Page 77 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae

Revna’s hands clenched the sides of the couch and she leaned forward. “What is the world like right now for our kind?”

“It’s not easy.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Kolfinna eased onto the couch, her smile fading. “What do you want to know?”

“What’s your life like? How did you grow up? Were your parents fae? Do you have any family or friends that are fae?”

A pang shot through her chest. She didn’t like to dwell on her family, but Revna had done so much for her, and she was the first fae she had met in a long time.She didn’t even know what to say, where to begin, so for several moments, she said nothing. She simply stared at her hands, mulling over the words she had never spoken. Finally, she started from the beginning.

“My parents were both fae,” she said, the previously unsaid words tumbling out awkwardly. “I had a sister as well. There were only four of us. We lived in the countryside in a cottage but somehow the villagers found out we were fae. I don’t remember all the details because I was only four. I do remember my house catching on fire. I remember my father protecting us … And then I remember running. They killed my parents.” She shivered at the blurry memory. “We ran as far as we could. We kept running and running, and moving farther and farther away from our village. Katla was only three years older than me, but she suddenly had to raise me. It must’ve been difficult for her, but she managed. We just lived like that, running from one place to another. For years.

“But Katla was a dreamer. She wanted more and she wanted to be normal. She wanted to find love, she wanted kids, she wanted freedom. She wanted so many things, but most of all, she wanted both of us to live carefree lives. She wanted to go to school, to make friends, to meet people. She just wanted something normal and stable. A job opened up at a noble’s home and she took it. I didn’t want to take the job. I felt like it was too … personal. We would be living there, and when you live with people, they notice details. They notice that the flowers sway in our direction. Or that the trees seem to shade us. Or that the garden is suddenly thriving. Things like that. I’m sure they did notice.

“Well, a little over a year ago, I wasn’t feeling well. I was feverish for days.” Her throat closed up and she clenched her fists tightly together to keep them from shaking, then sat on them to keep them still. “I was in the courtyard with Katla and she was saying something, but I couldn’t hear it. I just felt hot and uncomfortable. And then … I … I lost control. It had never happened like that.” A sob escaped her throat. “Vines and trees and stones were flying everywhere around me. Katla tried to stop me, but it was too late. Everyone saw. Lord Estur was in the military and he was pretty powerful and he saw too. I don’t remember much after that, but Lord Estur tried to kill me. Katla protected me. She used her power … And she never used her power. She hated it, in fact. She didn’t like being a fae … But she used it because he would kill me … and … and the next thing I knew …” She inhaled sharply, tears rolling down her face. “He was standing there with her … with her head.” She wept into her hands, the memory burned into the back of her mind. “Everything was a blur after that. I killed him and I ran away. I was such a coward. I didn’t even take her body with me. I didn’t think of anything. I don’t remember what happened after that.”

Kolfinna tensed when Revna pulled her into an embrace; it had been years since she had felt the warmth of a hug, and her body struggled falling into it. “You did what you could, dear,” Revna murmured, rubbing her back. Pain colored her tone. “I’m so sorry you went through that. It’s okay to cry. You tried your best.”

Kolfinna’s body went slack and she cried on her shoulder, finally letting out everything she had held in for the past year. Katla’s death, her inability to save her own sister, the guilt hanging over her head—it had haunted her more than Blár ever could.

When her tears dried, Revna patted her hand. “What you experienced was an awakening. When your powers grow into a mature state, they become more powerful and you’re able to use rune magic. It happens during the teen years, usually, but only when you’re skilled. Some people awaken later in life when their magic finally blossoms.”

Kolfinna sniffed. “It came at the wrong time.”

“It would’ve happened at some point or another,” she said, shifting in her seat so she could look over her shoulder at Blár. “When did you meet him?”

A knob of guilt grew in her chest. Was it still necessary to keep lying to her? It felt too awkward to admit to the lie now, so Kolfinna said, “Um, soon after that, actually.”

“I’m surprised you were able to fall in love with a human considering … everything, really,” Revna said, frowning at the Blár’s blanket heap. She clucked her tongue. “Humans have done so much wrong to you, Kolfinna. You’ve lived your whole life running and hiding … and never trusting anyone. So how can you fall in love with one? I couldnevertrust a human.”

“I … I know,” Kolfinna stuttered, but there was something else, a knowledge that had been growing the past few days. “But he’s different.”

“Really?”

“Yeah …”

“He just seems rude and mean,” Revna said with a frown.

“He’s got a great personality,” Kolfinna said with an awkward smile. “And … um, it helps that he’s got a cute face.”

“That’s it?”

“And, and …” She glanced at Blár; he wasn’t as terrible as she had made him out to be in her mind. Yes, he had plagued her nightmares, and yes, he was rude and mean and occasionally crude, but she didn’t have that animosity and fear burning in her chest at the mere thought of him anymore. But what about him could she even say was great? That his insults were actually kind of funny? That he saved her life multiple times and didn’t ask her to repay it? Or that he was just too beautiful.

She grasped onto those feelings.

“He’s … He’s beautiful and kind, and he treats me like I’m … I’m, uh, normal,” she said. “And—” Heat crept up her cheeks. “He’s got a great ass.”

Kolfinna could’ve sworn she saw the heap of blankets move.

Revna blinked rapidly, clearly not expecting that answer, and then burst into a chuckle. “All right, all right. I get it. You both do make a good couple, though. You look nice together.”

“Thanks …” Kolfinna’s face blazed with warmth and she cleared her throat, ready to move on from this topic. “Anyway, how can I help the rest of my party?”

“Ah, ah—” Revna tutted. “First, you’ll have to free me, and then I’ll help you.”

“But there is a way to help them, right?” Kolfinna noticed from her peripheral that Blár had poked his head out of the blanket pile; his hair stuck out in every direction.

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