All Things Wild and Beautiful

47. Needs Must

The artwork above is not mine.

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    Nascha blinked her eyes open and sat up with a groan. Bright sunlight streamed through the bedroom window. Her body still ached, and magic writhed within her steadily growing well of power. Nascha drew her knees to her chest and rested her forehead against them.

    She wasn't sure how long her Settling had lasted already. Several days at least. Long enough that her magic was becoming more unpredictable, and she'd woken up in the middle of the night to shove Fenrys out of bed before starlight burst through her skin. So far, she hadn't destroyed anything, but she'd scared Fenrys senseless.

    Nascha inhaled deeply and caught a whiff of Fenrys' scent, though it was faint. Two other scents were fresh in the room. There was Luciana's citrus and lavender scent, and a hint of rich spices, ash, and night air that she'd come to associate with Vaughan.

    As if summoned by her thoughts, Luciana appeared in the bedroom door. "How are you feeling?" She asked, flouncing into the room.

    "Like shit," Nascha replied.

    "I find that water usually helps with that." Luciana offered her a glass filled with ice water. Nascha took it and managed to still her trembling hand before taking a drink. "Just do me a favor and let me know if your magic is about to escape your grasp. I'd rather not be caught in the blast."

    "I'll try to remember that," Nascha laughed weakly. She drank some more, letting the coolness ease the pain in her bones. "Where's Fenrys?"

    "He had to attend another meeting with Aelin, Rowan, and the Lords and Ladies," Vaughan replied, striding into the room. "He asked us to come before he left."

    "Is everything all right?"

    Luciana took the empty glass from Nascha and set it aside. Nascha clenched her jaw as another wave of pain swept through her. Her arms shook and she wrapped them around her knees, hugging herself tightly.

    "They're discussing what to do if you're still Settling when the six months are up. And, the Revolutionists dealt another devastating attack on a refugee village."

    A brief look of anxiety flashed through Luciana's gold eyes. Nascha took her hand and squeezed it, but didn't lift her head. "What's wrong?"

    "Nothing." Luciana tucked blonde hair behind her ear. "Aeron was chosen to help rebuild the village and protect the survivors."

    "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's a capable male."

    "It's not him I'm worried about." Luciana stood abruptly and left the room. "Are you hungry? I can fix something for you." She left the room before Nascha could respond.

    Nascha shot Vaughan a confused look. "Her training isn't going well," he sighed. "She can't seem to grasp the moves. The group she first began training with has already moved onto Kyllian's routine. Aeron has been helping her in his spare time, but they haven't made much progress."

    "And?" Nascha prompted, sensing his hesitation.

    "And there's a few males making things difficult for her because she's Aeron's half sister."

    "Haven't you done something about it?"

    "Of course I have, but I can't step in when it happens while I'm not there."

    "As soon as all of this is over, I'll try to help her," Nascha promised. She bit back a groan and lay down, shuddering with pain.

    Vaughan reached for her, then caught himself. A moment later, he rested his hand on her shoulder. Nascha watched curiously as silver and black flames leaped around his fingers, but left no mark on her body. Cold seeped into her skin, slightly numbing the pain. Nascha breathed a sigh of relief.