The Wildness Within

It All Spills Over 1

Augus wiped at flecks of spit clinging to his face after Gwyn roared at him.

To say that trying to tell Gwyn about visiting the Raven Prince was not going well, was something of an understatement. What had first started as the word 'no' repeated mindlessly from Gwyn, had quickly become Gwyn throwing his fist up by his shoulder to signal he was done talking. After Augus continued talking after that, Gwyn had looked betrayed, terrified. When Gwyn turned to leave the room, Ash blocked him, holding up his hands to make him stay.

That was when Gwyn started shaking.

'We can't do this,' Ash said, and Augus glared at Gwyn, his jaw firming.

'We have no choice,' Augus said to Gwyn, his voice hard. 'Do you think I want to take you – a barely functional fae – to the Unseelie Kingdom? No. I don't. I have no choice. And therefore, you don't either.'

After that, Gwyn had used the significant capacity of his lungs to scream his dissent. Any time Augus tried to reason with him after that was met with noise. Augus took it as the slight positive that it was; Gwyn wasn't attacking them, as he'd tried to the first time Augus had captured Gwyn. But if this was where his instincts were taking him, it wouldn't be long before Gwyn tried to attack him or Ash, and Ash was still underfae. His neck could be snapped in an instant.

Augus had the same headache he'd had the first time he'd locked Gwyn up and Gwyn had proceeded to roar his disdain and rage and distress. It pounded in the base of his skull. Gwyn's shoulders were locked tensely. Gwyn had a pattern of roaring for a minute, and then stopping and watching Augus closely. Augus assumed it was to see if his 'convincing argument' had won Augus over.

Reasoning wasn't going to work. Gwyn simply wasn't ready for such an excursion, and this would put him backwards in his progress. The sooner Augus accepted that, the sooner he would do what he had to.

But the idea of binding Gwyn again, after all their forward momentum...

Augus decided to try, one last time. 'We are not going so that you'll be hurt. We are going in order for the Raven Prince to know whom he is protecting. It won't be long, and then we'll be taking you back here. To recover. You can hide in that little corner in your room for days, if you want.'

Augus had no idea if he was telling the truth. No idea if the Raven Prince would claim Gwyn as a resident of the Unseelie Court. But he had no time to deal with his own anxieties, because he was dealing with so many of Gwyn's. And Gwyn was nothing if not able to read the subtle cues and body language of others, after years of needing to know when someone would strike or hurt him. Augus could tell that Gwyn knew he wasn't certain, Gwyn knew Augus was potentially lying.

Gwyn took a deep breath and roared once more, and Augus was two shades short of snapping and doing something he'd regret. His head throbbed.

'Ash,' Augus said, taking a slow, deep breath. 'I want you to wait for us here.'

Ash nodded, frowning. His eyebrows were drawn together. Ash knew what Augus would have to do, and at least he wasn't trying to talk him out of it. It turned out the Raven Prince had sway over everyone, even when he wasn't in the room.

'Do you need any help?' Ash said, and Augus shook his head.

'No. You're underfae. Just stay safe.'

Gwyn snapped into action just as Augus did, bolting as Augus shot waterweed out of his wrists and lashed it around Gwyn's arm and fingers. The waterweed was stronger than it had ever been, and instead of snapping when Gwyn tugged at it, it stretched and held, and Gwyn was brought down to his knees. Augus shot out more and more ropes of the stuff, tangling him up, jaw tight.