"Behind the sternness of
his voice there was a
shackled anger, and beneath
that shackled anger there
was a buried pain."

~~Dean F. Wilson

****************

~Nova~

Torch? As in 'the guy that wants to kill me' Torch?, I thought in surprise as I looked at the man standing casually on the sidewalk. At first glance, he looked like any other man. Torch was tall with broad shoulders and defined muscles hidden beneath black dress pants and a black button down shirt. His eyes were cold, devoid of life or emotion just like the hard lines and sharp angles of his face. But my senses told me differently.

I held completely still, focusing my energy on reading everyone around me, searching for signs of danger. Robbie was pissed, the shift in his mood palpable as his body tensed and prepared for a potential attack. I knew without seeing his face that his fangs were most likely bared and I glimpsed the sharp elongated claws on his hands. A deep warning growl emanated from his chest, the muscles in his shoulders rigid.

Rosie was subdued, if not a little shaken but she didn't seem at all afraid of Torch, a man said to be violent and cruel. The feelings I sensed coursing through her felt odd in contrast to what one would expect to be experiencing when facing a man like him. What I felt from her was a wary fondness, which only created more questions.

Torch was stoic, as visually emotional as a brick wall, eyes blank as if nothing existed inside of him and his mouth set in a firm line. I could tell that he had his mental walls up, stronger than anyone else I had ever encountered, but there were cracks. From these fractures leaked fragments of what lay beneath his dangerous exterior. Annoyance and impatience were clear as he took in the three of us eyeballing him like an unexpected zoo exhibit, but I also detected the same hesitant warmth in the smallest of splinters in between the rest.

It was fascinating to be able to experience all of these sensations and also to separate them with who they belong to especially as quickly as I did. I had felt all of that and sifted through them in a matter of seconds which made me realize how much stronger I had become. But my sudden self realization was quickly forgotten as I watched Robbie launch himself at Torch, a vicious roar tearing from his throat.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as it unfolded like a train wreck in front of me. Robbie's body flew through the air as he leapt from his place beside me, muscles flexing tight as they worked beneath his pale skin with his hands outstretched and prepared for impact with flesh. Fury flooded me, his emotions so abundant that I could practically taste it, tangy and thick like sour cream.

Magick built in my chest, spreading through my limbs and filling my cells like a sponge dipped in warm water. Part of my mind registered the way Torch's face hardened, the muscle in his jaw ticking as his mind processed the impending attack. Before I knew what was happening, Torch flung out his arm with his hand open yet his fingers bent as I'd holding something. Robbie froze in mid air as if caught on an invisible line across his throat, swinging like a pendulum as he clutched at his throat.

High levels of magick slid across my skin, harsher than the pinpricks I was used to feeling from any other fae. This felt more like shards of glass raining down like tiny bullets, but a glance at my arms revealed there was nothing there even though my flesh burned as if covered in lesions. 

"You foolish child!" Torch spat in angry disgust. "Attacking unprovoked like an untrained heathen!"

Robbie attempted to growl, the sounds coming out as more of a strangled noise as Torch held him with magick by his throat. His legs dangled in the air, eyes bright and determined. If he had been alive, I had no doubt he would have passed out from lack of oxygen and my blood began to boil.

"ηλίθια σκύλα!" I hissed angrily as I took a step forward. Magick crackled silently at my fingertips, invisible to the naked eye, buzzing through my veins like carbonated heat. "Release him or I'll rip your flesh from your bones and feed it to the hounds in Hades!"

I didn't know if that was even something I could do, but I was willing to risk the bluff if it meant Robbie would be okay. If anyone was going to strangle him it was going to be me. I watched Torch closely as his midnight blue eyes scanned my face and slivers of emotions pricked my consciousness; anger, regret, and even resignation warped together to leave me more befuddled than I was before.

"Let him go, you imbecile!" Rosie shouted, sounding more exasperated than angry. "Stop this madness before someone gets hurt!"

