The Wildness Within

Precautions and Progress 2

They both entered Gwyn's room that evening, when it became obvious he wasn't going to leave it. Ash had gone back to the human world and come back with watertight bags of synthetic food – all Augus could smell was plastics and chemicals and he didn't understand the crinkly packets or why Ash seemed so happy about everything he had. Still, Augus didn't criticise, because Ash returned with gold bullion and pearls – most of his investments in the human world were in items that could easily be taken back to the fae world and bartered.

Gwyn didn't take the food from Ash when he entered. He was still crouched in exactly the same space that he'd been in hours before.

Ash looked over at Augus, and Augus shrugged, deciding to sit this one out. Generally, when Ash was in the room, he was far better at getting Gwyn to relax. Augus seemed to be the one who always brought bad news with him.

Ash moved over to Gwyn, crouching beside him, and Augus sat and watched them both, curious at the way Ash was so deft with his glamour.

'Easy,' Ash said. 'Be easy, okay? It's going to be okay. You're doing great, you're doing really well.'

Gwyn said nothing, didn't react.

'I know it's scary,' Ash persisted. 'But you're going to be safe here. Augus has made sure of it. And I know you might not want us to know certain things about you, but-'

'I have put your lives in danger,' Gwyn said, the words stilted, like he still wasn't quite sure of sentences. Ash froze. A moment later he slid his eyes to Augus.

'You weren't joking,' Ash said, and Augus smiled faintly. Ash turned back to Gwyn.

'Okay, no, it's not that simple, Gwyn. Augus was pretty sure when he got you out of that trap, that he was putting his own life in danger. Okay? That's on my brother, and he knows that. We've protected the lake with high-end Magecraft.'

'I should go,' Gwyn said, making no move to leave.

'You're being an idiot,' Augus said, and they both looked over to him. Gwyn looked surprised, and Ash had a look of dismay on his face.

'Augus-'

'No, Ash. Gwyn, what did I tell you earlier? I've just put up a high quality Mage barrier around my territory.'

'You should have told me about your- my cous- the...visitor before- Before.'

'How dreadfully self-serving of you,' Augus said, standing up and sneering. 'As though you haven't been tortured within an inch of your life on a regular basis.'

Gwyn flinched away from the both of them, and then scooted along the wall until he was between a dresser and the corner of the wall itself. Augus stood and advanced upon him, overcome with a strange impulse to prod. Things he knew about Gwyn: he was proud, Court status, he came from a good family but he had no perception of himself as good, and he was – apparently sometimes – intelligent.

Ash stared at him.

'Augus, I think you should-'

'Are you Unseelie?' Augus said, standing next to Ash and folding his arms.

Gwyn stared at him, pupils dilating enough that Augus had his answer. He grimaced.

'Is anyone else at the An Fnwy estate Unseelie?'

Gwyn shook his head after a long hesitation.

An Unseelie fae turned out by Seelie fae. Long-term torture, perhaps they did always plan to kill him. Is he even in the registry? Or did they keep him a secret? And if not, how do they explain him to others?