CW:

Raska POV followed by Awnya POV! AHHH!! Panic at waking up in arms of someone who assaulted you with fire. Feeling burn scars. Talk of a difficult birthing and hints at miscarriages. Realizations about a Big cunt and the children she impregnated someone without their consent or knowledge. Worry about abusive parenting.

Hmmm… normally the ocean brings in like… a ton of salty flavors to taste on the air but… nope. None.

Just the sooty smell of cinders she always smells like.

Tastes like.

I feel the grin touch my lips as I pull this Everflame close.

We must have gone back to Raska’s home, left Wren and the others behind which means…

I get her all to myself.

Reach up, lips looking for her collarbone so I can nibble and see if she wants to–

The motion drags my left side across the sheets, and in a flash of horrid memory and twisting Naranggas and overwhelming warmth I remember.

N– no. No no no no no. She’ll KILL ME if I COME BACK!!!

Then, before I even think about it I'm trying to scream a Reaver’s Riftwalk to… to get away! Back to Theradas and my Dark Goddess but… but nothing happens and someone's shouting and… and I’m launching myself back and my Jellyfish and Fuzzy Fae are hissing and… and…

“Hey. Girl I…” Comes her tired and surprised rasp. “It’s…”

But… but I…

I’m across the room, huddled against a bookshelf, Sea-bed, fuzzy spirit, and Jellyfish curled and nuzzling close. Radiating wordless songs of comfort and peace and worry as I press my everything against a wall.

The Everflame’s sliding off the big bed, moving slowly and with such a look of fear and anxiety and pain that… that…

Wait. We’re in Tretion’s room. Awnya’s room. My room. Here in the manor?

New memories wibble to match up with old. Stilling heart and panic. And… and…

She came to bed with us? When? I… I don’t remember going back to… to…

“Tr– tr–” I try to whisper.

“Stepped out to get breakfast with Awnya.” She answers, then takes a step back. “I… I’m sorry. I… this was such a bad idea. I’ll go if you want me t–”

But before she can finish I’m scrabbling to my feet and dashing to slam into her. Pulling her into such a hug that sets her tumbling down onto her butt. Leaving me clinging to her chest to just…

Weep.

Trying to weave in my… my apologies and thanks and… and love.

How much I missed her.

How sorry I am for ruining what we had before and what she was giving me now and… and begging for her to not chase me away again.

“Hey. No it’s…” Raska envelopes me as my Naranggas carefully weave to cuddle her warm soul. “You’re fine. You’re okay. Should have expected something like that. Fuck. I'm so sorry!”

Wait. How is my soul holding hers without getting burned? Is… is that okay? Did… are… is she…

I try to muddle out words of worry. Questions tittering out carefully.

She chuckles. “Yeah. Caught me off guard last night. Never had anyone that could touch my Blaze and not get burned. It’s…”

Let myself just… whimper another question without words.

“Course.” She squeezes me, seeming to at least understand the shape of my mess, and her soul thrums in harmonic enjoyment. “It’s… honestly it's one of the only things all of us can agree on. You give wonderful soul hugs. Thank you.”

I nuzzle her tighter, enjoy feeling all of her or… or them? Yeah. All of this Everflame blaze their enjoyment.

“But… are you okay?” She finally whispers as her own worry bubbles up. “You… Lyra, you were so scared I… I can… Tretion and Awnya should be back any second but… but we can go find them or…”

I cling tighter, finally able to whisper out a forced word. “N– n– n– no.”

“You sure?”

I murmur softly and nuzzle deeper into her. “Th– they oke. T– tr– trust. Y– you. M– manor w– would k– keep you s– safe.”

“I…” She huffs and I can’t help but giggle at her surprise at my words.

That helps. Feeling like the scary one between us. Like… sure if she got mad I’d probably let her hurt me but… honestly, she should be worried about me accidentally hurting her!

Especially now.

Worse… worse she can do is burn more stupid flesh.

We sit like that for what feels like an eternity, and… eventually I let her pull us back toward the bed. Once we’re crawled and huddled back like before Raska clarifies. “Not… not for anything but… like… skinship.”

Can’t help but worry over that. Is… I mean… she doesn’t like Fae so of course the idea of sex isn’t something she wants. Just… um…

But she tilts her head and smirks as she sees my worry bubble. “Not… Lyra you… it’s not anything to do with you not being gorgeous and amazing.” Raska pauses and takes a deep breath, then lets it out in a huff. “Okay well it kinda does but not because I don’t want that. I just… I’m trying to be better. Because… finding people like me always set my head to spinning and that might have made my girls feel like they owed me things. Which I never meant to do, and I always tried to ask but… It worries me.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“Huh?” I reply, confused.

