• “Took you long enough.” His breath was slightly accented with the scent of tobacco when he talked now. A faint trail of smoke from the lit cigarette wafts through the rain thick air and teases my nose with the sickeningly sweet smell of burning nicotine and tobacco.

    “Smoking is positively revolting,” I snap and fan the unwanted odor away from my nose.

    “Yeah? Well I like it, so tough.” He leans forward and blows a smoke ring around my head. Gagging, I push him away and fan the white smoke wreath away.

    “Fine, but when you die I’ll be laughing.”

    A glint flashes briefly in his eyes as he grabs me again treads back out into the rain battered streets, moving away from the park and his ride. I had given up fighting him, but was still ready to run if he let his guard down at all.

    “What’s your name?”

    “Why should I tell you?”

    “I’d rather call you by your name then by Seamstress, it’s just a waste of air.”

    “My name is Lezalie.”

    “Lesley?”

    “Lez. A. Lie. Lezalie.” I spell it out and snort as he repeats it a few times to himself.

    “That name is somewhat familiar. I think I heard it before.”

    “Where did you hear it?”

    “A boy about your age, maybe a little older, was asking anyone he could about you. Were you still alive or were you dead? Were you healthy or ill? A few people led him on saying you were dead since the day he was captured for withholding information. He kinda looked like me, but with brighter, bluer eyes.”

    “That’s Devi! Where is he? Is he okay?” I could feel my heart skip a couple of beats as Devarian stopped walking and turned to me, taking a long drag on his cigarette. My heart dropped from my chest to my stomach as he looks at me and loosens his grip, smoke spilling from his lips. “Please, tell me he’s still alive.”

    His eyes slide down to the water soaked ground and causes my heart to shatter completely. Dropping the bag on the ground, I grab his collar and shake him violently, but it only moves him a few inches forward and back, his red hair barely twitching with each motion.

    “This isn’t funny! You can’t just go around messing with my head or anyone else’s for that matter. What gives you the right to take me from my home and call me your Seamstress? I was on my way to visit my brother…”

    “He was murdered this morning.”

    “Shut up! Stop lying to me. My brother is alive and resting at home, he wouldn’t let those stupid Warl...” He slaps a hand over my mouth and frees himself from my grasp, his cigarette falls to the ground and hisses as the water extinguishes its orange and grey flame.

    “Two things you should never say about the warlocks: never doubt their power and never call them stupid. It’ll end your life for sure.”
    I glare at him but can’t stop the tears from stinging my eyes as my anger subsides and is replaced by grief. He removes his hand from me and picks up the bag from the street, tucking it into his jacket.

    “C’mon, let’s get out of this rain,” He says quietly and takes my hand gently. My hand lightly grips his out of pure instinct, I felt alone and empty, I didn’t want him to leave me even though I barely knew him.

    “I hate you with every fiber of my being,” I snivel and press into his side; it was a lot warmer than the chilled rain.

    “I’m fine with that.”

    “Why are you okay with it?” I ask quietly. It puzzled me as to why he’d be alright with his all too precious ‘Seamstress’ hating him.

    “Not everyone’s gonna like me, but I have a feeling you’ll warm up to me eventually.”

    “I don’t think I will.” I sigh and press deeper into his side.

    “What happened to all your attitude?”

    “Are you truly that heartless? You just told me that my best friend, my only friend, was dead and that my brother was murdered this morning. That doesn’t normally make people happy.”

    “It shouldn’t make you all that sad either. Everyday someone innocent dies for their beliefs, they were no different. You should learn to get over it.”

    I couldn’t form a good come-back to counter his logic, if anything, his logic would keep me moving forward and find a way to make the Warlocks pay for the numerous deaths they forced on us. I would make sure they paid.

    “Do you know about my parents? Are they still alive?”

    “No, they were visiting your brother in his home when they were all killed together.”

    “Okay, I just wanted to know.”

    “If you start crying any harder, I’ll have to carry you the rest of the way.”

    I didn’t even notice that I had started crying, I thought I was just the rain that kept pelting our faces. “Then go ahead and carry me, I don’t think my legs can support me much longer.”

    It was true, my legs had started shaking again and were very weak, it seemed like this man was stealing all of my energy. He looks down at me when my grip suddenly tightens on his hand and sighs as he turns his back to me and kneels down.

    “Get on.”

    I wasn’t about to protest so I climb on and wrap my arms loosely around his neck, my knees on either side of him; if I needed to, I could strangle him and steal his motorcycle so I could leave. But if what he said was true, I really had no place to return to. I had no choice now but to give in and stay with this strange man named Devarian.