by Holly Evans
Quin laughed and the tension dissipated when she sat down. "I have had many words with my lady as of late. She assures me that these complications aren't without some benefit somewhere." She shifted her weight. "The demon is being hidden by someone, so we can't do anything about that at the present. The witches' untimely death was inconvenient, but such is the way of things. We need to take this moment to pause, regroup, and heal. This war is not done yet."
I didn't like how that sounded.
"We'll find new a new flat; I found a few that look as though they have potential if you'd like to look at the specs." She looked at me.
My stomach churned. I wanted my old home.
I smiled. "That'd be great, thanks."
Lysander refused to leave my side, and in truth, I was happiest with him there. After everything over the past few days and with the demon loose, somewhere, I enjoyed the contact with him. Quin and Kadrix joined us when we returned to our old flat and we packed up everything we wanted to keep: the rest of our clothes, some hidden bits Quin had. There wasn't all that much, really, and I wasn't sure how I felt about that.
Elise had arranged some viewings around the city for the rest of the day; Quin made his excuses and said he trusted Lysander and I to be good judges. In truth, I suspected that he'd be spending more time at Kadrix's flat than ours. I missed the days when we shared everything; he was my twin, but he had to do what was best for him. Lysander kissed my temple and held me close as we walked away from our flat for the last time. The clean-up crew would make it presentable; the rest was dealt with.
The rest of the day was devoted to travelling around the city looking at what felt like hundreds of flats. We were ready to give up for the day when we walked into the last flat of the day. It was perfect. Light flooded in through large windows, the entire flat was spacious and airy. I grinned at Lysander before Elise arranged for the paperwork to be signed the following morning. We had a chance at a fresh start.
I walked into Kadrix's workshop in a fantastic mood; there was a bounce to my step and a grin on my face.
It evaporated when Quin waved his hands, snarled, "I'm fucking tired of being a pawn,” and jars around him exploded.
The room went silent, save for the quiet tinkling of shards of glass settling on the benches, books, and floor. All colour left Quin's face as he looked around. Powder filled the air, gloop clung to the edge of shelves and splatted from the ceiling.
"Did I...?"
Kadrix held him close and gave him a small smile. "It seems that your skills are evolving, but we do need to tidy up this mess before something else explodes."
As if on cue some of the purple gloop mixed with the small balls of electric blue on a bench and promptly emitted a puff of green smoke before it all caught fire. Kadrix ran and waved his hands, using elven magic to put out the fire. Quin stood wide-eyed looked around him.
"So... we found a new flat,” I said tentatively.
Kadrix shot me a dark look. I shrugged.
I didn’t dare get involved in the cleanup process; I had no idea what the powders and such were, nor did I have any intention of finding out. Quin muttered and grumbled under his breath as he scrubbed at old books and tossed bowls and such in a large sink. Kadrix worked around him as quickly as possible; his presence didn't seem to relax Quin quite as much as it usually did. I glared at the elf. If he'd hurt my twin, I'd castrate him. Lysander nuzzled my neck and growl-purred when I tensed, the possibilities of Kadrix's betrayal growing in my mind. Once the workshop was clean again, Quin approached with a half-hearted grin.
"You said we have a new flat?"
The rush of excitement filled me once more. "We do! Oh it's wonderful, it's so spacious, and airy, it's in Florenc, too."
The grin spread on Quin's mouth, but didn't reach his eyes; his hands remained tucked in his pockets.
"So... since when do you make jars and stuff explode?"
He gave a little shrug. "I guess I've been all sorts of new things recently. Alchemy has become like second nature to me, and there are a few old languages I started speaking with little to no training."
His eyes refused to meet mine. Kadrix cleared his throat but remained on the other side of the room.
I shot the elf a dark look. "What did you do to my brother?"
His mouth fell open, but he closed it again without saying anything.
Quin gave another small shrug. "We were experimenting with a potion to bring out natural magical talent."
