Losing Grip [Micah]

[Every]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Every: She pursed her lips lightly, considering the events that had transpired the evening before and carefully pushed the anger that she had been feeling back into the little box that her sire had often suggested she keep in the back of her head. There weren’t many times where Every let it get the best of her, but lately, it was something that she couldn’t control, something that she couldn’t catch in time to keep calm; and in all honesty, it bothered her. There weren’t many days where she found herself being in a particularly social mood, there were days she didn’t want to get out of bed or even really know who she was. The easiest thing for her way to ignore it and fake a smile, at least until the anger rolled over and she could go back to thinking otherwise.

Pushing herself off the branch and wincing from the action when her feet connected with the Eyrie floor, Every made her way up to the fourth floor where she could usually find her sire, idly tapping her fingertips against the pair of yoga pants she wore. “Micah?” She called out quietly, chewing on her bottom lip. Anxiety showed in her movements, frustration dancing across her features before she exhaled a shaky breath with the pain dancing through her chest despite the lack of needing oxygen, “You up here?”

Micah: Zoey was dead. The second his daughter’s body turned to ash and disappeared from his view he instantly shut down. Every single emotion was locked up deep within him and what was left behind was nothing more than an emotionless shell. Reanna had fallen next, another blow to the faction, then Jesse had fallen but not before taking out two of those worthless idiots. A small sense of satisfaction had filled him at that, but it was gone as soon as it had appeared. When Reanna had fallen Micah had carefully watched Every’s reaction. To say that he was more than a little disgusted was an understatement. She’d fallen apart, sliding to the floor and curling into a ball but what pissed him off the most? Was the fact that Nishaa was the reason they were there. They were fighting in retaliation for what had happened to her and the only words Every could offer her were something along the lines of “You’ll be fine Nishaa.” He had no words for that. None.

The events of the previous night were catching up with him and underneath all of the rage he was feeling he could feel small chinks of his armor starting to peel away, the wall of grief threatening to break free of its confines to consume him. He refused to let that happen. Not yet. There were two more miserable fucks that needed to pay for their part in what had happened to Nishaa. After that though, he’d allow himself to have that moment. He did however, take a moment to press his thoughts into Zoey’s mind telling her he loved her and how proud he was of her for the way she’d gone out, fighting in defense of someone she cared about. That helped him a small bit.

He was standing in the middle of the room, staring out into nothing when the sound of soft steps drew his attention back to the present. His lips curled upwards, a slight sneer appearing on his face when he realized who it was before she ever spoke his name. He was half tempted to summon the shadows and hide from her but no. This was a confrontation a long time in coming. The absolute best way to lay it all out there was when he was devoid of emotion. In this state, her apologies and her excuses would not move him. And so he turned to face the direction from which she was approaching. “Every.”

Every: “I can always tell when you’re upset with me when you call me that.” Her voice was quiet as she walked in, her hand resting over her chest as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I hate it.” She added, moving over to a wall. There weren’t many times that she fought with her sire and as she pushed her pain aside, the shadow lifted frustrated hazel eyes to her sire’s features. Lately, she felt like the man hated her. When she found out that Madison and the other idiots had attacked Nishaa, there had been nothing but rage at first. She should have summoned her. She should have checked on her before retiring for the evening. It was something that before everything that brought her back down to a nulled level that would have happened. “But what I hate more is the fact that for the past few months, I don’t know what has gotten into me and this time I know it’s not a fadebeast messing with my emotions. When you said sometimes you don’t know who I am these days, you aren’t the only one.”

She winced heavily as she slid down to sit. Standing was too much effort. Every kept thinking about what would have happened if Nishaa hadn’t been strong, if there had been more of them. She would have probably lost it entirely even though she could go see her. Her laptop up in the hut was broken from how hard she had slammed it, she had sent her childe a text immediately asking if she was alright, if there was anything she could do. “I don’t have any excuses this time and I’m not apologizing, there’s no point considering I can’t understand what’s going on in my own head let alone yours. I came here to make peace.” Every tilted her head back to look up at him properly, her jaw clenching briefly as she tried to shove out the anger that had been lashing out too often as of late. She tried to ignore the screaming and the sound of metal crushing bone in her memories, haunting her, taunting her sanity as she pursed her lips. Every had come to ask for help, but that wouldn’t be happening until things were settled. “No bitching, no fighting. I don’t think either of us have the patience as of late for either.”

