Prophet

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian hadn't thrown Adara out, but he knew that everything in the Prophet was at least based in truth. And this one said that Adara had been with a number of guys, including Michael. He glared down at the paper, his mind running wild with images, strange mixings of what he had seen of Adara and the pictures he had found of Michael. What if her pulling away from him before was secretly because she was seeing those others? What if she was hoping to break it off, like the Prophet said, so that she wouldn't have to feel guilty? No, that wasn't like Adara. There was always a thread of truth in those articles!

[Adara Snow]

Adara hadn't read the most recent issue of the Daily Prophet. She had been far too distracted with other things, school for one, not to mention the level of tension and emotional distance which remained between herself and Emilian. She had locked her secret hopes away again and refused the call to examine them, to let herself dream them. This life she was now in seemed to have no place for dreams.

Still, when she entered the flat above the jewelry shop, no amount of distraction could have kept her from feeling the dark air around Emilian. Her first thought was, of course, that he was having second thoughts about asking her to return with him. Or perhaps he had been thinking of it all along. Adara looked at Emilian somewhat warily as she began to pull off her gloves and cloak.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian pulled his head up and then pushed himself to his feet. "Who is Ariel?" he asked, consulting the article to be sure he had the name right. He thought he knew most of the people up at the school, at least by name, so who was this person? If the Prophet was true, then there were plenty more, as well. His jaw clenched and he looked back up at her.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's hands stopped in the midst of removing her cloak and it remained on her shoulders, untied. Emilian was obviously upset, and she couldn't think why, nor what it might have to do with his question. She gave the name thought, despite her sudden wariness, but could come to no conclusion. "I am afraid I do not know anybody by that name." She might have gone on, but the tone of Emilian's voice and the look on his face were unmistakable. She knew that she should not waste time giving information that he might not want.

[Emilian Sota]

"According to the Prophet you know him very well," Emilian accused, gesturing with the paper in his hand. "It says the same about Michael." He couldn't be losing her, could he? Even he hadn't gone after anyone during his time away from her. He hadn't so much as touched someone else, even if that Brandis had touched him and his eyes had hovered on that maid.

[Adara Snow]

"Well, I do know Michael rather well I think," Adara supplied, still unsure as yet why that would bother Emilian. "But I truly know nobody by the name Ariel, neither male nor female." Her dark brows creased slightly as her gaze flickered up toward the paper, then dropped, reflexively demure against this unexpected line of questions. She tried to piece together a reason for Emilian's obvious upset, but couldn't.

[Emilian Sota]

"Here," Emilian said, thrusting the paper toward her. How was it that she had read everything that ever said anything negative against him, and then when there's something about her she hadn't read it? "Read." Then he turned to walk to the window, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Maybe it was irrational to think that she would do that, but the stress of the last few weeks was catching up to him.

[Adara Snow]

Adara had no choice but to catch the paper when Emilian gave it to her, but she watched him worriedly for some moments before looking down at the article. She was somewhat surprised to see an announcement of Michael and Dare's engagement, though she had already been notified of that, so she went on. Her brows creased in perplexity. Visitations? Mostly male companions? Ex-boyfriends, and... there was that name, Ariel. She had never heard the word canoodling before, but judging by the rest of what was written, she could guess at it.

"Well, I do not know where Miss Kedavra found her information, but it was obviously not a reputable source. I have committed no treachery," Adara said softly, the word distasteful on her tongue. It didn't occur to her that Emilian would believe such things, and so she raised both her gaze and her voice to speak to him. "I do not understand, Emilian."

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian closed his eyes before turning his head to Adara. "How can I believe that?" he asked, then turned his body toward her. "I was gone for over two months, and I didn't even touch anyone else, and now there's a Prophet saying you've been with others?" He should believe Adara, it was simple as that, but they hadn't been close like they used to be, it was easy to let his mind go wild.

[Adara Snow]

Apparently he could believe such things, and the realization tore her heart in two. "Why would I be with others?" she asked, emotion thick in her voice. "I was not, and... and how could you think that of me?" Tears flooded into her eyes, hurt and disbelief and more hurt threatening to suffocate her. "And you think that I would be with Michael?" Adara tugged at her gloves, wringing them between her hands. "Yes, I was with Michael," she said bitterly. "Once, not long after you left. He gave me comfort, assured me that you would be thinking of me. Do you wish that he had not? I talked to very few people while you were gone, Emilian, and even fewer as the weeks passed. How dare you accuse me of such things!" Adara untwisted her gloves now and began tugging them back onto her shaking hands.

[Emilian Sota]

"Because no matter how many times you convince yourself I don't want you I do!" Emilian said, the truth of the matter coming out much sooner than he usually allowed. He didn't want to lose her, no matter that she always seemed to find something telling her that he didn't want to be with her. "There's a first time for everything, Adara," he pointed out. There was always a possibility that she would do it.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's lips parted in scandalized shock and her brows narrowed. "There is not, Emilian! How many times must I tell you that I want no one else before you will believe me?! Am I to feel flattered because you can not trust me? How dare you!" She reached for the tie of her cloak and began trying to work it furiously, finally giving up and turning back into the stairwell. She was offended to her core, and only hoped that she could make it back to the school gates without collapsing.

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian went over to Adara quickly, putting his hand on her upper arm. "How can I trust you when you don't trust me?" he asked, forcing his voice to stay under control. He wouldn't let her leave him. At least not until everything had been worked out, everything said. "I've worked and worked for your trust and when I get back here you leave me because I offered a drink and the Prophet says you've all but moved on!"

[Adara Snow]

"It was not only the drink, Emilian! It was being introduced as no more than another girl, then dismissed! Whatever your reasoning, it hurt the same, and if I have overreacted it is only because it seemed to be a symptom of a far greater problem. I am tired of pretending, Emilian. I cannot live on dreams any longer." And she didn't know how she would survive without them. "The Prophet writes lies, you of all people should know this. I will not plead a defense for something I should not have been accused of."

[Emilian Sota]

"If I had introduced you as another girl it would have been more along the lines of 'hello, Mano, this is Adara, have at it.'" Emilian ran a hand through his hair and stepped away from Adara. "I'm sorry, I...I got scared," he finished softly, sighing heavily. He didn't like admitting that, but it was the truth and he didn't see any way of getting out of it. "What dreams have you been living on?" he asked, looking up at her.