“I just… want to make sure. Especially with you. Don’t want you to feel like…” She trails off.

“N– n– never did.” I whisper, looking up to gently touch her cheek. “A– al– all– ways– asked. Sw– sweet. I n– needed. W– w– wanted.”

She calms a bit. “That… You sure? Never?”

I shake my head with a little giggle at the memories, then nuzzle closer. “N– never. Alllw– w– ways a– amazing. W- warm and s- s- soft.”

She huffs out a chuckle and pulls me tighter. “Same. You… The others couldn’t ever really stand even a spark of my Amwella touchin’ theirs. Only Wren can a but… she’s special. And it's not the same.”

“Mhm.” I murmur back. “All of y– you m– much sp– sp– spec– cial.”

She wiggles back a bit to fix me with a look, soul wibbling about within my Sea-Bed’s embrace with such a clear thought.

So are you.

I huff and feel my cheeks heat up as I look away. “N– not.”

“Do I really need to list out all the ways you're amazing, girl?”

I nuzzle back into her, hiding face and shaking my head. Too much of this Everflame pulsing in agreement and furious dedication to those words.

“Because I will.” She cackles.

I growl messy warnings into her chest and squeeze tighter with a few of my tendrils, and she only laughs more before settling. Letting us fall into a quiet comfortable silence. Eventually I fall asleep again. More easily remembering where I am and why I’m safe and… and how from what I’m feeling from Raska is just…

Careful Love.

For the mess that is me.

** ** **

“This changes everything.” My Beloved very nearly growls.

I wince and nudge her. “Was wondering when you’d want to talk about that. You… I assume this doesn’t like… Change how you feel about them?”

“No, of course not.” Tretion almost snaps. Honestly seeming a bit annoyed that I'd even need to ask.

I reach out to take her hand, lean over to rest my head on her shoulder and give those writhing tendrils something to squeeze at. “Didn’t think so, buuuut… it’s okay to be dealing with a mangled mess of emotions over it. Wanted to let you work through it.”

Lyra’s resting happily in Raska’s arms again while we’ve decided to settle in a back hallway with the soft breakfast we stepped out to fetch, and despite the little scare the Manor assured us no one was hurt when Lyra woke up and panicked. That… that our girl practically rushed back into that Everflame’s embrace and cuddled her tighter than ever before.

Safe, and… and healing with another girl she loves so much. Finally. I was worried when Tretion had to lift the oaths that we were pushing it faster than she was ready for but… Dreamer’s Tits, was it nice to watch Lyra’s fear and pain begin to give way to fierce love and longing. We'd still like to see her vent the anger she deserves to feel... but maybe she doesn't need to direct that at Raska. At least not yet?

“I feel a fool, a complete dullard for not seeing that.” My Watcher continues. “It all just… was right there. For me to puzzle out. And I was too distracted by our Beloved’s scars and healing and wonderfully soft children to see it. Didn’t ask enough questions or take her words with the weight they deserved when she spoke of them.”

And... then there is this. We'd avoided talking about it till just now. Sitting with the untouched meal.

How those Jellyfish are, somehow, Thendra's children.

A nervous sigh escapes me. “I eh… am still bouncing between disbelief and fear myself, and Lyra's magic’s always been oddly tuned. If either of us should have puzzled this mess out before, it was me.”

Fae words of such… wretched nature, giving birth to a ravenously soft and kind little bundle of soul children. But... also tied to that horrid big cunt of a Reaver?

“But what does this change, exactly?” I murmur after quite a few moments of silence.

“Lyra never spoke to us of Thendra discussing them. Never once herself thought of them beyond just… manifestations of her Lamentations given form. And that was intentional!” She does growl then. “Thendra knew that within our Beloved they would be hidden and safe and… incubating. Feasting on the souls she pushed Lyra into consuming. And she made certain Lyra never thought them connected to a Reaver.”

A cold realization touches my thoughts. “Then… Oh. They fed on Furthonois with her.”

Tretion nods. “From what Lyra tells us… they probably absorbed more of the soulfire after she cursed that Godthing then even she did.”

“Dreamer’s Tits…” I huff.