In her months of reclusion from everyone, she knew the toll that had taken the most of a hit was her relationship with Micah. It always seemed that way, when she got startled or upset that she pulled away from him and she didn’t know why. Maybe because it would have been easier to run in the end, to escape. The others had been her relationships with her childer. Nishaa wouldn’t be too difficult, the two were already talking again. Every had stayed the day beside her and Abi, talking and just watching the two. She had been right when she said that confidence was something the petite woman was lacking as of late, it had been what Micah picked at before her duel. Hazel eyes narrowed briefly while she looked at her sire, more miserable with her emotions than the hole in her heart. “You’re an ***. But I should have known I’d be fine in my duel because I can keep pace with you.” It was the closest to ‘you were right, Micah.’ that he’d be getting for now. “But you were wrong - and I say that with all due respect - to say I haven’t been trying to make up for what has happened. You call it as you see it and that was the problem. You haven’t gotten the chance to see it because I wasn’t entirely sure how to approach you about everything.”

She closed her eyes and exhaled, deciding it was best to be blunt and forward in this situation, “The past few weeks all I have been feeling is that you hate me, that you can’t stand me, so my first instinct is to avoid the problem until the problem goes away which is entirely counterproductive, but it used to work for me. I’ve told you before that running away is something I used to do when emotions hit me too hard, that feeling has been constant as of late.”

Micah: “You don’t say.” It was a statement, not a question, stated in a rather flat, emotionless tone. Micah stared at her impassively, sharp gaze taking in the slow awkward way that she moved towards him. Alexandrea had gotten off a couple of extra hits on his childe, the lying cheating *****, and it showed in the way that Every moved. Never again would that woman have her requests of a one on one duel answered and she only had herself to blame for that. “You’re right Every. I don’t know who you are. I haven’t known who you are for months. You don’t call, you don’t text, the only time I hear from you is at events and faction meetings. Thats all well and good. I refuse to baby you, but seeing you and your preferential treatment really pisses me the **** off.”

A bitter laugh came from him. “I’m an ***? If that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black.” He couldn’t believe her nerve, sitting there in front of him and actually having the balls to poke at the angry tiger with a stick. Because he was angry - no. That was a lie. Micah was livid. Yes it took two. He could just as easily approach her but all he would have gotten from her would have been more ******** lies and excuses, promises of how she’d try to do better and make it up to the ones that she was hurting. He quite frankly didn’t care if she changed her tune in regards to him, but her childer? She most definitely had amends to make there. And he didn’t see her trying too hard. “You want to make peace?” He almost laughed. Almost, but he didn’t. “I have a feeling that you aren’t going to like anything that I have to say to you right now.”

He could scarcely believe what she was saying, standing there telling him how wrong he was. No. He wasn’t wrong. When he was wrong, and knew he was wrong he could admit it. He could own up to his faults and his fuckups. But in this? **** no. “Wow. Just...are you seriously standing there, telling me that I’m wrong because I don’t see your efforts? That’s truly laughable. Your reaction over Reanna dying had more emotion in it than your reaction to the fact that Nishaa was almost killed did. Your BLOOD childe Every. I have no issue with Reanna, in fact I like her just fine and am more than happy to support the place you have given her within our family. What I am not fine with is the obvious favoritism that you have displayed towards her when all Nishaa gets is a You’ll be fine.” He mimicked her voice as best he could, clearly angry and growing angrier by the second as fury started to break the wall he had up.

