Page 21 of Eternal Thorns (The Feybound Chronicles #1)
20
LEARNING HEARTS
“ B reathe,” Kai muttered behind him. “You're making the key glow bright enough to signal ships at sea.”
“I am not,” Silas whispered back, though he couldn't stop fidgeting with the key's chain.
“Oh please. You're practically vibrating. Should I give you two some privacy? Write some poetry about his majestic forest magic?”
“I will push you into a thornbush.”
“Aww, look who's getting all defensive. Don't worry, I'm sure he finds your magical pining adorable?—”
Before Silas could follow through on his thornbush threat, Thorne materialized from the morning mist. The sight stole his breath entirely. The forest guardian had maintained his true form from the night before - crown of twisted branches catching sunrise, silver-white hair moving like moonlight on water. But what truly caught Silas's attention was the shy smile that transformed Thorne's usually stern features.
“Good morning,” Thorne said softly, his voice carrying undertones of rustling leaves and distant thunder.
“Morning,” Silas managed.
They stood awkwardly for a moment, neither quite sure how to navigate this shift in their relationship. Everything felt simultaneously natural and terrifyingly new”.
I thought we might start with the moonweave glade,” Thorne finally said, extending his hand. “The path can be tricky for those unfamiliar with forest magic.”
The simple offer of guidance sent Silas's heart racing. When their fingers touched, silver sparks danced between them.
“Right behind you,” Kai called cheerfully. “At a respectful distance. Just pretend I'm not here.”
“Shut up, Kai,” Silas muttered, but he couldn't help smiling at his friend's obvious amusement.
The forest itself seemed to respond to their shared awareness, paths opening more readily beneath their feet. Branches shifted to let morning light paint patterns across their joined hands. Even the sprites following at a distance appeared to be giggling amongst themselves.
“The magical currents are particularly visible here,” Thorne explained as they walked, though his thumb absently traced patterns on Silas's palm that had nothing to do with lessons.
Silas tried to focus on the actual instruction, but found himself constantly distracted by new details about Thorne's true form.
“You know,” Kai commented from behind them, “when Agnes said you'd help restore balance between realms, I don't think she meant by making heart eyes at the forest guardian.”
Both Silas and Thorne pretended not to hear him, but their linked hands tightened slightly.
The path ahead beckoned with promise of both magical discovery and deeper understanding. Neither could say exactly where it led, but walking it together felt right in ways that defied explanation.
“Forest magic flows in harmonies,” Thorne explained, moving to stand behind Silas. “Like music, different types of power can create either discord or symphony when they meet.”
His hands settled on Silas's shoulders, guiding him into the proper stance. The touch sent warmth cascading through both their magical signatures, creating ripples in the surrounding forest magic.
“Like this?” Silas raised his hands, trying to focus on the lesson rather than the distracting heat of Thorne's chest pressed against his back.
“Almost.” Thorne's fingers slid down Silas's arms, adjusting his position. “Think of it like conducting an orchestra. Each gesture shapes how the magic flows.”
Their combined power moved through the glade, creating patterns more beautiful than either could achieve alone. Silver light danced around them as their magical signatures harmonized perfectly, the key and bracelet humming in resonant joy.
“That's it exactly,” Thorne breathed, pride and something warmer coloring his voice. His hands lingered on Silas's wrists, thumb tracing small circles that had nothing to do with magical instruction.
When Silas successfully aligned a particularly complex harmony, Thorne's delighted smile transformed his ethereal features. “Brilliant,” he praised softly, and Silas felt heat rise in his cheeks at the genuine admiration.
They drifted closer with each exercise, finding excuses for casual contact that grew less casual by the moment. A steadying hand here, a guiding touch there - each interaction carrying weight beyond simple instruction.
“Maybe we should take a break,” Kai suggested from his perch on a nearby log. “Before you two accidentally create a new type of magic through sheer unresolved tension.”
A particularly challenging alignment left Silas suddenly lightheaded, magic draining faster than expected. Without hesitation, Thorne caught him, guiding him to rest against an ancient oak.
“Easy,” the forest guardian murmured, settling beside him close enough that their shoulders touched. “The first time working with deep harmonics can be overwhelming.”
