19. Belonging #2
Thea motioned for Aaryn to walk ahead, and the doorway revealed a quaint, cute home that was very Thea: a simple bed and wardrobe, a small firestove for warmth and cooking, and an equally small table.
The only thing on its surface was a tin cup with wilting flowers in it.
A screen sat off to the side by the wardrobe for changing.
Aaryn had expected it to feel much like Thea's quarters had, at the castle. Empty and barren. But it didn't. This place was clearly lived in, with a haphazardly-made bed and creased pillows, a stray shirt tossed on the end of it.
Thea was partial to weapons, that much was clear.
Or at least, upon closer inspection, staves.
They lined the wall in all sizes. Some were carved or whittled, or painted and stained artfully.
The remaining wall was covered in what seemed to be art, the lines of dragons and skies and elementary suns scribbled into the paper.
"Do you have… children?" Aaryn asked, managing to keep the incredulous tone out of her voice. How much of a double life had this druid led?
"N-no!" Thea sputtered, and shivered as if threatened. "No," she repeated more calmly. "The drawings are from some of the kids here. We all have our duties, but I lend a hand where I'm needed. Sometimes that's at the school."
"Oh." Aaryn's heart stuttered for a beat at the image of Thea surrounded by small kids drawing dragons, and she cleared her throat, changed direction. "Are you going to add my dagger to your collection?"
Thea sensed the challenge and smirked. "Yeah, why not," she said, and crossed the room to unthread the fabric from the dagger and balance it gently on the wall in an empty space, sheath and all.
Aaryn rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, waiting. "What, is that a wall of weapons you've taken from all the other women you've lied to and brought back here?"
Thea snorted out a laugh. "I'm flattered you think so highly of my abilities." Her gaze snapped to Aaryn, and it became painfully obvious Aaryn was putting on a front. She felt it like a mask that didn't fit. "You're the first."
"Well—" Now she was at a loss. "I'll get that back, eventually," she muttered, and Thea chuckled.
Aaryn hated that she liked the sound of it.
“Unless I teach you to use something better,” Thea taunted.
Thea opened her wardrobe, which Aaryn noticed was filled with more dark-colored clothes. At least that hadn't changed—a piece of normalcy among all this newness. She pulled out a tunic and a pair of trousers, and gathered sandals from the bottom.
"I'll wait outside while you change. Try not to snoop," Thea said, and handed her the pile.
"No promises," she teased, and then caught herself.
Thea was so at ease here, it was proving difficult not to slip into this… new version of the casual camaraderie they'd had before everything had gone wrong. Before Thea had lied, and left her letters, and snuck into her room, and found her at the ball…
“Before you go,” she began. It was going to take ages to get out of this dress, and she was more eager to get back to Starspark than she was embarrassed to ask for assistance. “Will you get my laces?"
Thea cleared her throat, cheeks slightly coloring before a smirk slid onto her lips. "I'd love to."
Aaryn rolled her eyes and tried to pretend like Thea's attitude wasn't so… frustratingly attractive.
Thea stepped closer and Aaryn felt like she was wading through water, the tension was so palpable.
Aaryn turned away from her, keeping her gaze low. "If you can just unlace the first few rows, I can get the rest."
"Of course," Thea said, voice carefully neutral.
Aaryn felt the tug of the string, heard the hiss of it sliding through the eyelet, and her breath caught.
Cautiously, she glanced up and caught sight of them in the mirror across the room. Thea was focused, brow furrowed, and the facade of her smirk was gone, cheeks just as aflame as Aaryn's.
It struck her so endearingly her chest seized, and this moment was so very different than all the ones she'd imagined.
Aaryn used to daydream of Thea unlacing her from her dresses and finding her way beneath them—
She jerked her thoughts away from such a dangerous direction—she couldn't have such forbidden thoughts with the subject of them in the very same room!
Besides, all of those urges had fled the moment she realized Thea had betrayed her and stolen her dragon.
Yeah. Very convincing.
The laces expanded slowly, bit by bit. Thea cursed. "Why are there so many strings? Why would you wear this? Just—" Thea yanked at each side of the corset, which pulled Aaryn off balance as the strings loosened all the way down.
Aaryn found herself breathless, despite her lungs filling deeply for the first time in hours.
"How's that?" Thea asked.
Was Aaryn projecting or did Thea's voice sound… closer, lower?
Warmth scattered through her, and she nodded and breathed out, "Th-that's good. I'll be able to manage the rest, thanks."
"Sure," Thea said, and cleared her throat again.
Aaryn held the loose corset to her chest and turned to see her out.
"Yeah—yes." Thea continued, eyes lowering to Aaryn as she stepped back.
Her bravado was gone, gaze caught on the way Aaryn clutched the corset to her chest, despite the lack of additional skin showing.
"I'll just be—" She hiked her thumb over her shoulder and turned abruptly, scrambling for the knob on the door before she let herself out.
Aaryn's cheeks were hot as the door closed in Thea’s wake. Then she chuckled softly at the ridiculousness of Thea playing brave and suave and cool and then knocking into the frame.
How could she be so terribly endearing after everything she'd done?
The thoughts did not stop spinning as she undressed and redressed, and then even still as she slipped into the shoes Thea had loaned her. The tunic was a bit too large in the shoulders, but the pants fit.
She draped her dress over one of the two kitchen chairs, and the jewels of her hand wrap winked in the low light.
The passing seconds were heavy with the weight of her decision, but the chain felt heavier as she unhooked it, and unwrapped her wrist and fingers.
She stretched them out and felt the emptiness at the back of her hand… and placed the jewels atop her dress.
They belonged on her hand even less than Aaryn belonged in Evergale.
And yet she mourned them, if only because the jewels had matched Starspark's scales. Aaryn had so clearly belonged to him, not Evergale.
She cracked the door open. Thea was turned away, hands held behind her back.
"Alright, I'm ready to get back to Starspark," she announced.
Thea turned, and Aaryn watched her gaze trace her frame not just once, but twice. It lingered on her hand.
"They fit," Thea said, and swallowed. "The clothes look great on you."
"Thanks," Aaryn murmured, shoving her hands into her pockets and followed after Thea as they retraced their steps to the center of the small town.
"Was this all built with magic?"
"Yes. Druids brought the land itself from the earth, and little by little we made it… this."
What did that even mean? Aaryn felt silly for not knowing. "You've been here a long time?"
"Since I was a kid. Before it was this, when the circle was just one isle."
Aaryn turned her shock onto Thea. "You saw all this come about?"
Thea chuckled, and glanced away as she ran a hand through her hair. "There's a lot to learn about us. In time. We can't go giving away all our secrets on the first night."
"I guess I'll have plenty of time to figure it out, hm?" Aaryn asked.
There's no going back.
"Regret it yet?" Thea asked, motioning for her to step into the teleportation circle.
Aaryn bit the inside of her cheek as Thea activated the runes, and the landscape before her shifted, changed in the blink of an eye. So easy, so… magical.
Starspark was waiting for her, close enough that she could find him as soon as they arrived.
"No."
She stepped off the circle without even asking, making her way to him.