't really expect it to it simply came out when she said it, brows lowering. He looked as confused as ever and then... hurt. Or maybe more like horrified. Rayner didn't mince words often. But it was obvious she was hurt, and he wasn't making it better. He'd told her the truth, and compared to what she thought it should have been a relief but instead she was getting more worked up. He must have done something wrong, but hell if he knew. The man wasn't analyzing it clearly enough to get all that at the moment, but he could get the hurt and form a line of thoughts resembling it anyway. He didn't shove Celeste away, or grow angry, but just gaped at her and absently raised his hand as if to brush her hand away from his hair. And then she stormed away. He stared at her, getting his wits back now that she wasn't acting quite so unnervingly, and even starting to glare at her again when all of the sudden she mentioned imprisonment. And murder. In an instant his jaw set and his fists clenched. Eyes lit with fires, sharp puffs of breath through the nose. For a moment, Rayner was more than ready to simply burst out the door and hunt these people down. It would be obvious enough to look at him. She knew him that well. All else not-quite-forgotten, his wife was in danger. All else could wait a few moments. Only instead of making it seem any more urgent or expanding on that... Celeste carried on to other things. He watched in uncertainty until she finished. Most of it he didn't know how to take, much less respond to. It just sat out there as she finished, and then collapsed, for a few moments. And then Rayner weakly rose, walking across the room. Without an ounce of grace, he collapsed beside her, slumping into the wall and sliding down next to Celeste. If she didn't bat him away again, he'd lay a hand on the side of her head, and lean her gently over against him, letting her body lay into his torso and holding her gently, like she was so terribly precious and vulnerable at the moment. The first was certainly true. And the second seemed it as much as ever. It took him a long time to begin, even for what little he had to say. The delivery was emotional, but not in her acting fashion, or in violent flames or tidal waves of it. Cold and choked. Something powerful, but distant. I don't know. When I got to the tower, he was already dangling you off the side. I didn't get a good look, my eyes were on... Well. That went without saying. I don't know where the dragons came from, but he let you go and... you... fell. Right into it's mouth. Everything went... red after that. It's all I remember. Red. They told me I'd been out a few days when I came to in the hospital. That they'd had to drag me out of Avalon before I got trapped. Said I'd... been trying to hack its belly open. Said I almost ran Athan through when he tried to stop me. He couldn't remember most of it, but he could still remember exactly the words they'd told him in. And he could remember asking where she was. How the baby was. One hand slowly touched her- one place and another, just softly patting as if to affirm the mass was there. But you're here now. You're real. I'm not just dreaming it this time. That's... that's all I'd... Rayner burried his face into her.