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

With Volka’s words, he no longer felt any discomfort at the heat, so he stepped closer.

Stay back! You’ll be burned too!

No I won’t, there is no fire, and you know that too, look.

Without hesitation he stepped into the inferno, his arms outstretched.

He could feel her mind trying to convince his that his flesh should be burning away, but he would not be fooled.

Juni shook her head vehemently, her eyes half closed, tears streaming down her cheeks.

She had lived with the trauma for years, so waving his hand through the fire wasn’t about to convince her of anything.

He pondered over the problem with as much patience as he could, watching her torment herself with her own memory all the while.

A moment of inspiration struck him then and he implemented his idea without a second thought for the consequences.

The fire, Juni, is the fire a match for the Sacred Current?

He thought back on the whispering he had heard in her mind, tantalizingly out of his reach.

At first it was merely her memory, but as if accepting his invitation the rushing water and all of the secrets it carried suddenly flooded his mind, the whispered voices from a multitude of Undine sang out in greeting as they flowed around his psyche.

This, he had not intended.

Husband! Beware! You risk losing yourself in this rush!

But the innumerable Undine sharing his thoughts spoke as one voice in response to the Valkyrie’s warning.

He does not. He is welcome in our waters, as are you, Daughter of Light.

Whoa.

It was hardly the most intelligent thing he had heard Volka say, but he was just as overwhelmed.

In all her years she had never experienced anything like this; the sublime beauty of the surging swell of elemental power, the source of Undine magic, was awe inspiring as it flowed through them, carrying with it the voices of all of Juni’s people.

The vast network of Undines, both living and dead, had welcomed them with a joyous chorus that drowned out all other thought, yet left in its wake understanding: they had always wanted to help Juni, and with Nameless to serve as their conduit, they finally could.

But the Sacred Current could not be contained by one young Empath, or even the ancient Valkyrie, so it inevitably flooded out of them into Juni, the water instantly drowning the feeble flames that were searing her mind as it dashed into her nightmare with implacable force.

Her expression was one of absolute bewilderment.

And her relief was orgasmic.

Several moments passed as the current subsided, leaving Nameless and Volka’s minds altogether as it took up its usual place in the back of Juni’s.

H-Husband, what have you done?

But it was the little Undine that responded.

He... he touched the Sacred Current. No human- no one other than a water elemental can do that!

Her mind was filled with swirling water again, the whispering of the Current calling to her as her sisters bade them all farewell for now, leaving behind a promise to return if necessary.

A spike of apprehension filled Nameless’s mind in the wake of what he had done.

Is that... bad?

Juni giggled at the anxiety he couldn’t hide from her.

It’s impossible! But no, not bad.

Are you well, Juni? The flames...

The Undine took a moment to check herself over, right away noticing that the scars had vanished from her mental form.

“Their gone... it’s all gone!”

With a gleeful giggle she swam towards them and wrapped her arms and legs around Nameless in a mental hug.

Apparently she was well.

Chapter 18:Choice

When Nameless came back to himself he was cold.

Frigid water coated him from head to toe, worried Amazons hovering nearby as his teeth chattered.

There was some warmth in the arms of the Undine wrapped around him, but it wasn’t nearly enough to stave off the night’s chill.

Evidently she couldn’t keep herself from hugging him after all, though now that she was in his arms he could feel the scars down her back.

They may have been gone from her mind, but they remained on her body.

His concern for her faded as he saw her smiling, so instead he communicated to the Amazons exactly how cold he was, the warrior women quickly stripping his shirt off and wrapping him in a warm blanket while a slightly embarrassed Juni watched on.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away!” She apologized for the third time.

“It’s alright, I’m fine.”

Bundled up in a heavy blanket in front of a cheery fire with an Amazon on either side, he really was.

“Are you warm enough, Valkyrja-datta?” Escrya asked from beside him.

He blinked in surprise, she hadn’t said anything as they were settling him by the fire and he hadn’t even realized it was her.

He nodded silently.

Though Volka had told him that she had smoothed things over with the young Amazon, they hadn’t actually spoken since their last disastrous encounter.

On his other side, Tiana could plainly sense the tension between them and coughed delicately.

“I’m... going to give you two a moment. Come along Juni, you can tell us all about your little adventure!”

Escrya shot her a grateful look over Nameless’s head as Tiana hoisted the gourd over her shoulders, Juni already talking rapidly into her ear.

She and the others left them to sit by the other fires, but it was a long time before either of them said anything, when they did, they both spoke at once.

“We should-”

“I’m sorry for-”

There was that awkward pause between them, where each waited for the other to finish their thought.

“We should talk.” Escrya finally said quietly, one finger pulling a tight braid of tufted Valkyrie feathers behind her ear.

Volka had gifted them to her back in Kettering when she had been reminded of the Saenga tradition of