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Word Count: 3280

~Zayla

Waking up in this situation is not ideal.

I twist my back in half trying to sit up. Each bone in my body protests violently, but cringing in pain is the only way I show it. Moonlight streams down the alleyway, attack my eyes which I shield with my hand. Facts shuffle around in my mind before they finally settle into one place, and everything suddenly makes sense.

I got punched in the face. Hard. So much in fact, I can still feel the jarring on the hit right on the line of my jaw. They got me good. It wouldn't surprise me if a bruise has already taken up residence on my face.

But amongst the almost unbearable pain that seeps from the wound to my head, what hurts the most is what I have to do next.

I lean against the nearest wall, and call out in the shakiest voice, "Fate."

Nothing comes from my immediate admission of defeat. Nothing at all. The quiet around me barely shifts at all. No one passing by the mouth of the alleyway notices me, or the blood at my feet. It's only a small amount, clearly coming from my nose after I had been struck.

"Fate, out if all the times I could possibly need you, this is it," I snap, frustrated at his lack of attendance.

I should have seen it coming.

Deciding eventually that he's not coming, I take matters into my own hands. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to get out of here, but I'll manage it. The blood rushing to my head nearly topples me over again, as I struggle to my feet. I shut off my vision with a few blinks, hoping I don't pass back out again. I'm not sure how long I've been out as it is.

"It doesn't look like you're having the best day out," an awfully sardonic voice mutters from behind me. As unappreciated as it is, I could worship it right now.

"I really don't need your sarcasm right now, Fate," I snap? Not bothering to turn around. I could really do without having to look into those dark, oddly frustrating eyes of his. It's a mixture of that, and not physically being able to turn, as I use the wall as leverage until I clear my head.

"Is everything okay?" Fate questions. "Your back is turned to me."

Clearly impatient and wanting to see what I'm hiding, he strolls around me. I glare up at him, wishing I could slap the concern right off his face. He reaches out, as if he has a magical healing touch, which would be appreciated right now.

"It's nothing," I growl, brushing his hand away in dismissal.

"Who did this to you?" He questions.

I've noticed this about Fate. The way he gets angry. It's not a surface emotion he allows people to see. It's in his eyes. The eyes with the doors over them, slamming them in my face every time I get a hint of who he is. Recently, I see something dark and sinister there, that looks ready to consume the entire world.

"How am I supposed to know?" I mutter, shrugging my shoulders, dismissing yet another of his attempts to touch me. "Some jerk stole from a lady's store. I attempted to follow after him, and he punched me right in the face."

"I'll find him," he says instantly.

My feet finally find traction, and I stand up straight to shake my head at him. There is no way I'm about to let him do something like that for me. I'll owe him then, which is the last thing I want right now.

"How? He's gone Fate, forget it," I say quickly, hoping he would get the point. He stares at me, almost in disbelief, as I begin a walk toward the end of the alleyway. I'm leaving. I'm not sure where, but I am.

"Do you really just expect me to allow someone who hit you in the face to walk away?" He questions, following closely behind me. "A thief, on top of that?"

"Let's just go. Who knows how long I've been out," I snap.

The moon hasn't moved in the sky, so I assume I haven't been knocked out for awhile. However, the sooner I get to leave this place, the better. My head still aches, and who knows how bad the bruise is on my face. Bad enough to freak Fate out like this. I don't think there has been a time where he has cared so much about my wellbeing.

"Not that long. He might be close," Fate declares. It's foolish to think that. Fate can find whoever did this, regardless of where they are. He's diluting the situation to make it easier to handle.

"Where are you going? Tell me what you might possibly do in this situation," I question, as Fate decides to brush past me, turning right when he reaches the mouth of the alley.

My eyes roll as I find I have no other choice but to follow him.

"You forget who I am, Zayla," he says over his shoulder. Luckily, most people on the street have migrated inside for lunch, so there are less out to witness the blue haired man strolling casually down the street. "I'll find him."

"Can't we just go home?" I ask, following closely behind him. He suddenly stops, causing me to run into his back. "Ouch. Why did you stop?"

"You called it home," he murmurs, turning around on his heel.

I immediately backpedal. "Huh?"

"You called it home. You told me to take you home, and I know for a fact, that you meant my place," he says, folding his arms over his chest. Oh great, I just dug a deep, dark hole for myself that I wouldn't mind crawling into. Why did I say that? It's not my home, and it never will be. Not for as long as it

"You don't know that," I say uneasily, rubbing the back of my neck with my hand. "I meant back to the mortal lands."

He narrows his eyes on me, clearly seeing right through my facade. When he stares at me like this, searching right into my soul, it's unnerving. Something about the look in his eye makes me fidget anxiously, which only makes me come off all the more guilty. Even if, to some degree, I am actually guilty. For a fluttering moment, I considering it my home.