“Lyra still seems to have absorbed most of their power but…” She considers. “They’ve gone from… inspired manifestations linked and perceived by curses of blood and gaze and soul to having forms woven of Amwella.”

“Growing up.” I whisper then pause before murmuring something terrifying. “Or… no. No they’re growing but… but Tretion they… they’re not…” I’m jerking free to stare back at her grim expression. “What if they’re not even like… born yet?”

She nods, already realizing this.

“Tretion. Fae don’t… we don’t HAVE children like that! Can’t. Not like none try or we stop people but… but because we literally can never make it work. And believe you me, some have tried.”

And often sang themselves from the Dream after the heartbreaking failures.

“And that’s for a physical birth where the child will not spark Amwella until they are older.” My beloved nods worriedly. “These little ones will need flesh to wrap themselves in. Help tuning woven forms to the Radiance of the Dream.”

“Dreamer’s Tits and Bloody Cunt!” I hiss. “How? How did Thendra plan all this out!?! This… if that’s what’s going to happen this is literally the perfect spot for it. And what even is Thendra? She's not Fae. Like... at all, but how would Fae words... like...”

“I've been worrying over that. Eve since we spoke about Fae Song's symmetry with Wretched Incantations. And I shiver to think about what kind of being could weave their inception. And... There are two possibilities.” She whispers. “Either Thendra has somehow already infiltrated these halls like Undreka did, or… or… more likely, knew I was alive and would research this. Knew of the Manor’s nature and seized the opportunities as they arose.”

“Ovellen’s journal.” I whisper. “Before we even knew Lyra was alive she had that book. Gave it up only when I said I'd found Lyra and would let her know what happened.”

“I always thought that her letting you chase down Lyra was… a spiteful mistake. Hoping the backlash from Lyra’s soul would kill you before she ascended. One more heartbreak before awakening. A second lover accidentally slain.” She winces, a few tears bubbling. “But… No. She wanted her here. It… back when I first met Lyra she wanted her to curse the Heart of this place. Take control of our Manor.”

My eyes must be wide as the moon as I stare. “This place is gentle to souls. Stops them from Rotting like they might in the Dream. Is literally the safest place for them to… to grow.”

“Exactly. I’m not sure how well our children might do in the wider Rifts without a well-made body to house them or a soul to snuggle close to. Or… well I’ll of course aid them in adapting their flesh if they ever need to leave.”

“Tretion we… We gotta keep them away from her.” I hiss. “From Thendra.”

“Yes.” She nods. “Raising them well within our Manor. Gifting them and their mother safety and comfort and eventually, if it comes to pass, bodies as endlessly theirs as we can make them.”

“Thendra’s not gonna just… leave it at that.” I dig nails into the carpets. “I don’t care what she’s promised. Eventually she’s going to come for them and Lyra both.”

My Watcher rises. “Which… leads us to a wonderful opportunity today has gifted us. I’d like to begin questioning that Reaver, Undreka.”

I stand too but… hesitate. “Alright. Let’s get our Beloved and take a poke at getting some…”

But she’s shaking her head. “No.”

“Huh… why not?”

“Awnya… I love our Lyra dearly, and am going to give her everything in the Dream and beyond but…” She looks up to meet my gaze, searching. “You see it too, don’t you? There are events she either can’t or won’t share with us. Horrific things I only glanced at the shape of through her Waking Nightmares, and… and that was in the year before the worst occurred.”

I nod carefully. “You think this Reaver might share things Lyra hasn’t, and would rather not need to worry about her getting hurt again. Or worry about that first Curse hurting her more.”

“Am I… is this a mistake?” She whispers. “I trust her with my everything, but also need to know I’m acting well as a Beloved Bound and chosen mother to our children. Able to handle certain burdens in Lyra's stead. Things she doesn’t need to face when I can do it for her.”

“Beloved.” I step up to hold her close, able to match her quiet spoken worries and the anxious panic with my own soft song. “You’re thinkin’ of the right melody. Yeah.” Then I purse my lips in thought. “But… I think we should ask her. Let her know all of what we just said, and give her the chance to choose between trying to share or letting us crack some of this from that Reaver. Trust her to learn how to take better care of herself when dealing with her past, or ask for help or breaks when its too much.”

Her cute head tendrils do a little worried dance, but soon relax and lean back over into me. Gripping at shoulder and arm and hair tightly while pressing forehead to mine. “Thank you. That’s… that's a better idea than what I had.”

“Naw, just added the little notes you would have done, given a quiet moment.” I grin back at our wonderful Watcher.