Peace and Magic
WREN
“Oh my gods, you finally did it!” The words, which are a too-loud squeal, come from down the path where Skyler is barreling towards me, grinning like a wild woman.
My cheeks heat, and I exchange a glance with Gabriel. He smirks, as if to say She’s your friend, as Skyler takes my arm, tugging me towards her.
“Morning, Sky,” I say, trying to loosen her hold on me. It doesn’t work, likely because Skyler exercises nearly as much as Gabriel does.
There’s something wrong with them both.
“Don’t ‘morning, Sky’ me, Wren. I’m right, aren’t I?” She beams, looking between me and Gabriel. “You weren’t at breakfast, and you’re glowing.”
Oh, suns. I’m not sure how to answer this line of questioning. Yes, Amelia and I were best friends, but even after we decided to lose our respective virginities before we were Given, we never talked about it in the open like this.
I glance around, blushing furiously as I catch a few glances being thrown our way. I’m sure half the camp heard Skyler since she doesn’t seem familiar with the concept of discretion.
“I . . . Um . . .”
“Why don’t you ladies have a chat?” Gabriel squeezes my hand and pulls me towards him. He kisses me deeply, the embrace far more than the peck on the cheek I’d expected, before releasing me. “I’ll find us some food, Birdie.”
“Are you sure? I can go with you—”
“No, you can’t.” Skyler threads my arm through the crook of hers and grins. “Thank you, Gabriel. That’s so kind of you.”
“You’re welcome, Skyler,” my Hunter rumbles before turning and heading towards the dining hall. Traitor.
Skyler pulls me down a wooded path, the packed dirt hard beneath my feet.
Pine needles dust the ground, and trees rise on either side of us.
Budding branches brush our arms, and in a few weeks, they will be laden with leaves.
There are a few clouds in the sky, but the suns still manage to shine through.
She halts when we’re alone, spinning around and practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. “You did, right? You fucked him!”
“Gods, Sky. Keep your voice down.” I pull my friend further down the trail. I’m used to people staring at me, but they usually do so because of my Mark. Not because of . . . this. “Are all rebels gossips, or is it just you?”
“Most of us are,” she says, almost as if it’s a point of pride. “It’s a side effect that comes from spending so much time in such close quarters.”
“I see,” I say flatly.
She elbows me in the side. “Stop deflecting and answer the question. Did you do it?”
I scrub my hand over my face, but when I pull it away, I can’t help but grin. “Yes, okay. We did.”
She squeals and pumps her arm in the air. “I knew it!”
“Hush.” I slap my hand over her mouth, and she chuckles. “We had sex, and it was amazing.”
If I’m being honest, it was far more than I ever could’ve hoped for. Even the soreness between my legs doesn’t detract from the way I feel inside. Like a piece of me has been finally put to rights.
I’m not sure if it’s our fledgling bond or something else. I make a mental note to visit the seer and ask her for more information about the connection Gabriel and I share.
A garbled sound comes from Skyler, and I pull my hand away. “I knew it! I could see it on your face.” She does a little dance, clapping. “You waited for so long, I felt like you’d never get there. How was it? Was he good to you? Tell me everything.”
I can’t help it, I laugh. Her eagerness is contagious, and it’s nice to get to talk about this with someone.
“First, it wasn’t that long. Gabriel and I had some . . . problems to deal with first.”
“Yeah, I get it. He was hunting you, and that sucked.” Skyler rolls her eyes. “Not his finest moment.”
“I agree, but let’s just say that he’s made up for that.” Many, many times over.
“Well, that’s good. It’s so obvious to everyone that your Hunter is obsessed with you. If you aren’t together—which doesn’t happen often—he’s always looking for you. Gravitating towards you. Honestly, if I weren’t so happy for you, I’d find it disgusting.”
I grimace. “‘Obsessed’ is a strong word . . .”
“But it’s the right one.” Skyler takes my hand and tugs it, guiding me to a large log under an evergreen tree, where we both sit. “Now spill. Start from the beginning. I want to hear about everything.”
And maybe it’s her persuasiveness, or maybe it’s because talking with Skyler is easy, but it isn’t long before she’s pulled the whole story from me.
I keep some of the personal details to myself—no one else needs to know about Gabriel’s scars or his connection to the king—but it feels good to share with someone who cares.
By the time Gabriel finds us, his arms laden with breakfast, my grin is a permanent fixture on my face and I’m relaxed on the log, chatting with Skyler. She leaves for work, and eventually, Gabriel and I meet up with Soren and Jasper so I can keep working on my magic.
That night, holding hands and leaning against each other, exchanging light kisses and fleeting touches, Gabriel and I return to our cabin. My heart is light, and my soul is singing.
Is this what peace feels like?
The next few weeks pass with relative ease. The days grow longer, the air warms, plants sprout. Children’s laughter accompanies birdsong as the younglings take their lessons outside. Here, everyone is taught how to read and write regardless of gender and station.
During the lengthening days, I spend more time with Soren and Jasper while Gabriel trains with the rebel soldiers.
Thanks to the brothers’ help, my control over my magic is growing stronger every day. I’m able to call it easily, and I’m getting better at shaping it. I’ve filled several more objects with my magic, although I haven’t tried to create anything as ambitious as the net covering the rebel camp.