I narrowed my eyes at him. "That isn't what I meant, and you know it, but don't think we won't discuss that later."
The corner of his mouth quirked upwards. "Elves don't... they aren't monogamous."
Lysander snarled at Kadrix over my shoulder.
Kadrix huffed. “Don't snarl at me. Your kind own multiple slaves with no rights. You of all creatures should understand other forms of romantic entanglements and arrangements. I was under the impression that Quin knew elves weren’t familiar with monogamy."
I went to punch the elf. Quin put himself between me and Kadrix.
"I'll deal with it, Evie. It's ok. It's a misunderstanding that we need to talk through."
I looked around Quin to give the traitorous elf the darkest glare I could muster.
"Haven't you wondered what's odd about us, Evie?" He dragged his fingers through his hair, his eyes still fixed on the floor. Kadrix dared to walk a little closer. "I mean, you shouldn't have been able to collar Lys, and then there's my alchemy. We're not... normal."
"We're perfectly normal, you've just been drinking elven fucking potions,” I retorted.
"You don't really believe that,” he said softly.
"There is nothing wrong with me,” I growled.
I didn't like the path the conversation had taken. It was bad enough hearing the elf had cheated on Quin.
"The celestials hinted at us being... odd."
"They were being assholes,” I snapped.
"There is something unusual about you both,” Kadrix said.
"I've enough from you, elf,” I growled.
"Evie. Enough. He is still my boyfriend."
I glared at them both. I didn't like what had happened to Quin since he'd been wrapped up with the elf; perhaps it was time to start looking for another alchemist.
Kadrix came up next to Quin and brushed his lips over his temple. I couldn't ignore the soft light of adoration that shone in the elf's eyes.
"We need to see where your magic has come from and control it,” Kadrix said.
Quin simply nodded. "I'm tired. We'll do it tomorrow."
I missed my bubbly twin; he used to always have a smile on his face. Guilt squirmed within me. I should have seen how worn down he'd become with everything that had happened. Lysander held me close to him, his breath warm on my skin. I stroked the back of his hand. Quin gave Kadrix a quick kiss before he picked up his satchel and gestured to the door.
"Shall we?"
He followed us out onto the street, without Kadrix. I ground my teeth together and tried to think calming thoughts. It was a misunderstanding, they would fix things, and Quin would be happy again. We all needed a good night’s sleep. Nothing more.
Elise and Quin consoled each other over ice-cream. I missed them both. When I tried to join in the conversation, I didn't quite fit anymore. They were complaining about the single life, laughing over the elf's misunderstanding. There was no room for me, with my happiness and my devoted hound. I slunk off to bed with Lysander and curled up in his arms. I was in no mood for anything more adventurous than a tender kiss; Quin's words stuck in my mind, taunting me. There was something weird about us. I'd been hiding from it, denying it, but that could only last so long. Squeezing my eyes shut, I gave myself one more night of thinking that I was just another fully human hunter.
I woke up firmly entangled in Lysander's arms, his legs woven around mine. My dreams hadn't been particularly pleasant, but I had a plan. Moping wasn't in my nature. I was going to tackle the situat
ion I'd found myself in head on. Everyone was magical. Elise, now Quin, everyone. They were pushing me out; whether consciously or not didn't matter, the fact of the matter was I was being pushed out. The only way to change that was to embrace the magic I'd found in myself. Lysander's hand trailed down my stomach; I wriggled against him, but focused on my plan for the day.
Taking a deep breath, I sat up and said, "I want to control my fire."
His hands moved over my back and then up over my stomach; he nibbled up my neck and whispered, "Fire comes from passion and strong emotions."
A shiver ran down my spine. Footsteps echoed in the hall just outside the door. He slumped against me.
I laughed softly. "We'll be in our new flat tonight."
He gently ran his nails up my thighs and growled, "I look forward to claiming the new territory."
The temptation to practice said territory claiming grew, but voices came from outside the door. I stood and stretched.
