Lunara eyed Hedda’s hand, now clenching her own above Fern’s breastbone. “Why?”
“Have you thought this through? Like,reallythought about what happened the last couple times and aren’t just jumping in to do the same dangerous thing?”
“Before the rest of you idiotic arseholes interrupted me, I was most of the way through pushing whatever it is out of her!”
She’d been literally blind with agony, so completely wrecked that her mind had detached itself from her body and she hadn’t even known her own name, but still. Even though she really had no idea what it was or what she’d been doing, it had been working.
Mostly.
Sort of.
“Whatever it iswas violent. Your magic protected Brand, and Araxis shielded the rest of us, but it was still awful. Are you sure we should loose it?”
“There is nowe,Hedda. And it’s that or leave it inside her, which I won’t do.”
Lunara ignored the flicker of hurt on Hedda’s face. Or, at least, she tried to.
Dammit, you’re supposed to be getting out of here as quickly as possible, not solidifying friendships! If that’s even what it is.
Right. Be cold. Leave it all behind. No problem.
It’s fine. You’re fine.
She wasn’t, but it didn’t matter.
The only thing keeping her here was the almost inherent compulsion in all Nachthellians to see their deals through, and she needed her payment. Lunara could never go back to her cottage. Not when Araxis knew what she was and could use Cordelia to find her.
Hopefully, she wouldn’t turn into a bloodthirsty, murderous abomination and kill all of her friends before she could finish and get the fuck away.
“Lunara, please. I’m scared for you.”
Stars and arses, Hedda was going to make it as difficult as possible.
“I already lost one person to this kind of thing,” Lunara admitted. “I’m not losing another.”
It wasn’t quite the same as the chasm’s darkness, and not exactly what had been happening within Meliora, but it was close enough. Personal enough.
Heddadidhave a point though.
You know… If you had Illamiata…
No. No, no, no. Not even fucking going there.
“If you’re willing, we might try something.”
It was hard to even consider, knowing the idea came from time spent withhim.
Hedda’s hand tightened on her own. “Of course. What did you have in mind?”
Her swift acquiescence almost brought Lunara to tears.
Ignore, ignore, ignore.
“The other times, I’ve jumped in and had to be rescued after I was already locked in with the darkness, which hurts you. If I had a tether though, someone to sort of hold on tobeforeI went into Fern’s mind, it might work to keep things under control.”
She’d done something of the sort with Brand when she’d healed Fern’s physical wounds, not that he’d known it. Shite, she’d hardly realized it until after the fact. When they’d… they’d…
Weeping moons, shewasgoing to cry.