"No you didn't. You're blushing," he notices. He reaches out, right toward my crimson cheek. I dismiss the action with a smack of my hand almost instantly.

"Don't do that, unless you want to lose your hand," I growl, not in any mood to deal with him right now.

He shrugs loosely, not bothered by that. Instead, he backs up a few secure steps. "As much as your threats worry me, I have someone else to deal with right now."

"I met a shopkeeper who you apparently slept with," I blurt our suddenly.

It has the exactly affect that I intended. He paused in his backing up, one foot behind the other. I told my arms over my chest, tilting my head as my gaze bears down on him. I would like to see him manipulate his way out of this one, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm hearing the explanation of this, and that's that.

"Are we really having this conversation here?" He questions, suddenly becoming aware of our current situation. He doesn't see my eye roll as he glances around, ensuring no one is listening in to our conversation, which isn't going anywhere.

"You're the one pursuing some guy you don't know," I growl. I'm hoping this will diverting him from his current plan.

"He punched you."

"Get over it, I have," I tell him. In reality, I really just don't want to admit that I took a hit to the face and didn't fight back. Fate dwelling on this is making it all the more obvious. "Now answer the question. Who did you sleep with?"

"I will find him later," he says suddenly.

Grabbing my arm, I feel the immense relief of falling, before I miraculously land on my feet. Fate still holds my arm until I steady. For someone who has been passed out on concrete for a while, I have a surprising amount of energy. I'm sure that will deplete sooner rather than later.

"Answer the question," I say instantly, digging my feet into the sand. I'm surprised Fate transported us here. Usually he does it in the small foyer room last the double doors.

He sighs through his nose, leaning against one of the pillars. "I haven't slept with any storekeeper that I know of."

"That you know of?"

"Shall I repeat is with more assurance?" He questions. I narrow my eyes on him.

"She seemed so sure. Just as much as I'm sure she was kind of insane," I admit, thinking back to the way she relayed events. Then again, I want to be sure. Who knows what Fate has gotten up to in the past.

Fate gives me a pointed half smile, shrugging his coat jacket off. "Well there you go."

"Everyone in that place is so obsessed with you," I exclaim. It's unnerving knowing so many of these people rely on someone like Fate, who makes deals with innocent couples for no reason at all. "You could tell them to wander into traffic and they would listen."

"That's a horrible assumption," he says, rollin up the sleeves of his white button up. "May I ask you a question?"

I shift my feet in the heated sand. "You can ask."

"Would it matter to you if I did sleep with this storekeeper you speak of?" He asks.

I freeze. Don't blush. Don't even react. Why? Because I don't care. I can't care. Caring would mean that Fate's existence bothers me past the fact that I want him dead at some point. His sexual life is none of my business, and I doubt I'll be able to sleep at night knowing anything. At the same time, I'm irritatingly curious.

"No, you can do whatever you want," I say dismissively, hoping I'm coming off as nonchalant as I'm aiming for. "I was just curious."

He chuckles, before he motions me to follow him. I'm apprehensive, naturally, but I do so anyway, knowing we have argued enough today. He walks me into the foyer, opening one of the many doors to reveal a long hallway. How big is this place? He walks me down it, and into a bathroom.

It's small, and nothing special. A question about what else his residence hides plays on my lips, but I decide against voicing it.

"Sit down," he murmurs, pointing to the bench.

"Why?" I question, doing so anyway. The cool marble underneath sends goosebumps across my skin. I assume this has something to do with my bruise. There's a mirror behind me, over the vanity I sit on. I'm not going to risk looking in it, though.

"I want you to hold this ice pack to your face," he instructs, pulling one out from who knows where. I'm not even going to question it. Still, i shoot him a withering stare. "Don't give me that look. It reduces pain and swelling."

I take it anyway. "I know that. I've dealt with wounds before."

Pressing it against my face, I wince slightly. Wow, this will last a while. At least it would have if I was still a mortal. Either way, the ice hurts before it starts to numb the pain underneath my skin.

"Perhaps the storekeeper learnt and heard so much about me in her life, that she had such a vivid dream out of fantasy, and woke up believing it," Fate remarks suddenly.

I nearly fall off the bench. Back to this.

"Yeah, I know it's possible," I say, before sliding in a sharp remark. "It's hard to imagine anyone fantasizing about you."

"Quick, aren't you," Fate says with a knowing smile. He turns, popping open the cabinets mirrored window. Another item in this room I've been avoiding. He shuffles around in there, tipping over jars and knocking into packages. Finally, he pulls up a small pack of tissues. He wets one, before he hands it to me. "Here, wipe under your nose."

My hand instantly reaches up to my nose. "I bled?"

