[Completed] Four years after KoA, the entire world is at peace yet the scars from Maeve ran deep. Kidnapped one morning, Fenrys finds him self on a new adventure one that leads to torture and the threat of slavery. Along the way he meets his mate, w...
Nia leaned against the base of the tree, and she took in a deep breath and said, "My mother was human and my father is Fae. But my mother died in childbirth with me, so it's not like I knew her. I also had a sister 10 years older than me, Kora." Fenrys watched her carefully, as the sun fully set and the stars begun to shine. "My sister said that after my mother died, our father became a completely different person. They were mates you see, and once he died he started to drink."
Nia sucked in another breath and went on. "When Kora turned 12, my father basically decided that he had too many mouths to feed. And it wasn't like we were poor, we lived in a small village on the outskirts of Maeve's territory." His eyes narrowed at the mention of the former queen's name, but didn't say anything letting her go on.
"Kora was pretty enough, and she showed signs of having water magic. So my father sold her to a Fae male who was much older than her, in an arranged marriage."
"At 12?" Fenrys asked in shock and horror by the young age.
Nia bobbed her head. "I still saw her after that, they didn't live too far away. But it's not even like she had her cycle at the time. But I don't know much details, I was too young to really comprehend much of what was going on. But sometimes I would catch her healing bruises or cuts on herself. And I'm sure that her husband took her to bed, and gods know what happened then."
"And when my father started talking about selling my hand in marriage.....that's when Kora lost it." Fenrys looked like he was holding back a breath. "Kora and my father would argue about me, and again, I was still too young to really understand what was going on but I knew that I was going to a bride. And it wasn't like my father was a kind person to begin with either, oftentimes it ended with Kora being covered in blood at his hands."
"Your father beat her?" Fenrys asked quietly. The unspoken question there, He beat you?
Nia forced herself to hold back tears, she had never spoken about this with anyone. Was confused on why she was doing this now. But she had a gut feeling that Fenrys wouldn't use this against and that she could trust him. Nia nodded softly and continued, "My father picked someone who had already had a bad history with abuse and rape, when I was ten."
Fenrys froze even further at the young age. Nia went on, "And Kora was livid." Her mate looked as much. "Five days before the wedding, enough was enough, and she took me and ran. We spent a week hiding behind houses, and traveling in the woods, until...."Nia took another deep breath. "Until a group of men saw two young women, and made a move. And Kora fought, she had some magic, not that she had anyone to teach her. But they pressed a knife to my neck, and she stopped. But that was when I found out I had magic, and I think it's called raw magic, or something, because I created a wave of water from a nearby river, and burned off someone's hair. But we were still outnumbered and I had no idea what I was doing."
Her eyes watered and Nia said quietly, "The last thing I remember of that day was seeing them put a knife through Kora in the chaos I caused. I froze up and started screaming. And that's when The Furies showed up. They easily killed the rival gang, and they took one look at the sobbing and screaming me that was staring at Kora's body. And I don't know if they saw something in me or what, because they immediately put an iron bracelet on me and knocked me unconscious."
Nia wiped away her tears, Fenrys's own eyes were silver lined. "I was already so destroyed from Kora's death, that it didn't take much for me to fully break. And I still don't know why they didn't sell me or anything, but they kept me for themselves. And yeah, spent the next 15 years with them, and I'm here now." 15 years of abuse, beatings and whippings. Of them being able to do whatever they wanted to Nia, body and all. Of watching them destroy people and families, and commit sins that should never be repeated. And all though Nia had never taken a life, she still done other things like rub salt on to people's wounds and hurt them.
But even getting that much off her chest, was a relief and helped heal her soul and conscious.
There was just a stunned silence from Fenrys. He opened his mouth, closed it, and then opened it again. "First off, I'm so sorry that you, that anyone, would have to have to go through that. But second off, can I completely blunt as to why they would want to keep you."
"Are you going to say because of how drop dead gorgeous I am," Nia said, with an obnoxious, flirtatious smile.
"Yes."
Nia laughed, and Fenrys asked, "But did you say you have an iron bracelet?"
Nia pushed up one of her sleeves, showing a small triangle tattoo on her wrist. "Their mark of claim on me." She pushed up another sleeve, revealing the tight iron bracelet. "Magic nullifier."
"Want me to take it off?" Fenrys offered, getting up from his spot. "The bracelet, I mean. I can, or someone else, can cover up the tattoo. But I can take off the bracelet, now if you want?"
"But-but, it's iron, how can you--"
He was only smiling softly. "The short answer is that they're called Wyrdmarks, a friend taught me some."
Nia blinked, staring at the offered hand, before handing over her wrist. "I still don't know how to use it or anything."
There was no control when she first discovered it, and she didn't know how deep her well went.
"Then I'll teach you," Fenrys said, but Nia furrowed her brows as he took the knife that she forgot he still was, and cut his wrist. "At least until, we can get you an actual teacher, or at least someone with elemental magic."
"What's your magic made of?" Nia asked, watching Fenrys start to draw something on her wrist with his blood.
"I've been told it's arrogance," Fenrys said with a smile and wink.
Nia laughed, but it was cut short when the iron bracelet fell to the ground, and Nia felt a rush of power come to her. Another part of her seemed to return, and she felt more whole. Where the bracelet was, there was faint scarring from it. The white streaks more noticeable with her dark skin. If her magic healing hadn't been nullified they probably would've never been there.
The cut on Fenrys's wrist was already healed, his ankle and shoulder wound probably the same.
Fenrys leaned himself against the same tree Nia was on looking up at the sky and stars. The bright crescent moon waxing, illuminating Fenrys's bronze skin and golden hair.
Stars. She could see the stars again. The crystals were speckled through the violet-midnight sky.
"Get some sleep," Fenrys said, barely glancing her way. "I can take the first watch."
"You never told me your story--
"Tomorrow," Fenrys said calmly, because there would be a tomorrow with him. "My story is longer anyways."
She glared at him for a hard second and then said, "Fine. But don't let me sleep too long."
He laughed. "Whatever you say, sweetheart."
Nia laid down flat the on the soft grass. Letting her smooth hands the run through the vegetation and in between her fingers. She didn't remember any of the constellations, but she didn't care as she gazed at them, vaguely aware that Fenrys had moved himself against a tree.
The stars lit the sky, a promise of light in the darkness. A cool night breeze brushed over her face and Nia's eyes started to close.
Free. She was free and she wasn't going back.
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