The artwork above is not mine.
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The past three days had gone by far too slow. Nascha spent every waking minute helping restore the village. Four new cottages had been built, although they were more like huts at this point. A fifth hut was under construction, and a sixth one would be made before Lorcan and Elide's workers returned to Perranth. Fenrys told Nascha the day prior that they would return to Orynth when the construction crew left.
Currently, Fenrys was helping build the fifth hut. Nascha hovered nearby, retrieving tools and materials as needed. She was also tasked with keeping children away from the site and gathering up debris when it fell. Elide and several other women were preparing a late noon meal. Lorcan was helping plot the site of the sixth cottage.
Nascha was relieved that neither of them were within talking distance. Lorcan and Elide had been cold towards her since she and Fenrys arrived. Nascha couldn't help but feel that, like Aedion, they thought this disaster was her fault. Fenrys tapped a hammer on the roof of the cottage and cleared his throat.
Nascha passed him a new box of nails, grimacing as the ache in her left leg swelled. The day was particularly hot, making her old injury act up and she was struggling even more to contain her magic. The pressure in her chest grew with each passing hour.
She was almost afraid that she was beginning to Settle, but when she expressed those fears, Fenrys had assured her that if she was going to Settle, she would already be doing so. Settling came on hard and fast. She would barely have a moment of warning before it was upon her. This was still just the prelude. A few months of unruly magic before it actually happened.
"Hey," Fenrys swung his legs over the side of the roof and peered down at her. "Are you all right?" Nascha nodded wordlessly. She began stacking bundles of wood that a few women had brought over. "Stardust..."
"I'm fine," Nascha snapped.
She turned away, but could feel his gaze lingering on her. Elide caught her eye and waved her over. Nascha made her way towards the Lady, attempting to hide her limp. Another woman took her place stacking wood. Nascha ignored the way her stomach clenched as the woman glanced at Fenrys and blushed.
Elide handed over a tray laden with plates of fried meat and roasted ears of corn. "Just start passing them out," she said. Nascha nodded and went back the way she came.
People soon caught up to her and one by one, the plates began to disappear. She returned to Elide several times for refills. Presently, the workers jumped to the ground, ready to eat. Fenrys was speaking with Lorcan when Nascha gave him a plate. Lorcan flashed her a cool glare. Fenrys bristled at once and Nascha hurried away.
She reached Elide once more and set the tray aside. Elide flipped pieces of meat in a skillet that rested above an open fire. The ears of corn had been buried in ash so they would roast. Nascha drew in a deep breath, pushing her magic back down.
Elide studied her briefly. "Why don't you want to become Lady of Arcelia?"
"Because it is a role that was never meant to be mine. I don't want that responsibility. I never have, and I never will."
"Not even to prevent a war and stop this," she gestured to the village, "from happening again?"
Nascha didn't bother with a response. She could only repeat herself so many times before becoming irritated. She did not need to make a harsh remark and anger Elide or Lorcan when tensions were so high already. Magic surged through her veins and she squeezed her eyes shut, forcing it down. She felt a few seconds of relief before the pressure returned, worse than before.
She needed to release her magic. Nascha opened her eyes, already looking for Fenrys. She started towards him and ignored Elide's confused shout. Fenrys was still speaking with Lorcan up ahead, only, they both looked angry. As Nascha drew closer, she was able to make out what they were saying.
"Things are hard enough without you judging her every move," Fenrys snapped. "I want the violence to stop as much as everyone else, but I also want what's best for Nascha."
"Since when do you care? I thought you couldn't wait to get rid of her."
"That was before I began to understand her. We haven't stopped to consider what we're really asking her to do. There's more to this than just proclaiming her Lady of Arcelia and going on with our lives as usual."
"We're asking her to stop a war," Lorcan retorted.
"Exactly!" Fenrys exclaimed. "We are asking one female to stop an entire war!"
"Aelin was able to end a war. She was just one female."
"She was Aelin of the Wildfire, Lorcan. She had the magic of a goddess. She had a kingdom. She had powerful allies. She had an army. She had all of us. Nascha has only herself, Aeron, me, and possibly Lysandra. She has a city. She has magic that hasn't even matured yet. It's not fair to hold her to the same standards as Aelin. Hell, sometimes it's not even fair to hold Aelin to the same standards as Aelin!"
Lorcan stared at Fenrys in disbelief. "I think you've grown overly fond of your little night owl, Fenrys. That's why you aren't thinking clearly about all of this."
"I'm thinking just as clearly as you are. Maybe even more so. I'm looking at different aspects and viewpoints of the situation. You're only looking at Aelin's goals."
"That's what you should be doing too. We are blood-sworn to her."
"We are blood-sworn to her, but we do not belong to her, and she knows that. We have the freedom to think and act for ourselves. That's something we never had with Maeve. I would have thought you'd also be taking advantage of it."
A throbbing headache had worked its way into Nascha's temples as she struggled to make sense of what was being said. Fenrys glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of her. He shot Lorcan one last glare and hurried over to her.
Nascha finally ceased hiding her limp. Fenrys gripped her elbow, his gaze darting to her leg. "I need to release my magic," she panted. "I don't think I can hold it back any longer." Nascha closed her eyes, gulping down shaking breaths. "Get me as far away from here as you can. I'm not sure I'll be able to control the magic once I let it out."
"What's going on?" Lorcan asked.
"She needs to release her magic," Fenrys answered.
"Do I need to come along and shield the area?"
"I don't think you need to be anywhere near us right now."
"I'm only trying to help," came the gruff response.