"Rose, darling, you act like I'm the one that showed up swinging," Torch replied, sounding mildly offended. "Are you fond of this little dog?"

I bit my tongue, refusing to admit how much Robbie meant to me. Doing so would only give the man leverage, another weapon to use however he saw fit. I wouldn't give him another reason to play his games with us.

"Put him down already, Torch." Rosie sneered his name and scoffed with a roll of her eyes.

Torch's eyes darkened at her tone, a flash of irrational sparking against my mind before instantly dispersing as he clamps his emotions back in check. 

"Fine, as you wish," he replied coolly after a moment.

Torch drew his other hand up beside the other before twisting them in a quick circular motion. Before I could blink or comprehend what he was doing, the sound of bone cracking filled the afternoon air. Robbie's head twisted sharply and Torch dropped his hand to the side as Robbie's unconscious body fell to the ground in a heap.

"λάθος μαλάκα επιλογής," I growled.

Without thought, I drew my magick into my hands, heat blooming radically in my chest as it pulsed stronger within me. I was vaguely aware of the warmth pooling at my wrist, circling the cordage that rested against my skin and flowing into my fingertips. In rapid succession, I rained energy orbs in Torch's direction, purple and white sparks throbbing through the air like electrified bullets. 

Torch planted his feet firmly on the ground, holding his arms in front of his body in the form of an X, holding up a wall of reflective energy. The orbs bouncing off like ping pong balls, sizzling out seconds later in the grass at his feet. 

"Stand down you prat!" Torch snarled, dark eyes blazing. "The boy isn't dead but I can easily change that and take you with him!"

"Give it your best shot, douchebag!" I taunted, halting my assault. "I'll gladly send your ass to the bowels of Hades."

"You're an arrogant prick, little Prince," Torch growled through clenched teeth. His eyes flicked to Rosie who had knelt beside Robbie. "He will live, Rosalyn. Now get the golden boy to back the fuck down or neither of them will live to see another day."

"Good luck with that," I spat, magick humming loudly in my ears. "Are you afraid, old man?"

"Hardly," Torch retorted with a smirk. He kept his arms up as he regarded me. "I'm not here to kill anyone unless that's what you're after. Your boy came at me without provocation and I merely reacted. Fault me if you wish but his current predicament is his doing."

"Why would you expect any different?" I seethed. "You want me and my sister dead because we will never join you. Am I supposed to just lay down on a silver platter and hand myself over?"

A slice of surprise bled from his aura, one that still felt inexplicably odd. It washed over my senses and my blood ran cold, but Torch's face didn't reveal anything. His eyes gave nothing away, still a dark, calculating void. Something was off with this entire scenario, his lack of interest in killing or even violence towards me left me frozen, my thoughts discombobulated. 

"No, such a thing would be foolish," Torch responded coolly. "I'm not here for you or your pet hybrid. If you want honesty, then I wasn't aware that the two of you were here until I arrived. My business is with Miss Rosalyn and has nothing to do with the likes of you."

"Well, you can't have her either," I spat, stepping closer to Rosie and Robbie's still unmoving form.

Everyone had always painted Torch as a violent individual that basically thrived on bloodshed. But the man before me was a contradiction to all of that. If Robbie hadn't attacked him the moment we saw him, would Torch have raised a hand to either of us?

He must have seen the conflicting thoughts in my eyes because Torch slowly lowered his arms and I sensed his magick pulling back. My body tensed, sparks crackling from the tips of my fingers as I regarded him warily, watching for any signs of retaliation. 

"I'm not here for you," Torch reiterated slowly as if talking to a kindergartner. "Your life is a valuable one, little Prince, and snuffing it out in a Market town seems a bit anticlimactic for my taste. Wouldn't you agree?"

"No," I bit out, mentally drawing a barrier up between the three of us and the unpredictable fae. "You're a psychopath so I have a feeling that the location of where you commit homicide isn't even a priority."

