Dark Empathy by Archibald Bradford (inspiring books for teens TXT) 📕

her mood brightened considerably when she spotted him.

“Hey! Nameless! I haven’t seen you in ages!”

Unlike the others in the camp she refrained from hugging him, although that was more to do with the cold than anything else: the water elemental was immune to it, but if she got him soaking wet he surely wouldn’t be.

They exchanged pleasantries for a bit, until Tiana and the others clued in that something else was going on and gave them some space.

Not sure how to broach the subject, Nameless cleared his throat awkwardly.

Juni offered him a wry look.

“My darling sent you here to fix me?”

He did his best not to show his surprise at her candid words, instead resonding with surety.

“You aren’t broken Juni. I’m here to show you that, if that’s alright?”

She sighed.

“I’m okay with you trying. But I don’t see what can be done about it. If I stay in my gourd I’m fine. I mean yeah, I want to spend the night with my hubby without disturbing his sleep and it’s been pretty hard since Yana...”

By the time she trailed off she was blinking rapidly in a vain attempt to hold back her tears, her lip trembling.

He offered her his most reassuring smile.

“I think I can help you. But I need to touch your heartstone to do it, is that okay with you?”

With a great sniffle she disappeared into her gourd with nary a splash.

“Um... Juni?”

She wasn’t gone for long, emerging a few seconds later with a cobalt blue ring, her heartstone at its center.

“We have a matching set, Yana made me give her hers. When we go into the field for missions and stuff, she carries it. She left it with our hubby when she took off.”

She sniffed again at the memory of her bond-sister saying goodbye, but shook aside the memory and held out the ring.

With a sympathetic smile he reached out and touched the gem set in the center of it.

“Ready when you are.” She said quickly.

Though somewhat anxious, she knew him well enough to understand how his powers worked.

“Alright then, let’s give this a try.” He drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes.

Then he nearly drowned.

Her entire mindscape was underwater.

A great gout of bubbles escaped his mouth and he nearly jerked himself out of her mind in surprise, but almost immediately he realized that he was breathing just fine despite the imaginary water surrounding him.

The rushing flow in her mind carried with it snippets of conversation from all over, and for the first time he understood what her people meant when they spoke of the Sacred Current.

This is so weird. Juni’s voice pulled him away from the secret whisperings of the waters; So... how does this work?

He looked to see the Undine floating in front of him...

And saw her scars.

They extended all down her back and left side; in the real world they would be barely visible on her blue skin, but bared before him as she was, she couldn’t hide them from him.

She read his shock and flinched away.

I know, I’m ugly, but-

You’re not! You’re beautiful! Yana and Booker are both very lucky.

Able to feel his sincerity washing over her, she shifted in place coyly.

Why Nameless, I never knew you felt that way!

Though she was teasing him he could plainly feel the anxiety within her, and decided it was time to get to the point.

Show me?

She shifted in place again, the mental projection of herself gnawing on her lip.

It sucks, like, a lot.

I know, but I need to see it, which means you need to remember it. I’m sorry but there is no other way. I could get Volka if that would help?

As if on cue the golden being flooded their shared consciousness.

I am here, Husband.

Juni yelped and the water around them turned into a rushing roar for a moment.

By the Current! Give a girl some warning Volka!

Apologies, I was in the common room with the others when I felt my husband’s desire for my presence.

Nameless felt her warmth envelop him and took a moment to once again appreciate how lucky he was to be able to bask in the love of an angel.

But he couldn’t spend all day inside of Juni, so with some gentle prodding he encouraged her to remember the single most painful day of her life.

It was like being torn out of the ocean and thrown into a furnace.

The water around them vanished, replaced with searing flames that made his mental eyes water.

Dimly he could see the memory of Yana and the others, chasing after the woman who set the fire, the Amazons trusting Juni to put it out.

But she was out of water, and the flames that she sought to control rose ever higher, the heat likewise rising in the Undine’s mind.

Have no fear Husband, a memory can only hurt if you allow it. It is this truth that we must share with dear Juni.

The water elemental in question was curled up in the center of the inferno, whip-like flames now lashing her back and side over and over again as she whimpered and flinched.

As Volka said, it was just a memory, if a powerful one, and on some level Juni knew this, but the trauma she experienced that day kept her from escaping the lashing flames.

They clung to her mental flesh like burning pitch, and even worse, they came with the fear that Yana and Booker would both be consumed as well.

Juni, it’s just a memory.

She grunted as she struggled to respond.

I-I know! But it’s always here in the back of my mind! Even when I’m underwater I can feel the fire! It hurts Nameless! It always hurts so much!