Magic was slipping through her fingers. Nascha gripped Fenrys' arm for support as her legs shook. Lorcan took a step towards them. Fenrys bared his teeth in a snarl, drawing Nascha against his chest. "Not a step closer, Lorcan, or I'll gouge your fucking eyes out."
Lorcan barked a laugh. "Like hell you will, Pup."
"Fenrys, now," Nascha cut in. Wind roared in her ears only a heartbeat later. Lorcan and the village disappeared as Fenrys carried them through the folds of the world.
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Fenrys didn't stop teleporting until they were far away from the village. As soon as he released her, Nascha staggered away. Magic was already spilling from her skin. She'd held it in too long. Far too long. Instincts surged through Fenrys as he followed Nascha.
"Go," she rasped. "I might hurt you if I lose control."
"You might hurt yourself," he pointed out. "Someone has to be here to talk you down after you've brought your magic back to a safe level, or you risk a burnout."
"You can't shield yourself."
"I won't need to. You won't hurt me."
"You don't know that."
"Do you want to hurt me?" He asked.
"No."
"Then you won't." Fenrys paused behind her.
Nascha was shivering violently. "I want you to leave."
"I'm not going to."
"Why won't you listen to me when it matters?"
Fenrys smirked. "Because sometimes I know better than you."
Nascha attempted to laugh through gritted teeth. "I hate you."
He stepped around her and cupped her face in his hands. Fenrys met her hickory gaze. "Let it out, Stardust. You won't hurt me, but you will hurt yourself if you hold it in any longer."
Fenrys braced himself as Nascha closed her eyes and relented. Darkness pulsed from her in rippling waves, plunging their surroundings into inky blackness. Starlight whistled as it flew past his ears. Fenrys' heart raced in a mixture of adrenaline and awe. Just as he'd predicted, none of Nascha's magic hurt him. The opposite, in fact. It energized him. It called to him. His wolf clawed at his skin, begging to jump into the starlit fray and howl its excitement.
On and on, Nascha's magic came. Fenrys studied her proud features, shrouded by shadows and illuminated by starlight. He couldn't explain what he was feeling. It was a mixture of everything she'd made him feel so far. Curiosity. Protectiveness. Admiration. Jealousy. Confusion. Affection. Desire.
Before he knew what he was doing, his lips met hers. There was nothing gentle about the way Nascha kissed him. There was nothing rough about the way Fenrys kissed her. It was starved and claiming. Generous and demanding. Sweet and passionate. The minutes blurred together. There was nothing but his lips on hers, the rapture of Nascha's magic, and the roaring in his veins.
Fenrys drew back breathlessly. "Draw your magic in," he murmured. "Slowly." Already, her power was faltering. She was close to a burnout. "Nascha, draw it in." She clenched her jaw, struggling to obey. He smoothed crimson hair back from her warm forehead. "Draw it in, Sweetheart."
"I..." She broke off, panting for breath. The darkness faded, then the starlight. Nascha's legs were trembling. Fenrys grabbed her before they gave out. Already, her eyes were drifting shut.
"Stay awake, Stardust," Fenrys said. "You need to eat something before you fall asleep." He knew she'd reached a burnout. When she fell asleep, she would sleep for days. She was lucky it was only a minor burnout, and not one of the more serious ones that could be deadly. "Stay awake." Nascha barely nodded.
Fenrys reached for his magic once more. He'd be able to make it back to the village, but he didn't dare try to teleport farther than that, unless he wanted to hit a burnout too. Nascha was struggling to keep her eyes open as they teleported away from the clearing. Fenrys didn't bother to look at the damage it had suffered.
Lorcan and Elide were waiting when they reached the village. Nascha was still awake, but barely. Fenrys couldn't smother his warning growl as Lorcan's gaze swept over her. He shoved past them and helped Nascha sit near one of the cooking fires.
"I need food for her please," he said to the woman tending to the fire. She nodded and began to fill a plate.
"What happened?" Elide asked.
"Her magic has been a little unpredictable for the past several days," Fenrys replied. "She had to release it, but she used too much. She hit a burnout. She'll fall asleep in minutes." The woman held out a plate. He took it with a grateful nod. Fenrys brought his mouth close to Nascha's ear and whispered so that only she could hear. "I need you to eat, Sweetheart. As much as you can."
She straightened with a groan. "I might barf."
"You'd better not, or I'll let you fall asleep like that."
"No, you won't." Nascha began to pick at the food, then ate a few bites, to his relief.
"You can take her to Perranth and stay in the manor until she wakes up," Lorcan said.
Fenrys looked up at him through narrowed eyes. "I'm taking her home. Get me a horse."
Lorcan frowned and Elide elbowed him. "Just do it." He stormed off without a reply. "Here."
Fenrys accepted the water canteen that Elide offered him. He uncorked it and held it to Nascha's lips. She swallowed a few mouthfuls before her head slumped against her chest. Fenrys set her plate aside and patted her cheek. She gave no response. Already, Nascha's breaths were heavy with sleep.
Lorcan returned, leading a black stallion by the reins. Fenrys pried himself away from Nascha and mounted. Lorcan lifted her into the saddle wordlessly. Fenrys guided her back against his chest. Briefly, he eyed the Lord and Lady of Perranth.
"This wasn't her fault," Fenrys said. "You shouldn't have acted like it was. We want her to trust us, and that means we have to treat her like she's one of us."
"I'll treat her like she's one of us when she acts like she's one of us," Lorcan replied. Elide remained silent, a thoughtful look in her dark eyes.
Fenrys guided the stallion out of the village, ignoring his own fatigue. He would get Nascha back to the cabin and take care of her before he spared a thought for himself. Fenrys pressed a soft kiss to her temple and rode on.