Renewed Vigor

Claire  appeared in a flash of purple light that shot through Ruthivan's  room, illuminating  his  sleeping form on the bed.  Claire crept closer and looked down at him.  He  looked lost, haggard, scraggly, and most of all, exhausted.  She  loathed him, the  way he had forced this link upon her, the way he had succeeded in tearing apart her life with Gilean.  Yes, death would certainly end the bond, but to kill an esper - indeed to kill anyone - was beneath Claire's capacity. There had to be another way.

Claire stood there for a long moment, staring down at Ruthivan's  sleeping form, and thought about leaving. But  the smell of him, sweat - forest - leather, made her body  dance with a charged energy.  Every atom in her skin seemed to  vibrate and  as if calling out to his, they roused Ruthivan.

Claire  held her  breath as, by  the light of her own purple skin, Ruthivan's dark red eyes locked onto her. She could see in that moment the confusion, the state of  believing it to be a  dream, then the realization that  it wasn't.  She  loathed  him.  Yes,  she truly did loathe  him.  But she  felt herself  willingly go as he  pulled her to him.  Like a drug, his kiss sent Claire  into a swoon  of  intoxication.  Logic  could tell her why. But all logic had been left standing at the bedside.

"You can stay here with me, you know..."
"No.  I can't."
"Why?  Why not?" Claire  rose from  the bed  and dressed, facing  away from  Ruthivan.  "I  just... can't.  I'll  bring  the children to see you tomorrow but..."  In a moment she was back  at the cottage, slipping into her  familiar bed.  She  knew  Gilean was  awake, but  she couldn't bear to touch him. She wasn't sure he'd let her if she tried.

Lost and Found

Claire stared out of the window that faced the back of  her  cottage.  She watched  the lazy stream bubble and babble its way over the rocks, scattering the sunlight  on its  surface.  She watched the tufts of pollen that dropped from the trees, glowing  speckles that drifted on the light breeze.  They had more freedom than she.

Night finally  fell and the  children were tucked away in bed.  Claire sat with Gilean, watching  him read in his chair, the firelight casting a deep yellow glow on his  skin.  From the corner of his eye, he looked over  at her and closed  his book.  He  gave a  warm, though pitying smile.  "You seem troubled," he said gently.
"I can't keep doing this, Gilean," Claire replied.
"Doing what?"
"Staying inside, locked away from life out of fear."
"There's nothing else we can do."
"I am going to go to him."

A sudden chill went through the room and Gilean looked down  at his lap.  Claire sighed  lightly.  "I know we have been  trying to  let this bond die, but it's not, Gilean.  I am losing my mind."
"I just think that given time-"
"How  much  time?  I'm... I'm miserable, Gilean.  This method is not  the answer.  I'm not feeling less drawn to him, on the contrary, it's gotten worse."
"I don't know what else I can say," he whispered.

Claire's  heart ached for  Gilean.  She hated what she did  to him, hated  making him hurt, but  she could do  nothing about what nature  had placed  between herself and Ruthivan.  She stood up and walked over to Gilean, giving  him a small hug, one that was meekly returned. "I'll be back."  A nod was all she gained by way of a reply.