Her next words had him staring at her in utter disbelief. Who in the hell was this woman standing in front of him? She looked like Every, the scent was Every’s, she spoke like Every but this? This was in no way shape or form the woman that he had sired just over two years prior. No this was a complete stranger to him. Her words meant nothing, they stirred nothing within him. All Micah could hear was yet another lame, ******** excuse for her to turn it around and place all the blame on him. “Are you being serious right now? No. You are. I can tell by the look on your face and hear it in your voice.” He took a step closer to her and this time when he spoke, there was emotion there. A whole lot of ******* rage. “You think I hate you? Oh darlin you ain’t seen nothin yet.” She wanted to see hatred then he could certainly show her that.

Every: “Have I ever asked you to baby me?” She replied casually, a soft shake of her head causing dark brown hair to fall over her shoulder while she gave what would have been a small smirk if it didn’t look out of place on her features. “Because I don’t recall those words coming out of my mouth. I don’t hear from you. I don’t hear from my childer, so don’t put that entirely on me. I don’t know how often I have to say that I don’t go up to others well because I don’t enjoy feeling as if I’m a burden.” Her leg stretched out idly and she clenched her jaw, shifting her weight while she focused on the wall. “I haven’t ******* known who I am for a while. Do you know how odd that is to say?” Her arms straightened to hold her up from the ground while she waited for the pain to pass. It wasn’t until her arm went numb that she settled back down on the floor.

“You’re an *** for purposely provoking me even if it worked.” Her hazel eyes flashed while she looked at him, her expression remaining carefully blank, “And I know how I’ve been acting. I’ve apologized to my childer. I’ve talked with Nishaa. With Szabina. I’m not sure how things will happen with Aysel, but during the hunts its’ getting better.” She considered the few times that she’d seen Kirill lately. Once to break down in front of him, something that she wasn’t proud of, and then to check on him after Reanna’s death. “I don’t give a damn if I’m going to like it or not. I’m not a child.” She frowned, “And I’m not stupid either. I’m aware of how I’ve been acting and that should be the first hint that something’s wrong. I’m also pretty damn irritated that none of my childer even considered coming to me to say is something wrong? rather than just going straight to my sire or posting on the family CrowNet. I’d never do that to you.”

And when he brought up her reaction to Nishaa’s attack, Every was on her feet and before she could stop it, the snarl that escaped past the small brunette’s lips was animalistic. There weren’t many things that could set her off, in fact, she didn’t like rage, but the assumption that she had favoritism in her line was one of them. She didn’t like the emotion, but she bared her fangs lightly. “Until you look at my hut and see the physical reaction, do not tell me how I felt. Do not tell me how much emotion I felt, how I reacted. I wanted Madison’s head, I wanted her to bleed slowly, to feel every tendon in her body snap, to watch the muscle slide off her bones as I pulled her apart with my nails.” Her hands had curled into a ball, muscle straining beneath the surface as she tried to remain level headed. “I was tame when Reanna fell. Don’t believe me? Good for you, but for your information, the first thing I did after I calmed down enough to think properly was text Nishaa. I asked if she was alright, I asked if she needed anything.”

She could feel the rage flowing through her and it numbed out the pain as her chest rose and fell. She was furious and she dug the extending claws into her palms. She could feel the blood beginning to escape from her body, whisping away after a moment when it finished resting on the surface of the air after it slipped between her fingers. When her sire stepped forward, she didn’t back away. In fact, she stepped forward and looked up at him. He wanted confidence? Fine. Her hazel eyes narrowed, her thin frame trembling with the effort she was taking. “I am sick and tired of how of all this ******** has seemed to land on ‘blame Every.’ I spent my entire ******* life being a scapegoat, the one that took all the hits. This is the reason I do not like getting close to people. Why I don’t trust many, because somehow it always bites me in the ***. I admit to being distant. I admit that I haven’t been a great sire, nor have I been a great childe, but I refuse,” She snarled once more, “to be the only one at fault.”

