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

younger Amazons as she went to see to the practical needs of the war-party.

Their reaction was apparently more than she was expecting, and now Helga seemed uncertain, looking with wide eyes towards Adrian in her confusion.

But he didn’t bother filling her in, as he was just as worked up as the Amazons were; his fists were balled up at his side while his imagination had his hands already around the throats of the people that killed Cheri.

Olena came into the center of the village at the sudden noise and activity, rubbing one knuckle in her eye as she blithely watched Amazons running to and fro in preparation.

“I’ve missed something.” She observed calmly.

Adrian whirled to face her, an almost manic smile on his face.

The sudden news after weeks- months, of inactivity had him buzzing with excitement, tinged with no small amount of blood-lust.

“We have them Olena! We have a lead!”

She lifted one eyebrow at him, then pulled out her familiar bone needle and stepped towards him.

“Blood of the vengeful. I can do all sorts of things with that.”

His enthusiasm evaporated as she drew closer and he shook his head vehemently and lifted one hand to wag his finger at her.

“You are not stabbing me again!”

“Tch, wuss.”

She rolled her eyes at him, but the needle disappeared into her shawl.

Helga watched the exchange, her confusion having only mounted.

“What is happening Aegis?” She asked with great trepidation; “I sought only to find aid for the injured under the care of my herd, not to start a war.”

“It was they who started this!” A nearby Amazon declared with bloodlust in her eyes.

Just as Adrian had though, the young warrior’s excitement vanished as Olena now looked to her with needle in hand.

The Aegis scratched at his itchy face and nodded his agreement with the Amazon’s sentiment, but the Witch’s oft times unnerving behaviour had a calming effect and he faced the Minotaur.

“I’m sorry, I’ll explain everything, just as soon as we are underway.”

“You are not coming, Aegis.” Alcaia said suddenly from behind him; “Forgive me, but you will only slow us down.”

“Then someone is going to need to stake me to the ground!” He snapped.

Alcaia’s eyes narrowed at his harsh tone and a tense silence descended on them and those around them.

Olena yawned loudly.

“Stop with all of this. His leg is healed, he won’t slow anything. Unless you think I will slow you down as well?”

The surprised warleader looked to the blithe witch as she absently took up a broom leaning against the side of a nearby hut.

“No Elda, but surely…”

She trailed off as Olena tested the heft of the household item, picking a few broken pieces of straw from its end as she twisted it around in her hands.

“With the amount of energy in the air around here I could get there before any of you.” She mumbled.

Once the Witch she was satisfied with the state of the broom, her needle emerged again and she smirked at Adrian.

Puzzled, but knowing exactly what she was after, he sighed and rolled up his sleeve.

“Joined the Aegis only to become a Witch’s pin-cushion.” He groused.

Her needle pierced his forearm so quickly he didn’t have time to flinch.

“Don’t forget fuck-buddy.”

She worked his blood all along the haft of the broom while Alcaia, Helga and several other Amazons watched.

All his life, Adrian believed that it was a myth that Witch’s could fly.

Mere minutes after she stabbed him, he learned otherwise.

Chapter 25:My Heart, My Claw

Within a couple days Escrya made a full recovery, just as Nina predicted, while Ophelia and the Gigas patched things up and moved on, the two wildly different monsters growing even closer as a result of the whole ordeal.

Volka having quite literally knocked some sense into Nameless, he improved steadily in their shared combat training, even in just a few days. In fact, he improved steadily across the board, more focused and determined than ever before.

An ass-kicking from an angel was apparently just what he needed.

After another long and tiring day, Nameless and Milly were on the couch in the common room of the dorms. With her arm around him and his face resting against the side of her breast, the pair of them enjoying a good snuggle.

“Why does it seem like we’re always the only ones in here?” He murmured.

She jerked against him, evidently she had been on the brink of dozing off, her head resting on the back of the couch.

“I saw Baron a minute ago. I waved, he didn’t wave back.”

He sniffed.

“Dickhead.”

“Don’t say that.” She chided.

Though she didn’t disagree with him.

He shifted against her to make room for his hand to worm its way under the hem of her shirt and settle on her tummy, his finger stroking over her flesh.

She mooed happily at the attention, but lifted her head off the back of the couch when she felt him shift down again.

Without preamble, he lifted the hem of her top and, with his hand wrapped around the smooth milky skin of her waist, wormed his way into her shirt as she parted her knees to give him room.

Soon his face was nestled in the warm cushion of her breasts with his nose against her breastbone.

He let out a contented sigh and Milly giggled at the warmth of his breath flooding the depths of her cleavage.

“What are you doing Master?” She asked archly.

He sighed again, eyes closed.

His words were muffled by her flesh when he finally answered her.

“Didn’t I tell you? I live here now.”

For a moment, he considered taking a nap, his face cushioned so delightfully within her shirt.

But alas, another voice broke into their intimate moment as Ginger entered the room.