Sealed within Kealie Gothalis are the secrets of a magic destined to flood her kingdom.
Trading her Mortality to disguise the heritage her mother fears most, Kealie is gifted with a blessing. She need only do one thing; keep her kingdom in the dark...
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Kealie didn't know when she leapt from the overlook and found herself an even deeper reserve of strength, but within a breath of laying her eyes on the fallen Nerydian, she'd gone sprinting.
Her body threw her forward onto the ground without thought, skidding into the dirt beside him.
Nixian's breathing was labored and heavy, but that didn't stop him from laughing slightly when he looked up at her.
"You made it," he chuckled, blood still running down his chin.
A large bruise was budding on his cheekbone, flooding over into his eye and into his hairline. The scraping was minimal, but there.
Kealie didn't miss the cut on his neck where someone had tried to end his life, deep until it neared the jugular.
She was at a loss for words, scrambling to push him back into a tall sitting position and running a thumb over his cuts.
Adrenaline slammed through her mind, her hands shaking uncontrollably now.
"W-what... why... why?" She stammered.
Nixian swallowed roughly, clearing his throat. "You needed a distraction," he said. "I created one."
Panicking, Kealie glanced between him and the house, aiming to stand and get help.
He grabbed her arm, intercepting her momentum and pulling her back down. "It's okay, I'm okay," he breathed. "I'll be okay, Kealie."
Nixian's panting slowed until he was almost breathing normally. His hands were resting on a left rib, leaving him grimacing more with every breath. Through the soft groans, a quiet snap echoed inside his chest.
He sighed.
"Better now," he said, offering a reassuring smile.
"What do you mean?" Kealie asked, eyes wide. "Your ribs are broken, your face is-"
As she rambled, the bruising began to fade and his cuts knit themselves back together. Nixian looked haggard and exhausted, but alive. No longer on the brink of collapse or death.
Gone.
Healed.
Everything healed.
"I don't understand..." she muttered. "You were... I watched..."
Nixian's brows pulled together and he huffed a laugh. "I'm not human, Kealie. It doesn't take weeks and months to heal because I sealed myself."
She frowned. The term had only been used once or twice around her. Spoken quietly because of her curse.
Not everything was better, some of the deep scarring and bruises only softened.
But better he was getting.
Suddenly Kealie was more aware than ever of the scales on his face and the thin, long tail swaying behind him. She felt how his forest green eyes memorized every gesture, every movement she made. Those big eyes peeking out from beneath the sandy bangs she'd found intriguing, masking so much of who he was.