Every stepped forward once more, staying at a distance, but clearly not backing down for once. “No one, even though clearly I was more distant than usual, stepped forward to ask me if I was alright. When I say I’m going to ******* do something, I’m going to ******* do it because unlike my mother, I actually have the common ******* courtesy to keep my word. Just because you can’t see it does not mean that it has not happened.” She inclined her head, her eyes glittering dangerously, “That’s the problem with most isn’t it? What people can’t see doesn’t happen, it’s not true. I’m not a ******* victim in this ****, but I am certainly not the only ******* villain, and until any one steps up, it’s a moot argument. Go on and hate me if you want.” Her eyebrow twitched and she retracted her fangs, digging her nails just a bit deeper underneath the skin of her palms.

Micah: The more she spoke the more he couldn’t help but wonder if she actually believed the ******** that was coming out of her mouth. When she spoke of not knowing herself his eyes flicked up to the ceiling in some semblance of an eye roll. “Oh so now you’re using the excuse of being a burden to avoid interaction with your family. You remember them? They’re the ones that give a ****, though I’m sure like me, they’re having trouble remembering why they do.” A stinging remark, meant to hurt her. And he hoped that it did. He was in no mood for this tonight but it had gone on for far too long and it needed to end. The longer it drug on, the worse it was going to be for both of them. “Not knowing yourself isn’t something anyone can help you with. That’s something you need to figure out on your own.” One single eyebrow raised. “The comments you made before that duel were ridiculous Every, and they not only succeeded in pissing me off but my wife as well. Zoey, Jesse and Reanna all went into those duels willingly, whether they could win or not. They did it for the faction. In defense of YOUR CHILDE. Not once did you hear them say, I don’t go into a fight I’m not positive I can’t win. That was a low blow and it absolutely cheapens and sullies the sacrifice that they made.”

“As for your childer coming to me? They don’t. So don’t stand there and try to say that they bring their issues to me over you because that really isn’t the case. And even if they do that’s your own ******* fault. Maybe, just maybe if you showed them the same enthusiasm that you show everyone else that doesn’t seem to be your childe, or your sire, or a member of your ******* blood family you’d have more interactions with those ones that you apparently give a **** about.” He shook his head. “The way I see it, they have to be pretty desperate to get your attention if they’re airing your dirty laundry on the CrowNet for the entire family to see. Maybe they felt that it was the only way that they could hope to get your attention.” The fact, as he saw them, without a drop of sugarcoating to be seen.

He actually laughed but it wasn’t a pleasant sound whatsoever. “So instead of showing your anger where your childe could actually appreciate it you chose to do it in private? A snort came from him, one of disbelief. “You claim you wanted all of that but how are we supposed to know that? You keep pushing and pushing, you close yourself off into this little corner and you’re in your own world ignoring everyone and everything unless you find that you yourself have the time to give a ****. Maybe I don’t know what you felt, and maybe I didn’t see how you reacted. But I go but what I see. And what I see is a self absorbed whiney ***** that doesnt care about anyone but herself.” She had him on a roll down and there wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to back down. Not now, not ever.

“You’re the one making yourself into the scapegoat Every. You want people to see your side? That’s all well and good but why the **** should I and everyone else put forth the effort when it appears that you aren’t interested? You don’t want to be the victim? Don’t want the blame placed solely on your shoulders? Then OPEN YOUR ******* EYES EVERY ANDRAS!” His temper snapped and the barely there wall holding his anger back collapsed and she was hit head on with every single ounce of it. Sure most of it was directed at her because he could see what her indifference was doing. AJ had forgotten her, and Nishaa - Nishaa was hurt. That Every couldn’t see that and continued to make excuses for her behavior…..he didn’t understand it. At all. And he doubted that he ever would.

“Tell me something. How many times have YOU asked if I was alright? After some of the comments you’ve made in the past it’s painfully obvious that you’re only looking out for yourself. You don’t think before you speak and some of the **** that comes out of your mouth is hurtful. Do you see that? No you dont. The only time you even pretend to care is when you’ve plainly pissed me off so you’re quick to try and cover your tracks. I’m not making you a ******* villian here Every you’re doing a fine job of that yourself.” His hand hit the surface of the table, cracking it straight down the middle with the force of it. Now he was well and truly pissed the **** off.