"You took a knock to the face," he mutters,still holding the damp tissue out to me. I snatch it from him. "What do you expect?"

Keeping a stiff glare to my eyes, I attempt to wipe at the concealed blood under my nose. I still refuse to look in the mirror to be faced with a nasty bruise and an imminent reminder of my own stupidity. When I pull the tissue back from my face, it's covered in dried blood. I nearly gagged at the sight of it.

"You missed," Fate muttered, as I place the tissue down beside me, ready to toss it away. He grabs another tissue, wets it, and takes a few steps forward. "Here, let me."

My eyes widen, but I allow him anyway. I wouldn't be winning that argument. He pushes my legs apart, standing inside them as he inspects my face. I look everywhere else but his face, too scared to be this close up with him. He gently dabs and rubs in a few places I missed.

I decide it's time to start conversation before I go insane from the heavy silence. "Back to the-"

"Quiet," he murmurs, making my eyes flicker back to his face. "I can't accurately remove the blood when you're talking."

I sigh through my nose, but keep quiet. This time, I watch. It's interesting to remark upon how untouched he always looks. Perhaps he's scared underneath, but he has the supple, smooth skin of youth, with defined, prominent features from his jaw to the ridge of his brown bone. I've always assumed that I would come this close and see some kind of imperfection. I slight marring of the skin or even a eyebrow hair out of place.

Nothing. It's almost frustrating. And his hair. If I could reach out now and brush it from where it reaches his eyelashes. It's glints under the bathroom light, looking so delicately soft. As much as I hate his guts, he's an intriguing man.

"Thank you," I say, once he pulls away, finished with his job.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

My eyes narrow on his boyish smile. "Don't try me right now."

"Keep the ice on your jaw," he says, pointing to the pack I left on the bench. I pick it up reluctantly, and press it against my jaw as he instructed. "It won't bruise too bad now that you're an immortal, but just to be safe."

"I don't want to be safe," I mutter, sliding down from the bench. "I think I should get to sleep."

Fate stops me from walking defiantly out he for with a single arm and a pressing look. He gently pushes me back to the bench, taking a step closer to keep me there. My heart begins to race as petrifying ideas circle in my mind. Is he going to kill me? He has a blank stare on his face, even though I'm not sure why.

"I'm sorry today had to happen. I'll find him, and I'll hurt him badly," he says, instead of enacting all the wild thoughts in my mind. I hope he doesn't here my sigh of relief.

I shrug my shoulders dismissively. "Don't feel obliged to do anything."

"There's a little still under your nose that I left," he says suddenly, taking a step forward, reaching out to me again. I back up, unsure if it's truly his motive. "You're flinching away as if we haven't kissed before."

"I thought we agreed never to speak about that again," I snap.

The memory of that still haunts me. I don't consider it a good memory, nor a bad one. Just one I want to cease to exist, so I can move on with my life. That would incredible. But since I'm so convinced Fate is obsessed with the idea, just to mess with me, it doesn't look like it's about to go anywhere.

"No one is here," he observes, before he shrugs his shoulders just like I had.

"But you are," I say. That's worse that a million people in one room. "It didn't happen, okay?"

"I'm pretty sure it did. And I love being reminded of it," he says. He's not even smiling, which is the most unnerving part of it all. "You have heard the saying, don't tempt Fate, right?"

My hands fold over my chest in a protective manoeuvre. "I'm not tempting you."

"You are, you just don't realise it."

"How so?"

He winks.

Rolling my eyes, completely done with this conversation, and with Fate, I walk toward the door. Once again, he blocks my movement. This time, it's with his body. Arrogantly, he leans back against the door, raising a dark eyebrow at me.

"Would you move please? I'm trying to get to my room," I growl. I would push him, but who knows what that would spark.

"Do you really doubt how much you tempt me?" He asks.

"Yes, I do," I snap. "Want to know why? Because you've been around the world, and you've seen every female to exist, I'm sure of it. Your whole territory probably worships at your feet. You can seduce and manipulate anyone you want, so why the hell would you want me? I know you're doing this to mess with me. I would appreciate it if you would just stop, because I've had enough of being screwed over by you."

The looks of disbelief on his face is one I relish in. I stumped Fate. I figured him out, and now he's not sure on how to reply. I want to smile and jump around, but I'll keep that for the privacy of my room. Instead, I reach for the door handle, ready to leave before he gets angry.

He doesn't move though, still staring down at me with an unfamiliar look in his eye.

"Zayla," he breathes.

Oh great.

Before I can say another word, he grabs my wrist. It's a sharp and skilful manoeuvre as he pulls away from the door, instead replacing his body with mine. The breath is nearly knocked out of me as I lean against the door, Fate now having me pinned against it completely.

"Your jaw is too sore to kiss you," he breathes. "So tell me, what else to you want?"

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