"You --" The strength of her tone surprised both of them, and Constantine blinked, feeling for a moment that she might rise to the challenge, to the endless baiting, and once again give into the lick of anger. But then, a moment passed, heavy with implication, and Artemisia caught herself, grasping onto what seemed to be the last straws of sanity. "Never mind." In an instant, she had recovered, leaving Constantine with a vague emptiness and a sense of disappointment he could not place.
He shrugged, following her gaze to the setting sun. "It is time we return home, my lord." The emphasis on "home" was not missed. He crinkled his nose at that, finding that offensive. But then he sighed. "Fine," he said with the gracelessness of a child. "If you must." He glowered at her, but his face still held that contemplative expression.
He glanced around to the wolves who had now mostly resumed normalcy around them. He flashed a cocky grin at one who still dared to look in a too-long linger. When they looked away, the grin faded. Then he turned back to Artemisia. "Lead the way, captor," he declared without much bite. A headache was beginning to blossom in the back of his skull now. His fun had been had, but he had much to do -- both to recover, and to reflect upon what had just happened. With a long-suffering sigh, he fell in line behind Artemisia on the way back to jail.
-exit-
""
table by ferus, image by ashon, bg from unsplash