[Micah]

--The following transcript was a live chat roleplay--

Every: She could feel it as she remained silent, the way her leg muscles tensed just before she would push off when she would run, the way that her anger was building and her desire to just leave played just beneath the surface. **** Jesse and saying he’d be disappointed in her if she ran. **** all of them. That was her mindset as her claws dug a bit deeper before she removed them so the wound could heal. She hadn’t learned to control that power yet. At this particular point, she didn’t care if she ever would. All she wanted to do was put as much distance as she could between Micah Andras and herself, and the furthest distance in her mind was Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She didn’t respond for a while. She simply stared at him.

Every didn’t do confrontation. In truth, she was a bit of a coward but when she was backed into a corner, she snapped back. But there was one thing that she knew to do when she felt that way and didn’t want to fight any more. She ran. Rather than snap back, she closed her eyes and gave a shake of her head. “You know what, don’t bother.” When she spoke, she sounded almost hollow as she shut down the best that she could. When she opened her eyes, they had tears in them and for the first time in a long time, she looked almost broken. “I came up here to fix things and get help. I hate asking for it, but I hate fighting with you, but I don’t see a point. You’re throwing everything right back at me.” She reached up to remove the relic that he had given her for their first anniversary and then the ring that Velveteen had given her for crafting.

Each motion she made was pained as she felt the emotion roll through her, testing her. Prodding at every piece of her system before she threatened to shatter. “I told you what I was feeling because normally, you can see past it. You’ve always been able to help me figure out what the hell is going on, but it’s just getting worse.” She set the things down on the table before she gave a shake of her head. “I haven’t asked, but that’s my point. Communication is not my strong point, but it is a two way street. And actually, contrary to what seems to be popular belief, I do think. And I have apologized for things that have come out of my mouth, but you always seem to blow them off, because they do come out wrong.” She turned to begin to walk away, “I have no need to cover my tracks any more, as you so kindly just put it as I quit. I quit all of this, I quit caring, I quit this place. I’m done. When I apologize, I mean them. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t say them.”

Her hazel eyes found the picture that she’d given of them and felt something inside her break as she grit her teeth, feeling the tears begin to roll down her cheeks and she started walking towards the elevator. She stopped thinking of him as an ally. Of the others, so they wouldn’t be able to summon her back. The action made her wince violently and she squeezed her eyes tightly to try and control it all. When she took a deep breath, she felt as if someone had reopened the wound in her heart and she folded her arms in front of her chest. Before reaching the elevator, she teleported out of The Eyrie and made her way to her apartment to begin to pack.

Running away was her only option. Was it selfish? Yes. Did she care? Normally, she would have. But now she didn’t.

Micah: He stared right back at her, both hands flat on the surface of the table as his eyes spit sparks of fire at her. His entire body was radiating tension and rage, not the best of combinations. When he was like this he didn’t care who he hurt, and this time was no exception to that. She was winning no sympathy with him if anything it was only making him angrier. Having a pity party. Feeling sorry for herself. Well boo ******* hoo. She didn’t want to man up and face the real issue then that was on her shoulders, no one else’s . There was so much he wanted to say to her and none of it was nice. None of it. Three faction members were dead and here she stood acting like she was the only one who had ever been on the receiving end of his anger. She wasn’t the first, nor would she be the last.

So it was with slight disbelief that he watched her remove the gifts he and Vel had gotten for her, and tell him she quit. You ******* coward was the first thought that came to him mind when she told him she was done, that she quit. If that wasn’t a big **** you then he didn’t know what was. As the doors closed behind her he tried to summon her but found that he couldn’t. “You ******* cowardly, cowardly *****.” He seethed to the empty room, the absolute gall of her to try and feed him a line of ******** about wanting to fix **** then running away? She just crossed a line. He hated liars, and as of right now she was firmly in that category.