Today, Jasper and Soren are taking part in the monthly task of replenishing the net’s magic, ensuring we are still hidden from the king, so Gabriel and I are alone.
The Hunter is sitting next to me in our bed, shirtless.
These days, that’s been his regular state when we’re alone, and suns, I am not complaining.
A thin silver chain is hanging around his neck, but the amulet that usually dangles from it is sitting in the center of my palm.
“You’re sure you’re okay with me trying this?” I drag my bottom lip between my teeth, gnawing on it.
The amulet belonged to Gabriel’s grandmother, and from what I can gather from his stories, she was his only family member to ever have shown him any kindness.
I don’t want to accidentally ruin the last gift Gabriel got from her.
When he doesn’t reply, I add, “We could ask Jasper to do it tomorrow; I’m sure he’d be willing to help. He’s more skilled than I am, and he’s definitely had more practice.”
Doubt spirals inside me the more I think about this. I don’t know if I should be the one doing this. Yes, the amulet needs to be refilled since its hum has been steadily growing quieter, but there are others who are more skilled . . .
A hand wraps around mine, closing my fingers around the token.
“Look at me, Wren.” Gabriel’s deep voice sends tremors coursing down my spine.
When he says my name like that, full of power, it’s hard to ignore him. I blow out a long breath and lift my gaze, meeting his. “Yes?”
His thumb sweeps across the back of my hand. “You can do this.”
He sounds so sure.
“But what if I break it?”
He shrugs. “Then it’s broken. This is a piece of my past.” I open my mouth to protest, but before I can say a single word, he silences me with a kiss. “I won’t deny that it’s important to me, but it pales in value when compared to you.”
Heat unfurls inside me. “Really?”
“Absolutely.” He draws me closer, my back resting against his chest, and he wraps his arms around me. He kisses the back of my neck and murmurs, “I believe in you, Birdie.”
I’m not sure whether it’s the conviction in his voice or the way he’s holding me, but before I realize what’s happening, I’m agreeing. Pressing my lips to the Hunter’s, I stand, brush a wrinkle out of my dress, and draw in a deep breath.
Despite my trepidation about working on this specific piece, I am confident in the steps I need to follow.
“First, find your magic and channel your intentions into it,” I mutter, reminding myself of Jasper’s instructions as I pass the amulet to my left hand.
That, at least, isn’t too difficult.
Closing my eyes, I reach within myself to that place where my magic resides. My Mark warms pleasantly as I scoop some magic from my well.
My intentions are simple: protection. I don’t even need to think about any other options.
As much as Gabriel may be obsessed with me, to borrow Skyler’s turn of phrase, I feel the same way about him.
It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, whether it’s walking through camp hand in hand, spending time with our new friends, or coming together in the oldest of ways, because as long as I’m with him, I’m happy.
I never knew it was possible to feel such joy over something as simple as companionship before. I want this amulet to keep my Hunter from danger, and as long as he wears it, it should do just that.
After a moment, I open my eyes. A bright flame containing the expanses of the sky rests in the center of my palm. It’s a foot tall, and sparks flit around it. I can sense my will has been imbued in the magic.
It will not harm, but protect.
“So far, so good,” I murmur.
I catch sight of Gabriel out of the corner of my eye. He’s sitting on the bed, feet planted on the floor and his arms are resting on his knees. His gaze is locked on me, steady and unwavering, and when he notices me looking, he smiles encouragingly. “Keep going; you’re doing great.”
His praise warms something inside me I didn’t know was cold, and I return his smile before refocusing on the flames.
This part has consistently proven to be the most difficult, even with all my practice.
Bringing the flame and amulet together, I concentrate on them, encouraging my will to flow through my magic.
The blue fire is all I see, the crackle of the sparks all I hear.
My whole world is comprised of this singular moment.
Each thud of my heart is a reminder of how important this is.
Every other time I’ve fed my magic into something, it’s been for practice, and there haven’t been any true stakes involved.
But this feels different. I’m holding Gabriel’s amulet, and I’m using my magic for him. I need it to work, because what good is having magic if I can’t use it to safeguard the man I love?
Minutes pass before the top of the flame disappears into the amulet, and it takes several more before all the magic has been absorbed. By the time the task is complete, I feel like I’ve run a race. My chest is tight, and beads of sweat dot my brow, but I did it.
I extend my hand towards Gabriel, the amulet glowing a faint blue in the center of my palm. A steady hum lingers in the air, a sign that the magic is replenished and at full strength.
Gabriel stands and strides towards me, moving with the grace of his profession. Instead of taking the amulet, he bends and captures my lips with his. When he pulls back and rests his forehead against mine, a grin stretches across his face.
“See, Birdie?” he murmurs, his hand curling behind my neck. “I knew you could do it.”
“You were right.” His praise warms me more than a thousand suns ever could. “Thank you for believing in me.”
His free hand snakes around my hip and under my bottom, and he lifts me effortlessly. “When will you learn, Wren?” He starts walking us towards the bed. “I will always believe in you.”
And then, after Gabriel lays me down and takes the amulet from my hand, reattaching it to the chain, he kneels between my legs and shows me exactly how proud he is.