"What are you doing here?" Rosie asked, cutting off his reply as she stood from kneeling beside Robbie and looked at Torch with steely amber eyes. "Say your words and leave."

"Can't a man come to visit an old friend?" Torch asked innocently.

Rosie laughed, the sound harsh and without humor. "Is that what we are now? I seem to recall things a bit differently. Not to forget the fact that you also just snapped my grandson's neck."

"Oh Rose, don't be that way. It wasn't so bad was it?" Torch drawled. He paused, brows drawing together and a frown pulling down his lips. "Grandson? I wasn't aware you had any children, Rose. My, how things have changed."

His words were calm, seemingly curious, but once again I felt his reaction slip through the cracks in his mental walls. It was sharp and bitter, leaving a slimy taste in my mouth that made me shudder. I disguised my own involuntary reaction by sending another flood of energy to strengthen the barrier between us and sitting on the grass beside my love.

Robbie's skin was colder than normal, a pale blue tinting his lips. I straightened his limbs so he wouldn't be as crumpled, hoping to hasten his healing process. His head lolled grotesquely as I gingerly shifted his body on the ground, the bones in his neck protesting and making me grimace. I hated seeing him this way, and I hated Torch for doing this to him even if Robbie had initiated the incident.

Doing my best to appear disinterested, I kept my guard up as I continued to listen to the two of them speak. Torch could have killed us all, his unexpected presence derailing any counterattack we never bothered to discuss. It was madness but he seemed adamant that he had no interest in Robbie and I, only Rosie. Maybe if I held myself in check, I could discern some answers about what the hell was going on.

He's evil!… but what am I missing here?, I pondered, squinting my eyes at his feet like doing so would magickally reveal his secrets. 

"My life is none of your business," Rosie replied, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. "Now, tell me what you want. I'm done listening to this nonsense."

Torch watched her for a moment before sighing.

"I came here to warn you, Rose," Torch spoke up, his words sounding almost reluctant. "Val is in a vindictive state and currently off the rails. Normally I wouldn't intervene with her tantrums, but… after a particularly vicious outburst, I had reason to believe she would eventually make her way to you."

Rosie scrubbed a hand over her face, looking older and more tired than she had a moment ago. "Playing your games with that girl never ends well and yet you continue to do so. You never learn, do you?"

"Oh please, don't be coy Miss Rosalyn," Torch scoffed with a sly smile. "My games are fun, tantalizing, and Val is just as addicted as anyone else has ever been. Maybe even more so. How can I not play when my toys so willingly… participate?"

Something dark splashed across the hard planes of Torch's face as he looked at me once again. "Take her somewhere safe and make sure she stays. Another time boys, and we'll have our fun."

With that he turned around and walked away but not before smirking at me as I stared at him in utter shock, completely dumbfounded about what had just occurred. Rosie muttered something unintelligible under her breath as she watched him gox her eyes never leaving him until he had disappeared around the corner. 

Engaging Torch again, especially unprovoked as Robbie had already attempted, would be suicide no doubt especially without anyone else to back us up. If I was honest with myself, I was probably lucky Torch hadn't fought back with me. I had learned to pick my battles a long time ago, and this definitely wasn't the moment to fight, not yet.

"We need to get him inside," I told Rosie as I brushed a stray lock of hair away from Robbie's forehead.

"Right, of course," Rosie admitted, snapping out of her thoughts and bending down to lift Robbie's legs. "Let's get him to the couch.

I had a lot of questions but I didn't know Rosie and I wasn't sure how much she would be willing to tell me. Still fuming from the encounter with Torch, I kept my mouth shut as the two of us carefully, albeit a bit awkwardly, maneuvered Robbie's lifeless body back into her house. The silence was thick with tension as I gently repositioned him on the soft cushions, careful not to look at Rosie as I did so. She knew more than she was telling us but I wasn't sure of how much of what she knew would actually do Nevada and I any good.

