Page 80 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae

“Well, for one, I don’t have time for that. Those losers really spend their free time killing innocent people? That’s not my thing. Secondly, I don’t like that shitbag Hilda Helgadottir, so the thought of her ordering me around would piss me off. Thirdly, I don’t agree with them morally. And so much more.”

Kolfinna crouched below Blár’s window where ribbons of runes spiraled beneath it. “You … you don’t hate fae?”

“No.”

“Why?” Her hand hovered over a rune, but she couldn’t focus enough to break it, and instead peered up at him.

“You’re all just … people.” He shrugged. “People with weird power, sure. But just people.”

“Many humans don’t agree with you.”

“I know. But I used to know a fae when I was younger, and it really just made me see that the fae are just … people.”

That was even stranger—why would a fae reveal themselves? Or did something happen for Blár to find out the person was a fae?

Blár must’ve seen the questions on her face because he said, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it later.”

“Ah, okay …” Taking the hint that he didn’t want to talk about it, she asked instead, “So … um, what’s your take on the Royal Guards? Do you think they’ll use me and toss me?”

“Of course. That’s what they all do,” he said. “But you’ll be in better hands than if you joined the military. Fenris isn’t a bad guy. He’s annoying, but he’s not a bad guy. He’ll take care of you. But you have to keep in mind you’ll be under the king, and the king is like every fat political bastard. He’s a greedy, miserable shit. So be careful not to get noticed by him.”

“I think that’s hard to do.” Kolfinna’s hand hovered over the golden inscriptions below the windowsill. The air buzzed with her mana as she made the runes disappear before she waved at her body with her free hand. “I mean, look at me.”

Blár peered down at her with intensely blue eyes, his brows pulled together. “What do you mean? You can blend in even if you’re chubby.”

“W-What? What does that have to do with anything?” The shock sent her stumbling onto her bottom and she looked up at him with wide eyes. Her face tingled as the blood rushed to her ears. She didn’t mean itthatway! “I mean, like, look at me—I’m a fae!” she sputtered, pushing herself onto her knees, the hot sand grinding beneath her movements. “Obviously, I stick out like a sore thumb. And, I mean, my eyes, Blár—they’re pink! There’s no way he won’t notice me.”

His eyes widened with realization, and then his face slowly flushed red. “Oh. Oh, uh, well, it seems I misinterpreted.” He cleared his throat, then rubbed the nape of his neck. “I thought you meant like you didn’t fit in with the other Royal Guards because you’re …”

She covered her face with her hands, suddenly feeling like the double suns were starting to burn her. She didn’t know what was more awkward: Blár commenting about her body or that he noticed she didn’t belong. “Ugh, let’s just drop this!”

Kolfinna straightened and moved to another part of the house, turning so he couldn’t see her red face.

“I don’t mean that you look bad. I mean it, you look great.” Blár jumped off the windowsill and stepped toward her until he was inches away. He gently placed a hand on the crook of her arm. “Look, I didn’t mean to, uh, comment on your body. I know that can be a sensitive topic …”

“Blár, just drop it.”

“You have a nice figure.”He dropped his hand. Wind tousled his hair and the sun continued to redden his skin. “Kolfinna, I’m serious—”

“I get it, I get it!” A sudden burst of wind raged over them and made her clothes cling to her even more tightly. She pushed back her hair with one hand and pressed the other over a string of runes. “I’m not fit like the others. I get it. Let’s just move on from that—”

“Hey, it’s nothing to feel bad about—”

“It’s everything to feel bad about.” She overpowered a rune with her mana, watching as it perished. She didn’t need another reason to feel out of place, but now she was even more self-conscious. “The training will help me slim down,” she reasoned more to herself than Blár. “So it’s not like I feel bad—”

“Stop, stop.” He blew out air and leaned against the house. “Man, I feel like the biggest asshole right now. Look, I don’t think you look bad. I shouldn’t have said anything about your body or called you that. I’m sorry. Your body type is fine the way it is.”

Between the glare of the suns and Blár’s stammering, she needed more time to get over the embarrassment, but she nodded anyway. “Thanks, I guess.”

“If it makes you feel any better, your body type is my type.”

“You’re not chubby. Or big.” She raised an eyebrow and glanced at his muscular physique. Even with his thick uniform, she could make out the strong planes of his chest and the fullness of his biceps.

“That’s not the type I meant,” he said with a smirk.

Her mouth dropped open in mortification as the words hit her. He didn’t mean that his body type was the same body type she had. Her face grew hotter and now she was the one stammering. “I didn’t need to hear that, but thanks. A-Anyway, I have to get back to work.”

Blár motioned for her to continue and perched himself back on the windowsill. He tipped his head back to stare at the sky while Kolfinna broke another jumble of runes, her face steaming from embarrassment. That was the weirdest conversation she’d ever had with him, but it didn’t make her feel bad like she thought it would. And she couldn’t shake the feeling that he was glancing at her from time to time. She didn’t dare look.

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