Deianira

Chapter 2

June 30th, 2026: Two Days Later

Jonas Rouse

Jonas didn't get it. Charlotte not only has good intuition, combat skills, and great coordination but her gift, whatever it is, also allows her to see things before anyone can even sense them. She has made this whole journey back to Dragon's Plain easier. Besides in the city, they didn't even have to put on their gas masks because she could see the corrupted zones and effectively maneuver us around them. It took Jonas hours to find even one rabbit for dinner and when he returned Charlotte had four slung over her shoulder, which Connor had yet to stop teasing him about. However, the thing that bothered him the most was her emotionless face. Her eyes looked dead all the time and the way she spoke was utterly dull. Even that name she calls him, Zingiber, sounds like a husk of a joke. It made Charlotte ridiculously difficult to work with. Not even his charisma, which made him popular among the people of Dragon's Plain, could make her relax. She was just perpetually stiff.

It was safe to say Jonas loathed her attitude despite her skills and loathed her habit of getting into trouble with him even more. How could someone with her attitude also be the biggest buyer of black-market goods? The black market was notorious for disappearing before any of the keepers could get close and were super selective in their customers. Jonas had a hard time believing anyone could stand Charlotte's presence in their shop let alone allow her to be a repeating customer

He had an even harder time fathoming how the hell Charlotte knew Connor. Connor was a stuck-up rich boy who never went anywhere near the common district. Every time Jonas was on guard duty for Connor all he ever did was prattle on about the flora of the commanders' district and about how when he became Lord of Dragon's Plain he would make all the districts just as beautiful. Yet he was on friendly terms with Charlotte. She even let Connor drape an arm over her strong shoulders and talk her ear off about flora for long portions of the journey back to town. She even pitched into the conversation every once-in-a-while. On the other hand, every time Jonas spouted a joke or tried to get into the conversation Charlotte acted like he didn't even exist and Connor would only laugh or simply nod his head in acknowledgment of his presence. It made the journey back very boring for him.

He found himself picking up pebbles off the floor and using his wind to shoot them at random insects or making them spin in circles in his palm. His wind breezed over his skin soothing the blistering heat from the setting sun. Before the Fall he hated the summers in California. It was too hot and too dry. However, he did love the various vegetation and environments that were at the tips of his fingers. He missed being able to hike all the different spots and go for a swim at the beach. So at least this journey allowed him to simulate his old hobbies. Not like propelling himself away from a giant shark constituted swimming. Jonas couldn't get his wind to have enough cutting force to injure the shark then either. He was lucky he was able to barely hear Charlotte through the earpiece over the water that rushed by his head. Even luckier that he made it to that tree.

His mind started to wander back to that laugh. It was small and barely there, but she laughed. The stark contrast between the grotesque dead beast and her relaxed lively body was a sight to behold. Jonas thought the world might've ended in that moment, and if it did he wouldn't have complained. She was beautiful. The long portion of her undercut had hung down and around her shoulders, and only then did he notice half of it drawn together in sloppy braids. Even with the new cut that bled down her face, he could see the light dusting of pink across her cheeks and the humor dancing in her eyes. Her red lips had curled into a hesitant smile.

Even trying to compare her now to that moment seemed impossible. True she always is beautiful, her hair is still that deep brown that reminded him of his favorite dark chocolate and her lips put even Snow White to shame. However, the beauty faltered when looking at her body. Jonas loves her curvy olive-toned body, as it certainly was a beautiful view, but she is as stiff as a plank. Her posture reminded him of how he had to stand when in formation with the other Keepers. Her shoulders are pulled back and her head is held at a perfect parallel with the horizon. Her movements are direct and nothing but tight. How could someone be so uptight?