Velentham sailed downward, still clutching Claire and Gilean tightly, cursing. They landed softly and Claire took in a deep breath. 'They said they had word I was coming... cousin.' The voice was biting, and Claire looked up to see Velentham staring at Gilean.
'It wasn't... it wasn't what I intended.'
'Gilean?'
'They kept saying I was an esper. A troublemaking esper.'
'You wouldn't even stop to consider what you were doing. I just wanted to slow you down. Not... not...'
The reality crashed in on Claire and she looked to Gilean, her eyes pleading and skeptical. 'You told them he was an esper?'
'It was a bad decision. I told them it wasn't true.'
'Bad decision, huh?'
'Look, I felt terrible when I realized what I was doing... You, you just push me Velentham. You don't listen.'
Claire uttered a word and vanished into the cottage. She stood, frozen, in the living room - holding her breath. Gilean had sent the guards after his own cousin - telling them he was one of her kind. Her stomach turned in knots and threatened to upend on her. She had no further time to think as the sounds of shouting reached her ears. She appeared between the two men, her face angry. 'Stop. Now. The both of you should be ashamed of yourselves. I don't know what happened, but this... is ridiculous.'
'I know, I'm sorry,' Gilean replied.
'I know you're going to be wanted,' Claire said to Velentham. 'If you wish to stay with us you may, but only if you promise to stop doing this. No instigation.'
'He started this! Not me! He's the one butting into my life!'
'I know. But you must promise not to instigate if you stay.' Claire turned to Gilean, barely able to look at him. 'And you... must promise the same.'
'But... I just...'
'PROMISE! Both of you!'
With the cousins in loose agreement, Claire nodded. 'Then it is settled. Gilean, take him home and show him his room. I am going to think some things over. Do not come looking for me. I will be with my people.'
'What? With your people?' Gilean stepped toward her, but Claire held out a hand to stop him.
'I waited five months for you to come home... but I never thought I'd see a time where you used my people as a method to hurt someone else.'
'No, please... I didn't mean for...'
'How could you do such a thing?'
'I wasn't thinking. I... I didn't really think about it.'
'Try not to kill eachother.'
'But Claire... Please. Please don't go.'
Claire vanished in a flash of purple and appeared in the stormhorn Mountains overlooking a valley below. She looked down, a hand on her stomach, and sobbed. Whether or not she'd be going back, she didn't know. Claire only knew that she had never felt so hurt in all her life.
