Retribution → Harvey Kinkle [CAOS]

iii. hellhound

HELLHOUND
CHAPTER THREE

Leaves rustled with the strong blows of the wind in the cold morning. Alecto crunched them beneath her feet, visualizing her sisters at the moment that they banished her. Subconsciously, her teeth were gritted, grinding into sensitive bone. As were her fists, with her sharp nails piercing into her cold skin like daggers. The pain didn't bother Alecto– it never had. She was almost immune to physical pain, or maybe she was just used to it as Goddess of Vengeance. Pain and torture were her jobs, her life. And ironically, being stripped of her title and free from her job was more painful than anything else.

Biting the inside of her cheek, she shook her head in frustration before flinging an arm forward. Her hands flew open and she tightened her core. She closed her eyes, squeezing every muscle within her body until they shivered and ached. When she opened her eyes, her hands were empty, unaffected– they weren't lit up with sparkling ash and amber flames like the angry Hellfires that burned and grew in her stomach and chest. Alecto growled, dropping her hands to her sides and throwing her head back in exasperation.

"Um, Alec," Harvey's voice sounded from behind her. Alecto squeezed her eyes tightly and bit her tongue, trying to refrain from screaming. She let out a sigh before turning around to face him. He was seated on the step in front of his garage, cozy in his winter jacket. "Was that supposed to happen?" With furrowed brows, he pointed to the left of the forest, a pile of branches that had fallen and accumulated over a few days' time. The pile of wood bristled with flames. Although the fire wasn't strong enough to survive the blowing of the wind, it was enough confirmation that her powers weren't completely gone. It reassured Alec in a sense, settling some of her questions. But it angered her more, reminding her of what her sisters had taken away from her– all because of a stupid mistake.

"No," she sighed, her eyes never leaving the bunch of burnt, smoldering pine wood.

"Maybe you-"

"Do you ever just shut up?" she snapped, turning away from him once more. She stared down at her hands and focussed on her core and chest once more, trying to channel her energy to her hands and the grounds beneath her.

"Look, if you're still mad about what I said last night, I'm sorry," Harvey said as he stood from his seat. He stuffed his hands in his jacket pockets and contemplated nearing Alecto. Alecto frowned, trying to focus on her powers instead of Harvey's unnecessary apology speech. He kept talking though, his voice filling Alecto's ears and his words taking up the focus that belonged to her testing out the extent of her powers. "I shouldn't have said those things," he continued. Alecto narrowed her eyes to try to strengthen her concentration. The more he spoke, the more her mind was fogged and the more she wanted to rip his organs out. "I know what it feels like to lose people and-"

"I don't need your pity."

"I'm not trying to pi-"

"I need space, Kinkle!" she roared, spinning around to look at him with her arms flailing in the air. Her voice echoed through the woods, silencing all the chirping birds. Harvey gaped at Alec with wide eyes and parted lips. "Just leave me alone." The brunette raised his hands up in mock surrender before slowly turning around and reentering his garage.