Who is Father trying to convince?
“I’mnotsureifI did it right or not.” Viala digs Tharios’s trousers out of the dirt and shakes them off.
He glances her way. “I suppose we won’t know unless someone shows up. I’ve stopped the bleeding, but as soon as I let up on my magic, it starts again. I can’t make sense of it.”
“Unicorn magic,” Viala says as she sets his trousers nearby.
“Active or passive magic? Tell me everything you know.”
“I’m no healer, Tharios. Or unicorn expert.”
He sighs. Of course he knows that. “At least tell me what you’re thinking.”
She rests her hands on his chilled back, and her touch relieves some of the drain on his life magic.
“I’ve heard the bleeding from a unicorn wound is difficult to staunch. It’s why our handlers wear protective magic around wild unicorns. But I know nothing else.”
Tharios glances over his shoulder at Stardust, whose attention is still fixed on Tharios.
“Kiss me,” Tharios whispers. “Maybe that will convince Stardust the danger has passed in case this is something she’s doing on purpose and not an effect of being impaled by a unicorn.”
Viala offers him a simple kiss before pulling away, and Tharios chuckles. “I know you can do better than that, faerie.”
“My magic, Tharios. I don’t know...”
Right. Her magic is free. And he has no intention of binding it now.
“Just think about something disgusting while you kiss me.”
“You mean all this time, we could have been trysting with my magic free if only I’d focused on something disgusting?”
“I detect a note of sarcasm in your voice, my love.”
“Odd that you heard just a note. I thought I composed an entire symphony of sarcasm for you.”
“Are you going to kiss me or not, faerie? I’m a little busy trying to keep this elf alive.”
“If I must.”
Before he can respond, she frames his face and kisses him slowly, and it takes every ounce of focus he can muster to keep his life magic on the wounded elf and not on her.
At least whatever she’s thinking about seems to be keeping her magic contained.
For the most part.
When pebbles and twigs on the forest floor start to float, she yanks away from him and laughs sheepishly as everything crashes back to the ground.
It could have been worse.
Tharios hazards a glance at Stardust, who nibbles disdainfully at the grass before casting a look of long-suffering his way. Blaming Tharios for not bringing fresh oats to fill her belly, probably. At least the kiss seems to have reassured the ridiculous beast.
Tharios turns his attention back to the bleeding. “It’s better, but it’s still not stopping. I think the wound itself is infected with Stardust’s magic. Can you try sending another message? I don’t know how long I can keep himalive like this.” Something occurs to Tharios, and he looks up at Viala. “Try Mother this time. Perhaps the Lothlesi magic in her blood will help.”
“Brilliant.” Viala presses her lips to his again before standing, and his eyes linger on her in his shirt.
“What were you thinking about when you kissed me?” he asks.
“Kissing an old, wrinkly elf. It didn’t work very well, though. I fear I’ll always want you, even when your jowls hang to your shoulders and other parts of you dangle to your knees.”
