One Man's Treasure - 36

He could feel it as that transition occurred. A residual wave of emotion that surged through that unseen field around her, and with her pressed against him there was no way he wouldn't feel it. She was fragile. Perhaps too fragile for what he might use her for. But that wasn't anything he couldn't take care of. There were plenty of people to aide in training her, to temper her against what might come. And in the end, she might not be nearly so blindingly pure and white, but she would be of much more use than her raw power could be on its own.

He looked down at his suit at her words, seeing a patch of dampness from her crying, darkening the charcoal pinstriped jacket. He offered her a soft smile with an easy laugh. He wasn't mocking her in the least, but seemed to find it endearing. A perfect act as inside he raged about a perfectly good suit needing to be cleaned. Tears were far easier to remove than blood, but the salinity tended to damage the material. He was going to--No. He could use this. He wasn't one to assume a job done until he added a few extra layers to ensure the deal was sealed.

"It is okay," he said smoothly, drawing his hands away from her. "Allow me to show you..." He was taking a huge chance. She had yet to verify her suspicions of her being from another world. But with a power like hers, he was willing to bed she'd had a run in with things that were at least a little out of the ordinary. Pressing his fingers to the damp spot on his jacket, he focused his attention downward.

At first, nothing happened.

A few moments passed, and a steam started to rise from under his finger. And like a splash of water on scalding hot pavement on a midsummer day, the dampness evaporated from his jacket, radiating from his fingers. He lifted his gaze slightly to watch her reaction.

Once his jacket was dry, he brushed his hand over the lapel, straightening it out. "There," he said, looking quite proud. "Good as new." He looked at her as if trying to say 'see, I would believe anything.' But he was ready for her to bolt from the car or assume herself gone mad.