Turning he headed straight for the ritual altar, snapping at Bunny to bring him what he needed. “You can run, but you can never hide from me. And so help me, by the time I’m finished with you you’re going to ******* wish you’d never pissed me off.” Bunny appeared at his side handing him the bag of items she’d been requested to gather. A vial of poison chems, a feral fang, black feral blood, mountain lion hide were tossed into the circle to summon the demi fae. He worked quickly, repairing the circle with the chems as needed and soon he was rewarded, being told that she was in her apartment in West Towers. “Bingo.”

It was a quick trip to the Towers, and his rage fueled him, and it was growing with each step that he took. He didn’t sire cowards, and he never took her to be one. But in one fell swoop she had managed to convince him otherwise. Running away, tonight of all nights, was like pouring salt on an open wound. The loss of Jesse, Reanna, Zoey - it hurt. That she wouldn’t stand up and face him and fix this **** that she claimed she wanted to fix….he was flabbergasted.

When he reached her apartment door he didn’t bother knocking. Instead he was about as subtle as a bull in a china shop and brought his foot up, kicking the door in with one single kick sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. As soon as he stepped inside he zeroed in on her location and stalked towards her, grabbing her by the hair and flinging her against the nearest wall. “How ******* DARE YOU!?”

Every: The second she stepped inside of the Towers, Every ignored her surroundings as she all but ran into the elevator, a first for who she was. She hated them. She had always hated elevators and when she heard someone call out to her, she ignored them. Her hand slapped against the number 8 and when the doors closed, she sank to the ground as emotions overwhelmed her. Her box was breaking and she was breathing heavy. This was why she didn’t get close to people. She could feel everything shattering around her as the tears rolled down her cheeks. She didn’t like to say goodbye and she didn’t like the pain that came with it. As she sank down, she wasn’t sure if it was her heartbreaking or the wound reopening, but she grasped at the spot and lifted her free arm to wipe away the tears with her bandages.

It didn’t move fast enough for her liking. She thought about her childer and felt her eyes close, before they opened once more. She thought about how Micah had taken her in and when she closed her eyes once more, she could feel more tears begin to fall; she thought about how he had usually listened to her when she was like this and came to the conclusion that it just wasn’t worth it. Every had stayed in Harper Rock for too long. She had told Jesse this, she had told herself this too many times for her to care. She thought about her friends and family, taking and holding a deep breath as time went on. She didn’t feel welcome in the city any more. She didn’t want to be there. Two years was too long. She had become too comfortable around these people and perhaps when she was away, she’d send them a better explanation other than “I quit.”

The second she reached the eighth floor, she got to her feet and darted inside, slamming the door behind her and locking it. She considered claiming against him, but doubted that he’d come after her. “Not with his mood.” Every moved into the bedroom to grab a duffel bag, throwing the essentials into it before she passed the identical photograph that had been on the wall. Picking it up, she tossed it into the sink with enough force to break the wooden frame and the glass it was behind. “**** this. **** all of this.” She muttered to herself, moving around the gifts that had been sent over the years. She kept everything, a bad habit from hoarding that at some point, she would have laughed and pointed out to Micah, but at that moment, it just made her angrier. Without thinking, she pocketed the taser that he’d given her for Christmas before she could stop herself and picked up her laptop, stuffing it into the bag.

It was too late for her to notice the strange sensation, and as she heard the elevator dinging, Every claimed against him, swearing when he broke down her door. “Get the **** out!” She snarled, dropping her bag before her hands lifted to remove some of the pressure against her scalp as she let out a yelp. Her back connected with the wall and she felt the dry wall collapse beneath her before she recovered fast. That didn’t mean, however, that she wasn’t grasping her chest and wheezing. Why did he have to do it when she was in already enough pain? Couldn’t he see that she didn’t want to be there any more? Every sprinted forward, removing the taser in the same instance to drive the metal prongs against his side before she pulled the trigger. In the back of her mind, she realized that she should have gone for her gun or her knife, but no. She had grabbed the present from her sire, but at least it was set on its highest setting?