The intimate proximity broke down another barrier between them. Silas found himself sharing childhood memories of sneaking into his grandmother's library, devouring any book that mentioned forest magic.
“I used to dream about understanding it properly,” he admitted. “Not just reading about it, but really knowing how it worked.”
“Wait, what?” Kai straightened from his casual lean against a nearby tree. “You never told me about that. All those nights you spent in the library, I thought you were just being your usual scholarly self.”
Silas felt heat rise in his cheeks, caught between Thorne's interested gaze and Kai's surprise. “It wasn't something I told anyone. It felt too personal, too impossible at the time.”
“But all those times I caught you sketching weird symbols in your journals.
“Were copies from your grandmother's books about forest magic,” Silas finished quietly. “I used to practice drawing them until they felt right, even though I didn't understand what they meant.”
Through their connection, he felt Thorne's surge of tender understanding. The forest guardian's hand tightened slightly around his.
“You could have told me,” Kai said, a hint of hurt creeping into his voice.
“Could I?” Silas met his friend's eyes. “When we were both pretending not to know about magic? When you were keeping your own secrets about watching me?”
Kai winced slightly. “Fair point.” He studied Silas with new consideration. “I guess we both had dreams we didn't share, even as best friends.”
“Some wishes feel too fragile to speak aloud,” Thorne offered unexpectedly, his thumb tracing comfort across Silas's knuckles. “Until they're ready to become real.”
Silas turned to study the forest guardian's profile, gathering courage. “The dreams I had, about the forest magic... they weren't just ordinary dreams, were they? The ones you shared with me, showing me your memories with Marcus...”
“No,” he admitted softly.” I sent those dreams as tests, but they awakened something deeper - old magic in your blood that was already trying to remember.” His free hand lifted to touch the key resting against Silas's chest. “Just as this was waiting for someone who could understand its true purpose.”
“That's why everything feels familiar,” Silas realized. “Even before the dream-walking, I had glimpses. When you show me how forest magic works, it's not like learning something new. It's like-”
“Like remembering something your soul never forgot,” Thorne finished. The luminous patterns across his skin brightened where their hands joined. “I chose those specific memories to test you, but your response to them... that was entirely your own. You didn't just see the past, you understood it in ways Marcus never did.”
“Did you know?” Silas asked quietly. “When you sent those dreams, did you know how they would affect us both?”
“No,” he whispered. “I thought I was maintaining control, keeping safe distance. Instead, sharing those memories brought us closer than any test could measure. Showing you my past meant letting you see my heart.”
Silas reached up to trace another luminous pattern on Thorne's skin. “I'm glad you risked it.”
“How do you feel now?” Thorne's voice carried genuine curiosity.
“Now it feels like remembering something I always knew.” Silas turned to look at him. “Like coming home to a place I've never been.”
Thorne's expression softened. “I felt that way when I first became guardian. As if the forest had been waiting for me to recognize my place in it.”
The personal revelation felt precious, a gift of trust freely given. When Silas impulsively reached to trace a luminous pattern on Thorne's neck, the spirit's sharp intake of breath made his fingers tingle.
Thorne's eyes darkened to pure forest green, power rippling beneath his skin where Silas touched him. The moment stretched between them, heavy with unspoken possibility.
A sprite's poorly suppressed giggle finally broke the spell. They jerked apart slightly, though neither moved far.
“Perhaps we should continue the lesson,” Thorne suggested, his voice rougher than usual.
But his hand found Silas's as they stood, fingers intertwining naturally. Some barriers, once lowered, proved impossible to raise again.
As afternoon light softened toward evening, Thorne led Silas down a path that seemed to form beneath their feet. “There's something I want to show you,” he said, his voice carrying an undertone of nervous anticipation.
The grove that opened before them took Silas's breath away. Twilight flowers carpeted the ground despite the early hour, their ethereal blooms pulsing with inner light. The very air felt alive with magic, responding to their presence like an instrument finding perfect pitch.
“This is my personal sanctuary,” Thorne explained softly. “No other human has entered here since…” He stopped, but Silas felt the unspoken meaning through their bond.
“Thank you for trusting me with this,” Silas said, understanding the significance of the gesture.
The flowers began blooming wider as they moved through the grove, opening out of season in response to their combined magical signatures. Silver and gold light danced around them, the key and bracelet humming in perfect harmony with the sacred space.
