Sapphire Iota- Shut up or I'll set the donkey on you

Seph, what does your brother look like and what's his power? I sort of need to know.
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Gustav wasn't the worst of cellmates. But when you're locked in a freezing cell, haven't eaten in two days, the only water source is a rusted old tap, you're in pain and someone just keeps blabbering on, it was easy to get tetchy.

"Gustav. Do me a favour. Shut. Up," Sapphire hissed.

He shrugged. "It's a free country."

Very, very, slowly, Sapphire turned her head and glared at him.

He swallowed. "Okay. That's... just a little scary."

"Gustav. You don't want to upset me."

Gustav grinned. "Why? You gonna beat me up with your shoulder like that?"

Sapphire turned around fully so that she was facing him. She could see the light from the fireball in her hand (the only source of light in the room) flickering on his face.

"I am a Sensitive. I specialise in mind-control."

He smiled. "I've got a block in my mind. You won't be able to control me."

"True," she agreed. "But there are lots of animals out there- I can sense them with my mind. I can control them. If we get out of here, I can set them on you."

Gustav frowned. "What kind of animals?"

Sapphire shrugged, wincing as her shoulder protested. "Well, it ranges from a donkey pulling the carts to a sort of guard-dragon."

He hesitated before nodding. "Okay. I really hate dragons. I had to fight one with my sister once."

Sapphire tilted her head. "I didn't know you had a sister."

Gustav smiled, slightly sadly. "Yeah. An older sis. She irritates me sometimes, but I love her. I wish she was here right now. I sure she's looking for me." He sighed quietly. "You have any siblings?"

Sapphire looked down at the ground, her left hand tracing the cracks in the ground. "Five adopted sisters," she admitted. "Scarlet, Xena, Ferne, Detta and Jasmine. They're the only family I've ever known. I was looking for an old friend of ours before I got captured. They're not expecting me back for two months."

"Did you find the friend?" Gustav asked.

"I did," Sapphire replied softly. "But I was too late. She died three days before I found her."

"I'm sorry," Gustav muttered.

"Don't be," she replied. They sat in silence for a minute. "What's your sister's name?" she asked.

"Persephone Grief," Gustav said, a tinge of hidden pride in his voice.

Sapphire blinked. "The assasin?" she checked, surprised.

"Yeah, that's her. Do you know her?"

"We met once. I was fighting a few vampires when she suddenly turned up and kicked one in the head," she smiled, remembering. "She might've saved my life."

They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until her stomach growled. "I'm starving," Sapphire muttered. "Why can't they feed us?"

Gustav shrugged. "What I really want now is one of those huge roasts, with potatoes and gravy and a dessert with loads of chocolate and ice cream, and maybe-"

"Gustav," Sapphire interrupted, "Shut up or I'll set the donkey on you."

"Yes ma'am," he teased, and then suddenly they were both laughing. It was so good to be laughing again that Sapphire never wanted to stop. Her heart felt lighter.

Gustav's face was about to split, he was smiling so hard.

If we get some food, maybe it won't be so bad after all, Sapphire thought.

That was when the door at the top of the dungeon opened. A blast of cold air hit Saph hard as she squinted into the light, trying to make out the silhouette in the door way.

"Hello, puny captives," a man's voice said in a pleasant tone. "Now, which one of you wants to be tortured first?"