the fire fizzled and died. He turned to look at me triumphantly.
“I did it!” he crowed. “I channeled enough power to put the fire out.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his proud expression. It was a big step for him. He was learning to harness his power.
“Good job,” I commended him weakly. “You’re doing great.”
He took in my expression and crossed to me immediately, grasping my elbow.
“Em, this wasn’t your fault. We’ll figure it out, I promise,” he said solemnly. “We just need practice. We’ll get the hang of it.”
Behind him, Circes emerged from her hut, her cloudy eyes knowing. She sniffed the air, sightlessly glanced in our direction and then shook her head. Without a word, she retreated back into her hut with her long black cloak trailing on the dirt behind her.
I glanced at Brennan. “Ignore her. You’re right. We just need practice. We’ll get it.”
He nodded wordlessly.
“We should get ready for breakfast,” he said softly, leading me back into our smoldering hut. I ignored the gazes of the women watching from their doorways and closed the door behind us. Leaning against the door, I slid to the ground, exhaling heavily.
“What if she’s right, though?” I asked softly, staring up at Brennan. I could feel wetness forming in my eyes at the mere thought. “What if we can never learn to harness our power when we’re together? We’ll destroy everything- including each other.”
Brennan knelt in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. I concentrated on the amber flecks hidden in his as he spoke.
“Don’t ever think like that, Emmie,” he said slowly. “We can do anything we decide to do. And we’ve already decided that this is worth it. We’ll fight this battle, we’ll win it, and then we’ll live happily ever after.”
I stared at him. “That only happens in fairy tales.”
He shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. It happens all of the time in real life. It will happen to us. I promise you that.”
I sighed. “You shouldn’t make promises that you might not be able to keep.”
He sighed back. “Haven’t you learned by now… I always keep my promises.”
His confident tone made me grin and I leaned forward to kiss him.
“I love you, you know.”
“I know,” he answered happily. “And I love you back.”
We rose from the floor and cleaned up for breakfast and I couldn’t keep the deliriously happy thoughts from my mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe all it truly took was the will to triumph. And certainly no two people had ever wanted something so badly. I had to admit that.
Brennan was dressed and ready before I was and he turned to me.
“Do you mind if I get some fresh air? I’ll meet you for breakfast?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. Go ahead. I’ll be along shortly.”
He kissed my forehead and ducked out of the hut.
I finished straightening my shift, belting it loosely at the waist. Branwyn had provided us with period-appropriate clothing so that we didn’t stand out quite so much. Jeans and t-shirts weren’t the thing here. Pulling a comb through my long hair, I twisted it into a knot at my neck and stuck a couple of chopsticks through it. The chopsticks definitely weren’t period-appropriate, but I didn’t care. I had never been one to completely conform.
There was no mirror here and I didn’t want to conjure one, so I could only guess that I looked passable. Pivoting, I turned to head out of the hut, but stopped short. With a gasp, I realized that I wasn’t alone.
A beautiful woman was standing directly behind me, perfectly still and quiet. Deep red hair flowed in waves to the middle of her slender back. She was wearing a slinky beige gown that puddled around her feet like a mermaid’s tail. The plunging neckline exposed creamy white skin and she had deep emerald eyes that were gazing directly into my own.
“Hello,
“I did it!” he crowed. “I channeled enough power to put the fire out.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his proud expression. It was a big step for him. He was learning to harness his power.
“Good job,” I commended him weakly. “You’re doing great.”
He took in my expression and crossed to me immediately, grasping my elbow.
“Em, this wasn’t your fault. We’ll figure it out, I promise,” he said solemnly. “We just need practice. We’ll get the hang of it.”
Behind him, Circes emerged from her hut, her cloudy eyes knowing. She sniffed the air, sightlessly glanced in our direction and then shook her head. Without a word, she retreated back into her hut with her long black cloak trailing on the dirt behind her.
I glanced at Brennan. “Ignore her. You’re right. We just need practice. We’ll get it.”
He nodded wordlessly.
“We should get ready for breakfast,” he said softly, leading me back into our smoldering hut. I ignored the gazes of the women watching from their doorways and closed the door behind us. Leaning against the door, I slid to the ground, exhaling heavily.
“What if she’s right, though?” I asked softly, staring up at Brennan. I could feel wetness forming in my eyes at the mere thought. “What if we can never learn to harness our power when we’re together? We’ll destroy everything- including each other.”
Brennan knelt in front of me, staring directly into my eyes. I concentrated on the amber flecks hidden in his as he spoke.
“Don’t ever think like that, Emmie,” he said slowly. “We can do anything we decide to do. And we’ve already decided that this is worth it. We’ll fight this battle, we’ll win it, and then we’ll live happily ever after.”
I stared at him. “That only happens in fairy tales.”
He shook his head. “No, it doesn’t. It happens all of the time in real life. It will happen to us. I promise you that.”
I sighed. “You shouldn’t make promises that you might not be able to keep.”
He sighed back. “Haven’t you learned by now… I always keep my promises.”
His confident tone made me grin and I leaned forward to kiss him.
“I love you, you know.”
“I know,” he answered happily. “And I love you back.”
We rose from the floor and cleaned up for breakfast and I couldn’t keep the deliriously happy thoughts from my mind. Maybe he was right. Maybe all it truly took was the will to triumph. And certainly no two people had ever wanted something so badly. I had to admit that.
Brennan was dressed and ready before I was and he turned to me.
“Do you mind if I get some fresh air? I’ll meet you for breakfast?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. Go ahead. I’ll be along shortly.”
He kissed my forehead and ducked out of the hut.
I finished straightening my shift, belting it loosely at the waist. Branwyn had provided us with period-appropriate clothing so that we didn’t stand out quite so much. Jeans and t-shirts weren’t the thing here. Pulling a comb through my long hair, I twisted it into a knot at my neck and stuck a couple of chopsticks through it. The chopsticks definitely weren’t period-appropriate, but I didn’t care. I had never been one to completely conform.
There was no mirror here and I didn’t want to conjure one, so I could only guess that I looked passable. Pivoting, I turned to head out of the hut, but stopped short. With a gasp, I realized that I wasn’t alone.
A beautiful woman was standing directly behind me, perfectly still and quiet. Deep red hair flowed in waves to the middle of her slender back. She was wearing a slinky beige gown that puddled around her feet like a mermaid’s tail. The plunging neckline exposed creamy white skin and she had deep emerald eyes that were gazing directly into my own.
“Hello,
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