Marcus sat up straighter, a mix of trepidation and excitement bubbling within him as Evie spoke. Her enthusiasm was infectious, and he couldn't help but feel a spark of hope ignite in his chest. "I can," he echoed softly, his voice barely above a whisper, a shy smile creeping onto his face. The warmth of her magic still lingered in his veins, a seal of the connection they had just shared.
As she scraped her thumb across her hand, Marcus's heart raced. The vivid red mark was a clear signal that the stakes were real. "You want me to do it again?" he asked, his nerves momentarily forgotten in the face of her encouragement. The way she explained healing magic made it feel more tangible, less like an abstract concept he had to grasp. Swallowing, he focused on her hand. "Okay," he said, inhaling deeply to steady himself. With a sense of purpose, he extended his hand toward her, feeling the thread of his magic begin to weave between them.
As he concentrated, he felt the connection deepen, excitement coursing through him. He wanted to help her, to offer something back for what she had given him. With a tentative but determined push, he directed his energy toward her hand, his eyes fixed on the target, and his grin broadened to wrinkle the corners of his eyes as hew skin came back together, leaving only the tiniest, thin pink line.
For hours the two of them went back and forth like this. Evie coached and taught and explained. Then she made cuts in her own skin, letting Marcus heal them, and gave him her own healing afterwards. It wasn't until Marcus was yawning and nearly falling asleep before the Warden and the hearth's embers that they finally stopped. Noah was home, then, and spent his time watching them at the kitchen table, before finally seeing Evie out and giving her his deepest gratitude.
FIN
As she scraped her thumb across her hand, Marcus's heart raced. The vivid red mark was a clear signal that the stakes were real. "You want me to do it again?" he asked, his nerves momentarily forgotten in the face of her encouragement. The way she explained healing magic made it feel more tangible, less like an abstract concept he had to grasp. Swallowing, he focused on her hand. "Okay," he said, inhaling deeply to steady himself. With a sense of purpose, he extended his hand toward her, feeling the thread of his magic begin to weave between them.
As he concentrated, he felt the connection deepen, excitement coursing through him. He wanted to help her, to offer something back for what she had given him. With a tentative but determined push, he directed his energy toward her hand, his eyes fixed on the target, and his grin broadened to wrinkle the corners of his eyes as hew skin came back together, leaving only the tiniest, thin pink line.
For hours the two of them went back and forth like this. Evie coached and taught and explained. Then she made cuts in her own skin, letting Marcus heal them, and gave him her own healing afterwards. It wasn't until Marcus was yawning and nearly falling asleep before the Warden and the hearth's embers that they finally stopped. Noah was home, then, and spent his time watching them at the kitchen table, before finally seeing Evie out and giving her his deepest gratitude.
FIN
Marcus
Can you hear my heartbeat?
