“Yes,” Aryon said with a sad smile. “And under the circumstances, it might not have been disastrous.”
“But?”
He sighed. “Gael planted false memories and emotional trauma deep into Bryn’s subconscious. When we arrived, he was in a bad way. Half-buried under moss and root snarl, barely coherent.”
“He made him go insane?” she whispered.
“A little. Gael reversed the emotional manipulation, so that part was undone.”
Beth blinked. “Well, that was... nice? Of him?”
Aryon gave her a look. “Won’t get him out of trouble.”
“What kind of trouble?”
“Worst case? His powers could be bound.”
Beth’s stomach dropped, and it must’ve shown on her face, because Aryon reached out to touch her shoulder.
“There will be a process,” he said quickly. “Everyone involved, human and magik, will get to advocate for him. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”
Beth stared past him, numb.
She thought of all the times Gael had been kind, careful, restrained, so deliberate with his magic, with his choices. “It’s hard to think of him as violent.”
“Bryn brought danger to your doorstep,” Aryon said quietly. “There’s nothing Gael wouldn’t do to right that.”
The words hit her deep, and she swallowed.
“Get him home.” Aryon smiled. “You’ve always been like a little sister to us. Now more than ever.”
She hugged him tightly, whispering, “Thank you.”
“DO YOU WANT TO WALKhome?” Beth asked him as they stood outside the pub. “I drove Ann home, so I’ve got the car, but we can walk if you prefer.”
“Driving is fine, thank you.”
He was too tired to walk. Not in the physical sense, but in that soul-deep way that came from holding back too much for too long. The silence of her home beckoned full of relief, and he couldn’t wait to be there. The drive home was quiet. Beth didn’t push him with questions or fill the space with noise. She simply let him exist, and that was a gift that only made him love her more.
Once inside, she gently steered him toward the couch. He let her, sitting without protest. The cushions sank under his weight, the mundane comfort of the room wrapping around him like a balm. Her presence nearby helped settle the wild edge of his thoughts.
“Aryon told me what happened,” she said after a beat. “I hope that’s okay.”
“Of course.” He turned to look at her, gaze steady. “I was never planning on hiding things from you.”
But a shadow passed over his face, and she saw it.
Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What is it?”
He sighed, then reached out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “This, like everything else, will have consequences.”
“Yes, he told me.”
“No,” Gael said, voice a touch sharper now. “Not just for me. I knew what I was doing, and I’m prepared for the consequences, if they come. What I’m talking about is you.”
She blinked. “Me?”
“My people will talk,” he said. “You and I, our relationship, will be dragged into this. How it impacted my reaction. The old ones will not be pleased.”
