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EVYN WOKE UP WITH THE dawn the next morning, her eyes somehow both sore and fresh, as well as crusted from dried tears. The bed had absorbed her into its plush surface, despite falling asleep on top of all the covers. If it weren’t for the warm robe, she’d be freezing, though her toes were chilled. It was quite the challenge getting up, but she was determined to face the day head on.
She did her daily ablutions as she thought about what all had happened the night before.
Her light had pushed a dark, inky substance from her, and replaced the vacant space with truths and realizations. She’d never heard of such magic before... magic that invaded and healed you with knowledge. It had to be something specifically attributed to her soul’s celestial origin. As she ran a brush through her hair, she frowned at the idea that she could have ended up using this power on Otsana without knowing the consequences. After what she had done to her brother, and what she’d barely been able to withstand last night—she shivered at her recklessness.
She wanted to know more about it before she did anything else that could accidentally put everyone in harm’s way—although, as she thought that, she could feel her magic inside of her, like the breath in her lungs, able to be stopped and started, or left at its own desired pace.
Having used her magic on herself had changed her.
Not only with the new truths that seemed to heal as much as they hurt, but with her power. After the void, she’d already started to get a cleaner grasp of how it moved within her, but now she knew more. She knew, but wanted to try it out, master it, ensure that her body knew it as well as her intuition did.
A staff member helped her select some clothing that would be suitable to train her magic in, praying to the divine that Ylid would work with her today.
She slipped on the undergarments, thick trousers, and a pair of boots slightly too big, so she had to double layer the socks. The wool tunic to ward off Ylid’s water felt itchy, though soft, and she knew the moment she started sweating, the feeling would get even worse, so she threw a thin black tunic on underneath. Finishing off with a black leather belt that had a silver buckle designed to look like ivy leaves, she left her room.
Evyn nearly rushed past the staff members that bowed to her outside her door, when she stopped herself. There was one last thing she needed to do before she went to train.
“Would you take me to wherever Otsana is at the moment?”
The staff member bowed. “Certainly. I believe they are in their room still. Would you like to meet with them there, or should I have them meet you elsewhere?”
“I can meet her there,” she said confidently.
They were meant to be friends now, after all, even if Otsana was rightfully angry with her for being a complete fool.
The staff member led her down the hall only a few doors away and knocked twice.
“Who is it?”
“I request entry for Lady De’Nath.”
A long silence followed in which Evynria’s insides twisted with nerves. Perhaps Otsana still needed time till she could see her. Maybe she should have waited—
The doors burst open. The staff member’s eyes widened and they stepped back as Otsana rushed through, wearing a silk nightgown. She smiled and grabbed Evyn’s hand, dragging her into her room and shutting the doors behind them.
Evyn blinked. “Er, good morning?”
Otsana nodded, putting her hands on her hips. “All right, I’m waiting.”
“Waiting?”
She nodded again. Evyn’s brows lifted with sudden understanding and then she stammered.
“I–I’m really sorry for being such a fool in your time of need. You deserved better comfort than I gave you and I sincerely apologize. You mean a lot to me and I hope you can forgive me,” she said in a rush, crushing her fingers together in front of her, barely able to keep eye contact with the woman, but trying her best.
Otsana tapped a finger to her chin as she made a thinking sound, but then her face transformed with a grin. “I accept. Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?”
Evyn gasped at the ease with which she was forgiven. She had thought she’d have to grovel far more than that. Her throat tightened and her eyes stung. “You’re far too good a person.”
“Isn’t she?”
Evyn’s head swiveled to where she heard Ylid’s voice, finding them wrapped in a sheet on Otsana’s bed. Her brows lifted again, but this time, so did the corners of her mouth.
“She is.”
Otsana laughed. “We wanted you to be the first to know, anyway.”
Evyn turned to look back at her, her chest warming as her eyes stung again, threatening tears.
“Me?”
She nodded.
Evyn put a hand to her mouth as she tried not to cry. She’d never been thought of in this way before, ever. She didn’t know if she really even deserved this after what all had happened yesterday. To think she’d almost hurt her with her magic, to think she’d hurt her with her words, and to still be seen as someone worthy of their trust and friendship. She was nearly beyond words.
“Well, consider me your first congratulations!” Evyn said, eyes watering, but smiling ear to ear. “You’re so beautiful together and such wonderful people. Thank you for the honor of being told first.”
“Oh! Evyn, you are an absolute dear!” Otsana squealed, pulling her into an embrace.
“No fair!” Ylid shouted, leaping from the bed, barely holding onto their sheet as they ran to their side. “I want to join!”
Evyn and Otsana laughed as Ylid embraced them both, sheet falling. The three stayed like that for a while, smiling and laughing, and then Evyn couldn’t help it as the tears finally fell down her face.
“You two are so special to me,” she said. “I hope you know that.”
Otsana kissed the top of Evyn’s head. “As are you, dear.”
“Yes! You’re both the best people in the whole world,” Ylid added, before letting go, picking the sheet up from the floor and throwing it over their shoulders like a cloak.
“That is a lovely outfit you have on,” Evyn said, smirking.
“Do you like it?” Ylid flared the sheet out behind them, revealing their bare backside.
Evyn covered her eyes, chuckling.
“She’s shy!” Otsana protested, though she could hear the smile in her voice.
Evyn moved her hand in time to see Ylid shrug. “Nothing she hasn’t seen before, and since she came to the bedroom just as the sun rose, she gets to see this sunrise too.”
Otsana and Evyn both snorted.
