Chapter 13
THE FAIRY QUEEN
His power mixes with hers.
Green and gold weave together in a beautiful web of light and life. The depth of his power steals her breath. Golden flames kindle her fleeting kernel of ability, turning it into a raging inferno. She shapes their joint powers and lets her healing magic flow through Finn.
Brave, daring, and perfect Finn.
The Void's cut to his chest is gruesome. Without his magic, he would've perished in the Deadlands. His wild soul stuck here for eternity. He views his power as a curse, but can he not see its beauty?
The Fairy Queen is careful not to siphon too much of his raw power.
Even as it pairs nicely with hers, she is not strong enough to take much more from him.
As a young fairy, they are taught the cost of magic.
She spent decades learning the balance. Overusing it can have deadly consequences, and she refuses to falter when they are so close to prevailing over the darkness.
If they wish to end the Void, Finn will have to use his magic. The idea unsettles him. She can feel just how abhorrent the idea of using his power is.
His muscles are taut as the light flows from him. He recoils from each golden tendril as if it burns. Queen Arden's heart pangs at the acidic scent of his fear.
He has given her much. Risked his life, made her want things she can never have.
Is she really willing to make him part with his humanity in order to kill the Void?
She has to be. It's the only way.
Golden fire spreads throughout her blood, chasing away the Deadland's lingering chill.
She feels him in a new way. Finn's presence is always near her body, but this is different.
His soul tangles with hers. The rhythmic pounding of his strong heartbeat echoes in her chest. Sweat and sun-drenched skin and the crisp scent of pine coat her tongue.
His magic is in her body, and she's not sure it will ever leave. Even if he does.
The last of the Void's goo slips from his wound and burns away in her palm. Crimson blood seeps from the gash. The Fairy Queen greets it with a brush of her healing magic until it closes, leaving behind a prominent white scar. It makes him look even more handsome.
The Fairy Queen has never seen a male like him.
Her most capable soldiers don’t possess the harsh muscles he does. Finn looks carved from stone. Fainter scars adorn his chest, no doubt from the rough life he's endured. Her eyes dip lower towards the lone trail of golden hair that disappears into the top of his trousers.
She wants to explore the sharp V-shape of his hips. To follow it with her fingers and tongue. To allow him to shed her dress and—
Shaking herself, she cannot afford to be lost to a fantasy that can never be. She made a vow to her betrothed. The promise to never take another had been easy to keep.
Before Finn, nothing had ever intrigued her the way his confident smiles and teasing words do.
No matter how tempting he is, she can't lose herself. At least not until the Void is dealt with. Once things were safe, maybe they could try before he left her forever.
A single flame of his magic flickers along her heart. When the rest of his power begins to recede, that one flame remains. It is a piece of Finn she'll never have to give back. She tucks it into herself, savoring its warmth as golden light ripples through the meadow.
Finn's magic unfurls over the rolling hills.
Goo evaporates into sickly green vapors and eerie screams. The obsidian towers and deadtrees explode under the heat of his golden flames. The raw power eats away at the darkness until life regains dominance.
Brown grass becomes dew-soaked and sparkling. The petrified trees turn dark brown and fledgling leaves sprout from their frail branches. The sounds of birds and small rustling animals echo around them. Fresh air and sweet flowers chase away the stench of death.
There is a limit to Finn's powers. While the immediate area has been restored, the darkness is still too overwhelming. The golden flames flicker at the edges before pulling back.
A protective ring of fire forms, keeping the Deadlands at bay for tonight.
Her breath catches as a burst of golden light flutters towards the night sky. The countless souls trapped in the Void's rot have been freed. Their glowing essence weaves through the trees and soars towards the glimmering stars.
Tears slide thickly down her cheeks. She cannot bring back those that have been lost, but with Finn, she can at least give them peace.
Clutching his hand, she turns back towards the miracle the Spirits sent her.
The fever from his infection is gone, and the scent of death no longer clings to him. His tan skin sparkles. Finn's eyes rival the blue moon for brilliance.
He is so handsome. Brave. She can't help but smile at him and squeeze his hand a bit tighter.
A hidden promise lurks in his gaze.
If things were different…maybe once this is dealt with things can be. He'll have his wish. He could live amongst them for a time before returning to the human world.
Once the Void is slain, the possibilities will be endless.
Reaching out a hand, she trails her fingers over his cheek and traces the strong planes of his jaw. His eyes glow anew as he releases a shuddering breath.
Full lips part, inciting a hunger in her she's never known. It demands that she devour him. To let him consume her in a similar fashion.
She wants him to see her as no male ever has. They haven’t known each other long, and yet her heart knows his.
The Fairy Queen had meant what she said. She doesn't want him to die. The only way to stop the Void and prevent their inevitable deaths is to use his power. With his raw magic still pulsing in her veins, she can help him guide it. Control it.
Without it, the Void will consume them both, and her realm will fall to the rot.
She's already lost her parents—her betrothed. She'll be damned if she lets the Void claim Finn too. Even if he hates her for it, at least he'll be alive. She'd rather risk his ire than watch his beautiful soul fester in the Deadlands.
His kernel of magic flickers against her heart, and her decision is made.
"This is how we defeat it," she whispers, thumb skimming over the rough stubble of his cheek. "Together."