"The world is changing around me; I refuse to be left behind. I'm going to control my fire and embrace whatever the fuck I am."
I turned to see him grinning at me, entirely naked. How I wanted to explore every inch of his toned body in every conceivable way. His eyes danced with promises as he stood and pulled me tight to him, his lips pressed to mine. The knock came at the door.
Lysander stepped back with a growl and pulled on some boxers; I stole one of his shirts and put it on quickly.
Elise looked a little sheepish. "The landlord just rang, he decided to show up early with the paperwork."
I groaned. "Alright, give us a minute."
We dressed quickly and threw our belongings in our bags. The frustration at having been interrupted was overwhelmed by the excitement of moving into the new flat. Quin joined us to come and see his new home, although I doubted he'd be spending much time there. He was a little more himself; his eyes smiled with his mouth, and his muscles were more relaxed.
The agent had the nerve to glare at us when we arrived. I raised an eyebrow and held back the sarcastic comment. They had changed the time at the last second, and they were fortunate that we'd agreed to show up early. I couldn't help but feel that her commission was extortionate, a month's rent for showing us to one flat. Still, I kept my comments to myself and signed the paperwork. The landlord was an older man who spoke little English. He refused to stay still and clearly had other places to be. He and the agent made polite noises before they left, leaving us in our new home. I released the breath I hadn't realised I'd been holding.
"The attitude from her!" I said to no one in particular.
Quin laughed and stood looking around the living room. "You did well here, Evie."
I pulled Lysander up from the sofa and danced around the big open space with him. It was our new home, and it was wonderful. Quin took the bedroom closer to the bathroom; the rooms were practically identical, so I wasn't too concerned. I focused on choosing where to put the varying weapons that we kept close on hand.
After an hour of discussing the placement of blades and alchemical protections, Quin said, "We're going to try an open relationship. Elves aren't monogamous, I don't want to force him into something that goes against his nature."
I narrowed my eyes. "An open relationship is against yours."
He shrugged. “And if it doesn't work, then we'll figure it out."
I hugged him tight. "Your happiness is important to me."
"He is my happiness. We just have to work through some stuff, is all."
I nodded and let him go and have his talk. I wasn't happy about his decision, but it was his to make.
Lysander nibbled my earlobe. "The territory needs claiming."
I laughed. "It also needs to have our stuff in it, and I need to learn to control my fire."
He gave me a sinful smile. I ran my nails down his chest and abs.
"We'll have all night to claim this flat."
"Do you think that'll be long enough?" he said, his lips almost touching mine.
"We'll have to see, won't we?" I kissed him fiercely.
I wasn't going to get anything done with him around, and I found I wasn't too concerned.
The few boxes that held our belongings were pressed against the far wall of the living room, tucked up next to the large sofa. I was sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room floor glaring at my up-turned hands, trying to figure out why I couldn't form fire. I'd done it before, why couldn't I do it on command? What was wrong with me?
Lysander sat in front of me, his legs tucked next to him. "Breathe, Evelyn, these things take time."
I took a long deep breath and tried to relax. I knew it wouldn't be something I mastered in an hour, but I hadn't even formed a tiny flame in the hours we'd been there. The sun was sinking below the red rooves, and I still didn't have any fire. The last times that I'd made any real progress, lives had been in danger; I wasn't willing to do that just to try and control the absurd magic I'd been landed with. Quin had at least been given alchemy that seemed to be useful; he could explode jars, and there I was with nothing.
Lysander ran his hands over mine. "Focus, Evelyn. You have a lot of anger, focus it. Form it into a small ball in your chest, then channel that through your hands."
I went to argue with him, to tell him that I didn't have a lot of anger, but he was right. And I hated that. When had I become so closed and bitter? I took another deep breath and bundled up all of my anger into a tight little ball in my mind. I allowed the images of Kadrix hurting Quin to flit through my mind, quickly chased by the smirks of the celestials, the hellmouth, before they settled on the wreckage of my home. The witches would pay.