“Well, you were ironically the other stop I was going to make this morning. I’m getting two faeries with one bowl of milk, it seems.”
“Oh?”
She nodded, sobering as she realized what all she had to share with them. “I’ve had a breakthrough with my abilities, but I was hoping you’d be willing to practice with me again. I even put on water-tolerant clothing.”
Ylid cocked their head to the side, braids tumbling over their shoulder. “You promise not to use it on us without permission?”
Evyn’s chest tightened, but she nodded profusely. “Yes, I swear it... I... tried it on myself last night actually and, while it helped a lot in certain ways, I have decided I refuse to use this power on someone who doesn’t give me explicit permission, after I’ve told them of all the consequences.”
“You used it on yourself?” Otsana asked softly. “You were in that much pain?”
Ylid looked from Otsana to Evyn, their eyes wide. Evyn’s mouth opened and then shut, before she gave a small shrug.
“These past few days—Well, really, this whole journey—has been a lot for me to go through, and it all culminated for me yesterday,” she admitted, her voice matching Otsana’s softness.
In chorus, they pulled her to a nearby settee, placing her between them on the cushions. Her face warmed, and she felt the keen desire to hide.
“It’s nothing, really. I fixed it. I’m sure you both have your own problems to deal with, as well. I mean... yesterday was hard on all of us, but especially you, Otsana. You needn’t bother—”
Both shook their heads, leaning forward so Evyn could look at them at the same time.
Ylid argued, “Look. I’m about to practice with you, so think of this as research. What happened when you used your powers on yourself?”
Evyn hesitated, but then let out a deep breath, before telling them all that had transpired the night before. The overwhelming feelings of loneliness, abandonment, betrayal, heartbreak, self hatred. About Enloris leaving, and her father’s words, her own words to Otsana, even her jealousy of the Kilgandaers.
“So, when it was all too much to bear, I somehow knew to turn my light on myself,” she explained. “I’d been told my power was for me to use to heal myself, so I figured I would try, and this dark ink spilled from my tears with each wave of it, until I had to stop. Then all the inky substance disappeared. The light itself had told me things—”
“Told you things?”
She nodded. “It explained my pain to me. The sources of it. I don’t think I even got to the bedrock of it, because it was hard to handle even the smallest amount that it gave me. I think my light is... truth? Or love? It’s hard to tell, but it isn’t just healing in the way one stitches up a wound, and it doesn’t just fix things. It more so... leads you to the answer of how you can fix it all yourself.”
Otsana looked off to the side, clearly deep in thought, while Ylid stared at Evyn.
“I’ve never heard of a magic like that before,” Ylid said, almost reverently. “It must be the Celestial side of yourself.”
“That’s my thought too,” Evyn agreed. “But either way, I wanted to learn more about it through practical means. I’m understanding the deeper healing aspects more, but not so much the protection that shielded me in the forest. When I was in the amulet, I somehow shaped it into armor and sword.”
“Armor and sword!” Ylid exclaimed.
“What did you need them for?” Otsana asked, snapping back to attention.
Evyn pressed her lips together. “I... was angry and my magic intuitively became those things.”
Otsana’s eyes widened, but one corner of her mouth lifted in a smirk after. “Remind me not to get on your bad side.”
Ylid laughed. “Yes, save that for me and our practice later today. We can go down to the fields after breakfast.”
“Thank you!” Evyn replied, grinning, and then she remembered, “Oh, how are things with...”
“Roan? Or Duke Ferrinor Septimus the seventeenth?” Otsana said with a subtly mocking tone.
She leaned her head to the side. “Is he really the seventee—”
“No. I made that up,” Otsana said with a smile.
Evyn chuckled. “Well, yes. What happened between you two after I left?”
“We had a proper discussion, and I forgave him—”
“Slapped him too,” Ylid interrupted with a grin.
Evyn’s eyes widened and she covered her mouth to stop from laughing, even if it was in shock.
“I hugged him after!” she protested, and then she smiled shyly. “I also learned more about why he felt he had to do what he did, and he’s sworn to help me help my people and all the others displaced by Corynthus.”
Evyn’s eyes watered a little and she smiled. “He told me he wanted to help in some way. I’m glad he told you.”
“You two are close,” Ylid cut in, nudging Evyn’s arm.
Her face warmed. “Yes, he’s been... Well, wonderful to say the least.”
“Better than that brat, Enloris, anyway,” Ylid grumbled, leaning their chin on their hand and glaring into the distance.
Evyn’s eyes widened, before looking down at her lap.
“Ylid!” Otsana protested.
“Well, it’s true! How dare he leave out of nowhere! Wasn’t he sworn to her protection?”
Evyn chewed her lip a little, swallowing over the lump in her throat.
“You never did explain why he left,” Otsana said gently.
She shrugged. “I–We... Well, we... you see, I—”
“Did you sleep together?” Ylid asked.
“No!” Evyn squealed. “No. We... We kissed, but no, we didn’t sleep together.”
“Unfortunate,” Otsana said with a frown. “Could have at least bothered to sleep with you first before leaving. I imagine a faerie knight has to be quite talented in bed.”
Ylid burst into laughter and Evyn shook her head, though her cheeks hurt from holding back a grin.
“Well, with that all burning in you,” Ylid said, hopping up from the settee, the sheet barely held onto. “Let’s use it to our advantage out in the fields.”
“Perhaps put on some clothes first, love,” Otsana suggested. “Though I do love the sight, it may be more practical.”
Ylid feigned a sigh of distress. “If I must!”