Micah: She was quick but he was quicker, managing to get inside before the claim against him took hold to keep him out. He’d have to be cautious, because if she was able to get the upper hand he could very well be forced outside. There wasn’t a chance in hell he was going to let that happen. She wasn’t going to get the chance to run again, and even if she did he’d be able to find her. Over and over he’d use that ritual and her location would be revealed to him. There wasn’t anywhere she could run to and she knew it.

He was so unbelievably angry with this girl, more so than he’d ever been in the entire two years that he had known her. How could she have possibly changed so much in the past few months? When did she stop giving a **** about the ones that she claimed to care about? It wasn’t so much him he was worried about, it was the others. Nishaa most of all. Every’s actions had hurt Nishaa badly. He didn’t doubt that Every had destroyed her hut, she was so much like him in that aspect. But she also didn’t seem to care too much that her childe could have died. Actions speak louder than words and in this instance, it was uncannily true. She hadn’t showed Nishaa that she was pissed - she hadn’t done anything but utter her a few flimsy words. Hell he’d shown more anger at the attacks than Every had.

She sprinted towards him then, too fast for him to properly dodge. Next thing he knew something metal was pressed into his side and he was doubled over, pain radiating from his side and throughout his body. He knew in an instant what it was. The taser he had gotten her for Christmas. She had the balls to use it on him hoping that it would slow him down in an attempt to flee from his rage. “******* coward. Cheating, ******* COWARDLY *****!!” He tried to stand tall but the pain in his side and the way his muscles contracted under the assault of the taser kept him from doing so.

Every: It wasn’t like the Eyrie, her apartment. She couldn’t use a branch to throw her weight against him in a kick to shove him out, but she could teleport him. But Micah was faster than she was and she was damned pissed off that she had given Jesse her ring. It would have helped for the warning. Stepping backwards and out of his reach, she watched her sire carefully as her chest rose and fell. She couldn’t heal it because of that ******* event she wanted to get out of just yet. She could run for a while, it was something she was good at. She could hide, being a shadow helped that out quite a bit. Every knew how the faction worked and she knew how to hide. She also knew she couldn’t hide long, but enough to stall before fleeing the country worked, right? Her arms lifted in a defensive way.

The night of the attacks, Every had been in her hut with Reanna. She had thrown her laptop so hard against the wall that it had shattered and she doubted that if she hadn’t been in The Eyrie, aware of a hunt being planned, that she would have asked Micah to go after Madison herself. Hell, she’d been angry enough to just deal with the consequences later. During the hunt, she had forced herself to remain calm – if one could call it that with Abbadon constantly squeezing her shoulder. She had always thought Nishaa wouldn’t need words of consolement, but maybe she had been wrong. During hunts, she was focused. There was a difference between almost dying and death itself, she knew that. When she’d fallen to the ground, it had been everything getting to her – Zoey, Reanna. The attacks on Nishaa. Even at that moment, she gave a low growl as she remembered Madison saying that someone should have taught her better and her claws were visible as she watched the man opposite of her. What should she do?

He had given her the taser to use in self defense, to never be without a weapon and she had used it – against him. When Micah doubled over, she brought her knee up in attempt to catch him off balance so that it would connect with his shoulder. Not enough to hurt him, but enough that she’d be able to get away. “How the **** am I cheating and cowardly? I have ******* warned all of you.” Every stepped back, crouching slightly as she brought the device back up. They were too much alike. She could see it now and it bothered her significantly. “You bought me that for self defense and you attacked me first.” She bared her fangs, “I have things to do.” She turned her back, fixing her ponytail before she went to collect her bag. “Do you want to know what upsets me the most? Out of every ******* fight we’ve had, you’ve always had the ability to take one ounce of ******* consideration and listened to me.” Oddly enough, she was beginning to feel like her normal self. “And yet this time, it’s pretty much ‘**** off, Every.’”