"Channel it, Evelyn."
It sounded so stupid, pushing the ball down my arms into my hands, but I tried. Warmth spread over my skin; I tried not to laugh giddily. It was foolish.
"Focus, Evelyn."
I formed the image of the witches once more, pushing the ball down my arms. I visualised a black ball swirling with anger, one in the palm of each hand.
"Well done, Evelyn."
Slowly I opened my eyes and laughed with glee. I'd done it. Small yellow fired danced in the palms of my hands. They sputtered and died when happiness filled me, but I'd done it.
I threw my arms around Lysander. "Thank you."
"It's not such a bad thing being an abomination, a magic wielding beast, is it?"
I bit his bottom lip. "It has its upsides."
His hands slid under my shirt. "The sun has set,” he whispered before he kissed down my throat.
He pulled my shirt over my head and slowly kissed down my ribs and over my stomach while his hands made quick work of my jeans.
"No more interruptions,” he whispered.
Oh, how he teased me. It felt like I lay on the warm wood for hours as he took me to the edge of pleasure, keeping me at the very precipice. He had no right to be that talented with his tongue, and his fingers were something else entirely. The moment I had my chance I took control; his clothes had long since been removed, leaving nothing in the way of my goal. I pinned him down and scratched down his chest, bringing out that purring growl that sent shivers down my spine. Any patience I may have had to explore and tease him had evaporated. I straddled him and took what I'd so desperately wanted.
We thoroughly claimed our territory, all through the night and firmly into the morning. We were sprawled on the bed, a relaxed heap of exhausted tingling nerves and bliss when my phone rang. Elise giggled at me and insisted that I let my poor hound rest and recover while I went and had lunch with her. I wondered whether I should bother putting concealer on the love bites down my neck and over my shoulders. The idea was quickly dismissed; why should I hide what I had? Lysander was equally as covered, his back criss-crossed with scratches. Oh, how he'd earnt them.
We went our separate ways with a hard kiss. Lysander said he was going for a run along the river. Everything was returning to where it was supposed to be. The city was calm, our group was coming
back together. I gave a quiet thanks to the moon goddess.
Elise and I giggled like schoolgirls. We talked in hushed tones about the men we'd enjoyed the night before; I carefully tried to avoid the topic of longer-term relationships. She pined after her one, after something more than a night of fun.
I chewed on my bottom lip. "Did you know elves aren't monogamous?"
She wrinkled her nose. "I did. Quin's handling it really well, though; Kadrix is very fond of him."
"I suppose I can't comment, given my choice in men."
She smirked at me. "You've done quite well for yourself."
She looked pointedly at my neck. I giggled again. For a short time, I had the normal life I'd craved for so long. The most serious topic we touched on was Quin and Kadrix, and even that evaporated quickly. It felt strange, some part of me craving something more. I pushed it aside in favour of something easier, more comfortable. Once we were out of the café and somewhere a little more private, I excitedly told Elise about my progress with my fire.
"Oh, Evie, I'm so happy for you! I don't know why you have it, but I'm so glad to see you coming out of your shell. I was worried about you for a while. You were this little island all by yourself."
I frowned. "Was I that bad?"
"I was your only friend and you refused to get laid,” she said with a laugh.
I shoved my hands down into my jeans. "I don't know what I am."
She put her arm around my shoulders. "Does it really matter? You're finally realising the world isn't black and white, that's a wonderful thing."
I huffed. "I suppose I do have Lysander."
She laughed. "I haven't seen you this happy since we were little girls."
I froze.
Absolute, pure terror filled me. My heart stopped beating. The world stopped turning.
"Evie! Evie, talk to me."
"Lysander." I snapped to. I had to save him. "Call Quin. Get everyone. The demon found my hound."
I ran. The city blurred around me. I had to get to him. Elise was close at my side as we tore through parks and emerged by the river. I could feel him. His pounding heart. His adrenaline. I'd made a promise, and I wasn't about to break it.
