The Pain Thief

Chapter 4

I WALK ALONE

Zoe ran down the street, following the dark aura that signalled the presence of the haze. Usually the haze went after people like her and Jack, people with power, but they attacked ordinary people sometimes too, Zoe and Jack didn't want anyone to get hurt, so they usually spent some times running around town to get rid of any hazes that didn't first try to get rid of them. 

This particular haze was close to where she lived, so she wouldn't have to run for long. She could've just ridden Malachi or Reyna, but it was so close she didn't see the need. 

Zoe was continuing straight past a corner when something shot out at her from her left. She could hear Malachi and Reyna roar in her mind as her eyes widened. 

Thinking quickly, Zoe adjusted her body so she was facing the threat and threw her arms out in front of her, crossing them defensively while leaking out some of her power. 

Something smashed into the shield she put up, sending her flying backwards. Zoe braced herself and winced as her feet made contact with the ground, forcing her to her knee as she stopped. 

She kept her arms positioned in front of her with the shield up for a moment before raising her head as the shield dissipated. 

In front of her was a haze with the rough shape of a tiger and was at least as big as Malachi. It was troublesome that this one seemed more distinct than the other, meaning that it would be more difficult to defeat. 

Zoe scowled and stood her ground, but she didn't have time to fool around. The haze jumped forward with an incredible amount of force, clawing and slashing at the shield she put up. 

Zoe was never very good at killing the hazes, not like Jack. Jack could slash them up quickly, but Zoe could only defend. The haze continued to push her back, slamming into her shield with more and more force. 

She wanted to prove that she was strong enough to defeat the haze, but didn't want to get cut up in the process. After a few more hits, her shield broke and she yelled out, "Malachi! Reyna!" 

In less than a second, the two of them had sunk their teeth into the haze, tearing it apart. It dissolved in front of her, leaving Zoe panting a little. She clenched her fists, feeling some pressure in her arms from the hits she took. 

Zoe had always felt weak, and this little instance didn't help. Whenever something like this happened, she had to call on her wolves or on Jack. Sure, her wolves were a part of her power, but she still wished she could kill the hazes by herself. It wasn't an easy feeling to feel weak, but that was often what Zoe felt like. 

Her power was not meant for attacking, making Zoe quite useless in individual fights. 

She sighed, slowly unclenching her fists as she breathed, trying to release her anger and frustration. Feeling powerless was the one thing she hated more than anything else, since it was the reason her parents were dead. 

Zoe looked to see Malachi and Reyna in front of her, sitting patiently. The two of them could feel her emotions since they were connected to her, and she knew they felt her sadness. 

She pushed her loose hair away from her face, sighing and putting on a fake smile the two of them could easily see through. They bowed their head to her and disappeared, leaving her alone on the street. 

Zoe turned and put her hands in her pockets again, walking down the street and toward her home. 

*** 

Zoe was not surprised to find Mr. Z doing some gardening out front. Even though he was old, he liked his garden to look nice and would get on his hands and knees just to make sure of it.