Fire

Chapter Four - Heat

Cass stared in shock as the realization that Ignatio was a killer set in. Though she was burning up, she shivered. He never met her gaze; he only went to their assailant and began to 'clean up'. Her stomach rolled. She retched at the base of a tree trunk as the stench of burning human flesh, clothing and plastic invaded her senses.

Ignatio –the man she loved – had just killed someone without a second's hesitation. When she looked at him, all she had seen was fury. There was no apology... and the fact that he had used his powers to callously incinerate the body immediately after killing the man made her realize that he was exactly what he'd been trying to tell her he was –a monster.

The man she loved was a monster.

Suddenly weak, she leaned against the side of a tree for support. Her head spun and her stomach rolled again. She retched once again, eyes blurry, tears falling.

Ignatio felt sickened by himself. To see Cass like that; to have shown her who he really was, to have her in so much pain broke his heart into a thousand tiny pieces... but he needed her to know just who he was. She needed to see him as a monster so that he could get her away from him and to safety. Maybe if she didn't love him anymore, it would be easier for him to let her go.

Liar, his heart seemed to scream but he pushed it away. He needed Cass safe. His feelings be damned. He wanted to go over to her, apologize and explain everything in a way that would ensure she understood that he still loved her, that he needed to do it to keep them safe, but her feelings needed no consultation when it came to her safety.

No.

Though he was disgusted with himself and wanted to retch with her when he incinerated the man's body but it needed to be done. His bicep was killing him with every movement but in comparison with his breaking heart, the wound was child's play.

When Cass began to sob softly, as if she was afraid he would hear her and hurt her too, he had never hated himself more.

But this was what you wanted, wasn't it?

Hestarted towards her to go over and her to console her... but stopped himself.It had to be this way. He hadn't realised when he had taken her that it wouldbe this hard to keep her safe. He hadn't realised that she'd want to protect him... that she would risk her own life for his.

What have I done?

He sighed to himself, feeling bona fide pain as the weight of hopelessness settled over him. There was nothing to be done now. Cass was disgusted with him, if she didn't already hate him. Ignatio could only curse himself for a fool as he packed up their camp. Nothing could be done now. He knew that she would never look at him the same way again.

Good, he told himself, it has to be this way.

By the time the sun had risen, Ignatio had completed clearing away the evidence of their occupation and hefted the bag onto his shoulders.

Unable to avoid her gaze any longer, he turned to her without a single word. He needed confirmation that she now hated him, and he silently offered her a choice. He didn't hold out his hand to ask whether she wanted to come with him or not but the question was in his gaze... he was astonished to see the look of compassion on her face.

Somewhere between him killing a man in cold blood and disposing of the body, the woman that he loved had found some space in her heart for him.

"You had to do it," she said and wiped a tear from her eye, and in typical Cass-fashion said, "I'm sorry I got in your way. I won't do it again. Pinky swear."