Thorne's entire demeanor changed as he explained the grove's magical properties. Animation lit his ethereal features, crown of branches catching light as he gestured enthusiastically. Silas found himself watching the forest guardian more than the magical phenomena being discussed, captivated by this glimpse of who Thorne must have been before pain hardened him.
“See how the resonance patterns flow here?” Thorne knelt to examine a particularly bright cluster of blooms. Silas joined him, their shoulders brushing. Neither acknowledged the contact, but both leaned slightly into the touch.
“It's a harmonic convergence,” Silas realized, recognizing the magical signature. “Like the one you showed me in the texts, but naturally occurring.”
Thorne's laugh of pure delight transformed his entire being. Joy made him radiant, power rippling beneath his skin in waves of light. “I’ve never met anyone else who could identify it so quickly.”
Their eyes met, faces close from examining the flowers. Something shifted in the air between them, magic and emotion weaving together inseparably.
“It's okay,” Silas murmured, offering comfort through both touch and their magical connection. “You don't have to be strong all the time.”
Thorne made a soft, broken sound before slowly melting into the embrace. Through their bond, Silas felt his wonder at being held, at being seen as someone who might need comfort rather than just power.
The shadow entity's darkness pressed harder, trying to corrupt this moment of vulnerability. But genuine care proved stronger than ancient fear. Each attempt to twist their connection only highlighted its authentic nature.
“No one's offered me comfort in centuries,” Thorne whispered against Silas's shoulder. “They either fear me or seek favors. No one just... holds me.”
Silas tightened his arms around the forest guardian, heart aching at the simple truth in those words. The twilight flowers bloomed brighter around them, responding to their shared emotion.
“You know,” Kai's voice broke through their intimate moment, “when I agreed to be your magical chaperone, I didn't expect quite this much romantic drama.”
Thorne and Silas pulled apart slightly, though their hands remained linked. The forest guardian's ethereal features colored with something like a blush.
“I thought you were keeping respectful distance,” Silas muttered.
“I was, until the magical light show got bright enough to signal passing birds.” Kai gestured at the brilliantly blooming flowers around them.” Also, your sprites are terrible at staying quiet. Pretty sure they're taking bets on when you two will finally kiss again.”
Briar materialized from nearby shadows, her freckles pulsing with indignation. “We are not taking bets! We're making careful observations about the restoration of natural harmony between realms.”
“Uh huh.” Kai grinned. “And does this 'natural harmony' have anything to do with that pool of moonflower nectar you're saving for the celebration?”
“That's for ritual purposes!” Briar's glow turned distinctly pink.
“The ritual of getting absolutely smashed when these two finally admit they're magical soulmates?”
Thorne made a strangled sound that might have been either protest or laughter. Through their connection, Silas felt the forest guardian's mix of embarrassment and pleased amusement.
“I can still turn you into a tree,” Thorne warned, but his tone held no heat.
“Please,” Kai scoffed. “You're literally glowing with happiness right now. Besides, someone has to document this for posterity. 'Dear Diary, today the scary forest spirit turned into a complete sap because my best friend made heart eyes at him.'”
“I do not make heart eyes,” Silas protested.
“Your key literally creates heart-shaped light patterns when you look at him.” Kai's grin widened. “The forest itself is basically throwing you a magical engagement party. Own it, my friend.”
The twilight flowers seemed to pulse in agreement, their light taking on suspiciously romantic patterns. Even the shadow entity appeared to retreat in defeat, unable to compete with such determined matchmaking.
“I hate all of you,” Thorne declared, but his crown of branches caught light in a way that suggested otherwise.
“No you don't.” Kai settled against a nearby tree. “You love that someone's finally calling out how adorably smitten you both are. Now, please continue with your magical courting ritual. I'll just be over here taking notes for the eventual wedding speech.”
But his teasing held genuine affection. Through all the strangeness of their situation, some things remained constant - including best friends who knew exactly when to lighten heavy moments with perfectly timed humor.
The grove's magic settled into contentment around them, accepting Kai's presence as part of this new harmony being built between realms. After all, some connections needed witnesses to appreciate their full beauty.
Even if those witnesses were absolutely going to tease them about it forever.