Micah: Minutes ticked by before he was able to push the pain down, just in time for her knee to come up and hit him in the shoulder. It didn’t do anything to move him. Instead it only succeeded in pissing him off all the more. He stood just as she turned her back to him. Huge mistake on her part. Reaching out he wrapped his hand around her ponytail and again threw her against the wall. This time his hand was around her throat, picking her up off of the floor so she dangled within his grasp. “You’re ******* cheating and cowardly because first off - you have to resort to tactics that a human would use. Newsflash Every you’re a ******* vampire. It’s gonna take a lot more than a ******* taser to put me down and keep me there.”

He tightened his grip and bared his own fangs at her, eyes black with rage. “And you’re ******* cowardly because instead of fixing what you wanted to fix you turned tail and ran. You, who came to me wanting to fix the issues that are between us, ran away from me like the devil was nipping at her heels. Now, because I’m throwing hard truths at you, you don’t ******* like it and because you don’t like it, you choose to RUN. Like a ******* coward. Never in my life would I have ever thought of you as such, but here we are.” He was snarling at her, in her face and showing her not one single ounce of mercy for her plight. “That saying the truth hurts in appropriate for this situation, don’t you think?”

Every: Her body flinched when she felt his hand around her throat, glad that wound had been healed as she tilted her chin up to look defiant as her hazel eyes flashed darkly with fury. Her claws came out once again and curled around his wrist, digging in. Every was glad that she didn’t have to breathe. “I wasn’t aiming to put you down, I was aiming to stun. If I wanted to put you down,” She growled a bit, her voice strained before she attempted to nod down to her hip where her gun was visible from how she was dangling, her foot going to act as a prop so that she could take the pressure off her throat, “I would have shot you in the head or the heart – this gun won’t break on me. And I know how to use it. You didn’t train an idiot, Micah.” At being called a coward, her gaze didn’t falter. She’d been called worse, in all truth.

“You mean how you ran? Like sire, like childe. We’ve already established that in the past. So if you want to call me one, look at your picture because pot, meet kettle.” She narrowed her gaze, repeating his words for calling him an *** earlier on, “Let go of me before I teleport you into the river.” Every wasn’t afraid of this, of him – at least not for this reason, she’d already faced death in almost this exact same position. She wouldn’t spray him in the face this time with pepper spray, she didn’t have to. “You have my word that I will not leave Harper Rock, for now, until we both calm the **** down and try to fix this ****. Happy?” She released her claws, still holding onto his arm in warning, but also because it provided a decent amount of leverage for the time being.

Micah: “I’d like to see you TRY to use that weapon on me Every Andras,” he hissed at her, tightening the grip he had on her throat once more. He didn’t flinch as her claws dug into his hand, he’d dealt with much worse and would probably deal with more than that in the future. She wasn’t hurting him only serving to add more fuel to the fire. There really wasn’t much of anything that she could do to him right that that would have a huge effect on him and he was pretty sure that by now she knew that.

Her words had him releasing her, watching impassively as she hit the floor. “Teleport me, see if I give a ****. Which I don’t.” He narrowed his eyes as he looked at her in disgust. “My reasons aren’t because I was afraid of the truth.My reasons for leaving aren’t your concern. And if you think throwing that in my face is going to hurt me newsflash sweetheart, I don’t ******* care.” He stepped away from her and headed for the door. “Go ahead and run if you feel that you must. I will find you wherever you go and the next time I have to do so, you’re going to be hurting.” He stopped and turned, looking at her as she lay on the floor. “I wonder what Nishaa is going to think when she finds out that her sire is a coward? I imagine she’ll lose a good deal of respect for you, just like I have.” He had nothing more to say to her, and left without another word.

Every: She dropped to the ground with a hiss escaping past her lips, gripping her throat while she watched him in frustration and at the base of it all, hatred at herself. It wasn’t who she was, it wasn’t who she had always been and rather than acknowledge his words, she got up. “I don’t give a damn what you say or think.” She muttered, dusting herself off. Grabbing her bag, she headed out towards her cabin where she would stay until she went to find Grey or headed back into the shadow realm. She pushed off her emotions, no longer in the mood to stay in Harper Rock. After they talked again, she would either stay in the miserable city or leave.