Page 69 of Troll Queen

As the early darkness of late fall settled over the bomb range, Essie and Farrendel strolled hand in hand toward the army base and the waiting train that would take them back to Aldon. There, they found Averett pacing and Julien leaning against the wall of the army base’s train station. The entire pack of guards, including Captain Merrick and Iyrinder, waited a few paces away.

As they approached, Averett hurried toward them, his gaze flicking over Essie as if searching for injuries. “We could see the magical explosions even from here. Are you all right? How did it go?”

Essie glanced past Averett toward Julien. “You had to physically restrain him from going to check on us, didn’t you?”

Julien pushed away from the wall. “Yes. I finally convinced him that he would get himself blown up if he stumbled onto the bomb range when you weren’t expecting it.”

“Thank you, Julien.” Essie stretched to give Julien a side hug without letting go of Farrendel’s hand.

“Anytime.” Julien patted her back, then stepped away.

Averett was shifting from foot to foot behind Julien, doing his whole hovering overprotective older brother routine.

Essie grinned and turned to him. “And, yes, Averett. I’m fine, and it went well. See.” She held out her hand and drew on the magic Farrendel had left in the heart bond. Bolts of magic twined around her fingers.

Farrendel held out his free hand as well, sending matching white-blue bolts around his hand and arm.

Averett started, blinking at Essie’s hand. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing that. It’s a good thing you didn’t have magic when we were children. You would have zapped all of us out of existence at one point or another.”

“Edmund definitely wouldn’t have survived. Not with all his teasing.” Julien crossed his arms, as if trying to pretend he was less shocked by his little sister using magic than Averett was.

“You weren’t much better.” Essie cut off the flow of magic, and she could sense as much as see when Farrendel did the same. “Now let’s get back to Aldon before it gets too much later. I think I’m going to regret the fact that we only took the seating car and not the sleeping car as well.”

Farrendel tugged her closer to him as they all started walking toward the train. “You can nap on my shoulder, like you always do.”

“Even if it means I will be wide awake when we get home and will talk a mile a minute while you’re trying to go to sleep?” She patted his chest.

He tugged her closer still, his voice going soft as he gave her a tiny smile. “Even if you end up in one of your nonstop giggling fits.”

Julien gave a soft groan as he stepped up the metal stair into the train. “Now I’m going to regret that we didn’t bring the sleeping car. Please tell me the two of you aren’t going to be all cuddly all the way home. Three hours is a long ride home when we can’t escape.”

Essie smirked as she climbed into the train, still gripping Farrendel’s hand. Farrendel obligingly followed in her footsteps, as if half-hoping her brothers would overlook him in their teasing.

When Farrendel settled onto the end of one of the benches, Essie curled up beside him. After they ate a light supper, Essie took him up on his offer to nap against his shoulder. Despite her brothers sitting across the way, Farrendel put his arm around her shoulders, and Essie found herself smiling against his shirt.

She had missed this. Cuddling with Farrendel. Making her brothers embarrassed. Everything that made life so very good.

As the train rumbled toward Aldon, she let herself doze. Farrendel’s voice rumbled beneath her ear occasionally as he joined in the low murmur of her brothers’ conversation, though Essie didn’t try to stay awake enough to listen.

When they arrived at Winstead Palace, Averett and Julien headed for the palace while Essie and Farrendel, with their escort of guards, walked through the darkness of the gardens until they reached Buckmore Cottage.

“That was a good day.” Essie ran her hand up the smooth handrail as she strode up the stairs. She glanced over her shoulder as she reached the hallway at the top. “We’ll have to schedule another practice session soon. I’m determined to learn to wield your magic.”

“You did very well.” Farrendel’s mouth quirked as he joined her in the hallway, then pushed open the door to their turret bedroom. Moonlight shone through the windows, dappling the floor with patterns from the shadows of the bare tree branches outside.

“Are you sure you’re all right with me using your magic? It must be strange, sharing it like this. It wasn’t something you were expecting would happen.” Essie rubbed her upper arms. She had to be absolutely sure Farrendel was all right sharing his magic. She would never want him to feel like she was just using him.

“My magic has always been too much for one person. Perhaps it was always meant to be shared.” Farrendel reached out and gently held her upper arms, stepping closer. “More than that, when I see you use my magic, it...I cannot hate my magic when you wield it.”

“You should never hate your magic. It is a part of you.” Something about this moment made her feel bold. Essie stood on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek, wrapping her arms around his neck. “I have always loved your magic, just as I have always loved your scars. Because your scars and your magic are a part of you, and I love you. All of you.”

“And I love you. Your red hair.” He cradled her face and kissed the top of her head. “Your freckles.” This time, he kissed her cheek. “Your chatter. All of you.”

Essie was melting from the inside out. If he kept on saying sweet stuff like that, she was going to be an Essie-shaped puddle on the floor by his feet.

He slid his hands to her shoulders, then wrapped his arms around her waist, cradling her close with his hands gentle against her back. “There, in Gror Grar, I promised myself that if I ever was rescued, I would stop holding back with you and love you fully. I have not kept that promise as I should have.”

“You had a lot to sort through. And...” Essie trailed her fingers down his neck to the loose collar of his shirt, tracing the length of one of his scars. As she’d known he would, he flinched, though he did not pull away as he had before. She searched his face. “You’re still flinching.”

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