"I suppose you have questions," Rosie spoke up after a while, her words low and hesitant. 

A bark of dry laughter burst from my lips. "Yeah but you don't know me and I certainly don't know you. Something tells me your answers would be more like cryptic riddles than actual answers."

"I guess I deserved that," she said, making me feel slightly guilty for my harsh words but I didn't take them back. "Robbie wouldn't be in this position if it weren't for me although the boy has always been hot tempered and impulsive."

"Don't blame him for reacting the way he did," I defended, doing my best to keep the irritation from my voice. "For years, Torch hunted my father, my sister, and myself for reasons I'm not even positive are true anymore. That man wants my head, and why he didn't take it today I honestly don't know or understand but Robbie was trying to protect me before the murderous bastard struck first. He's not at fault."

Rosie sighed but didn't say anything in return, choosing instead to disappear into the kitchen. As I sat on the edge of the couch, Robbie's thigh pressed against my hip, I watched his face for any signs of life returning. When she returned a few minutes later, she handed me a crystal tumbler filled halfway with bourbon. Wordlessly, I swirled the molasses colored liquid in my hand, contemplating my next words. Giving in, I downed the contents, the whiskey tasting of cinnamon honey as it left a trail of fiery heat down my throat.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell that was about?" I asked bluntly, looking squarely at the older woman's face.

Rosie visibly blanched, pressing her lips together in a thin line. More of her hair had slipped free of the band, black and blue strands framing her face but couldn't hide the stress lines around her eyes. 

"I know we don't know each other but a three thousand year old fae, one that wants me dead mind you, showed up to your house and broke your grandson's neck just to tell you some chick is on a vengeance kick," I pointed out, my anger causing my tone to become sharp. "Robbie deserves to know why that happened and considering the circumstances, I deserve some answers too."

"You're right, you don't know me. But I am a grown woman, far older than you or my grandson, and I will not be subjected to interrogation!" Rosie snapped. Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, she lowered her voice but I could see the tremble in her hands as she clenched them at her sides. "I'm not going to argue with you or my grandson. I understand your concern and his as well, with the reputation that man has and the shit storm that generally follows in his wake, but trust me when I say your worry is misplaced.

"At this point, Rosie, I'm more concerned about myself and my sister along with Robbie who got his neck snapped." My reply seemed to catch her by surprise. "If you know something about what's going on, you need to tell us. People can, and most likely will, end up dead. The more we know about Torch and what guys plan might be, the better everyone will be. Don't you get that?"

"It's not my story to tell, Nova," she said so quietly I almost couldn't hear it. Her eyes found mine again, shiny with tears. "I don't know anything that will help you fight the darkness that searches for a way here. I knew Torch years ago, before I married or had children. Whatever he does, he never does it without a reason and he doesn't do anything lightly."

"What do you know about him?" I asked, wishing I had more in my glass to help resist the urge to shake her.

Rosie sighed again, looking down into her own glass as if it held all the answers. "Not much to be honest, but I do know a couple of things. Maybe they'll help but I'm not sure how."

"Well?" I prompted impatiently. 

"His real name isn't actually Torch and he's not three thousand years old." Rosie looked up at me, a deep sadness swirling in her glistening amber eyes as tears silently rolled down her cheeks. "He's not who everyone believes him to be."

********************

A/N: I struggled writing this chapter. It was the first real appearance for Torch and I wanted it to be perfect. I'm still not 100% satisfied but what do you think? Not bad right?

Also, those phrases that Nova said are in Greek and I got the translation via Google Translate so if anyone knows Greek and it's wrong please let me know!

ηλίθια σκύλα - "stupid bitch"

λάθος μαλάκα επιλογής - "wrong choice asshole"

Thanks for reading!❣

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XOXO🖤❤🖤❤

~SM~