She touched him but he only felt the slight weight of her hands on his shoulder. Gabriel’s breathing began to steady itself, his mind yet unwilling to bend to demons. It was the tone of her voice that settled him. Slowly, ever slowly, his body eased up. His own mind’s hurricane settled and left him calm, focused on breathing in only the cold night air and her scent. Her hand touched his face and he looked at her as if he was seeing someone else. Once upon a time, she had been someone else—a girl running from the monsters that had been far realer than the one they had faced.
“My daughter was raped,” he said suddenly, his eyes gleaming. “It almost destroyed her.” Perhaps it had. Talitha had never stayed with the clan long. Gabriel suspected this was because of the memories of the place. Though he did not fear for himself, and he did not fear for others, he felt the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
He did not move to touch her, as if fearing what either of them might do.
.gabe-fire .ooc {font-style:italic; }
.gabe-fire p {padding:0px 20px 5px 20px; margin:0px; text-indent:35px;}
.gabe-fire b {color:#9b590d; letter-spacing:-.2px;}
.gabe-fire {background-color:#FFFFFF; background-image:url(http://bloodandfire.sleepyglow.net/gabr ... befire.jpg); background-position:top center; background-repeat:no-repeat; padding:251px 0px 10px 0px; border:1px solid #000000; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size:11px; color:#000000; letter-spacing:.4px; word-spacing:.3px; line-height:16px; width:394px; text-align:justify; }
.gabe-fire .separator{width:300px; border-bottom:1px dotted #000000; margin:0 auto 5px auto;}
</style>