Page 9 of Misfit (Starshine)

T he next morning, Arlon woke to the familiar rainbow shine of sunlight on magiline. He was spooned against Fawn’s back, one arm slung over her waist, but she stirred as he pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder.

She rolled to face him, her black hair mussed. Her face was still creased with sleep, and he reached out to brush a stray strand from her cheek. She let out a contented sigh as she cuddled her pillow close.

Seeing her like this never got old, and he felt privileged to witness the woman behind the Grandmaster so intimately. He just hoped it was a privilege he wasn’t abusing.

“Sorry,” he murmured, breaking the comfortable quiet. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep here.”

Conduiting last night had drained him in a way he wasn’t expecting. It felt like he’d given more than just magic to the new rings that adorned his slowly growing spell necklace. Any idea of going back to his own room had vanished the moment Fawn’s fingers started dragging through his hair .

She cradled her cheek on one hand as she looked up at him. “You don’t need to apologize.”

Arlon frowned. It hadn’t passed his attention that he seemed to be the lone wizard of the Crux that was allowed into the Grandmaster’s quarters on a regular basis. “But why am I the only person who ever spends the night with you?”

The question seemed to chase away her lingering sleepiness. She considered him before she said, “It gets… complicated with this position. Sex is the nature of our work, but forming deeper relationships outside of casting and conduiting can be... detrimental for my wizards.”

Unease prickled against his neck. “So what happens now that I’m one of your wizards?”

Fawn turned her eyes up to him. “You were my lover before you were one of my wizards.”

“And I was your prisoner before I was your lover,” he pointed out.

Fawn chuckled and said, “You have always been a conflict of interest.”

That didn't help Arlon's unease. "I don’t want to stop being your lover just to be one of your wizards.”

Fawn scooted closer to him, one leg twining around his. “I'm not asking you to. You can be both, but as with everything we do inside of the Crux, there is a risk to it."

"What risk?"

"Being a wizard isn’t just sex and magic, Arlon," she said.

"We have a job, and a perilous one at that. We’re protectors and servants of the realm, and there will inevitably come a time when I make a decision you disagree with or give you an order you don't like.

But I am Grandmaster, and that means I will always have a disproportionate amount of power in our relationship—whatever form that relationship takes.

I will always take council, but when I give an order, I have to trust that my wizards will obey, even if they disagree. Can you do that?"

Arlon studied her face, swallowing the knot of emotion that had formed in his throat. Maybe this really was what love felt like.

"I'd go to the ends of the world for you."

Fawn's smile took on a sad tilt. "I know. And that's what scares me about you."

Arlon's stomach dropped, and he couldn't help but think he'd done something... wrong. He didn't know what to say, so he said nothing, but Fawn could read his unease like a book.

"I felt your potential as a wizard the moment I laid a hand on you. I knew that I was creating a potentially complicated situation when I intervened to commute your sentence, a'marra. ” She rested a hand on his chest, her fingers brushing the edge of the crescent scar that peeked through the v of his shirt. "But what I didn’t know at the time was how much I would come to care about you.”

Arlon’s chest filled with a painful sort of happiness at the declaration. But the part of him that expected anything good to be accompanied by something far worse asked, “Do you regret it?”

“Would it be less complicated if I hadn’t fallen in love with you? Yes.” Fawn smiled up at him and said, “But you are more than worth the risk.”

The statement made Arlon’s heart thud against his ribcage. Hearing it spoken so plainly helped him see the knotted web of her loyalties. Her duty to the Crown and the realm, her duty to her wizards and the Crux, the duty she owed herself and her own happiness.

You’re also in love with her. I have eyes, you know.

Bridgette had said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. So obvious that she’d seen it after one conversation .

So why did the realization blindside Arlon?

He suddenly saw how precarious of a position he’d fallen into with Fawn. A risk, indeed. One that was bound to get him hurt. Nothing good in his life ever lasted, and his relationship with Fawn would be no different.

Only heartache would come from falling in love with the Grandmaster of the Crux, yet he couldn’t seem to help himself.

He was drawn to her like a lodestone, and he helplessly followed the unspoken command.

He shifted to kneel over her, burying his face against her neck as he closed his eyes.

Her arms raised to circle his shoulders, one leg twining over his hip, and his body responded automatically.

The first time he ever laid eyes on her, Fawn had burst into the Wolves’ camp, flames dancing over her spell-wrapped hands.

She’d looked like a demon, her eyes dark with purpose, teeth bared in a snarl.

In that moment, Arlon knew she would be the death of him.

As he breathed in the scent of her juniper soap now, he was certain that was still true.

Which left only one road he could take to save himself. He pressed a kiss to her neck before he pulled away. He’d gotten far too close.

“I should go. I don’t want to leave Garrett waiting.”

Fawn hummed, stretching luxuriously as Arlon slid out of her bed. If she noticed the sudden change of topic, the lack of reciprocation to the war hammer of a declaration she’d just given him, she didn’t press the issue. Something he was grateful for. He couldn’t talk about it. Not now.

“Speaking of Garrett,” Fawn said, “I have a surprise for you both today.”

Arlon turned to look at her, eyebrow raised. “What surprise?”

Her smile was bright as she looked up at him. “Bring Garrett to my office later this morning, and I’ll show you. ”

The promise of that surprise carried him through a bath and breakfast. When it was finally time to meet Garrett, the other man was already waiting for him in the evocation yard. At Arlon's news, he was eager to follow, and together they walked the short trip to Fawn's office at record speed.

As they opened the door, Fawn looked up with a grin. She got to her feet, seemingly as excited as they were. Then, she opened the door to the dungeon, and Arlon raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"It's downstairs?" he asked.

Fawn chuckled and said, "It was the only room big enough to house it."

Arlon shared a look with Garrett before he led the way down. Fawn followed behind them, touching one of the glow globes to chase the gloom from the dungeon. And as they brightened, Arlon found the new addition immediately.

A woven mat lay on the floor. It was tucked into the far end of the room, all stored casting equipment relocated elsewhere.

Garrett was too busy surveying the rest of the room to even notice it. He must not have seen the full might of the dungeon before, and his wide-eyed shock made Arlon grin and slap his chest before pointing to the mat.

"Oh," Garrett said with a bark of a laugh. "For a second, I didn't know what kind of surprise this was supposed to be."

Arlon thought he detected something like disappointment, but no.

Garrett's smile was bright as he walked over to the mat.

He threw himself down in a side fall, slapping the mat as he landed, and the satisfying smack echoed around the dungeon .

An appreciative groan escaped him as he flopped onto his back, his hands sliding across the woven surface.

“Gods, that is so much better than dirt."

“I’m glad that it suits,” Fawn said. “So long as the dungeon isn’t in use, you two are welcome to come down any time. "

Arlon stared at the mat, not sure how to feel. Fawn had surprised him many times, but not like this. So many of the gifts she had given him had been a necessity. But this was a gift given just because it would make them happy.

“Thank you,” he said, the words rough with emotions he didn’t know how to sort through.

Fawn beamed and leaned up to press a kiss to his lips. “You’re welcome, a’marra .”

“You can watch or join, if you have any interest, Grandmaster. I’m happy to teach anyone,” Garrett called, and Arlon quickly turned away to wipe his eyes.

Fawn chuckled and said, “No, that’s alright. I don’t want to intrude.” She pressed one more kiss to Arlon’s cheek before she headed for the stairs. “I hope you enjoy it.”

Arlon watched her go, his heart tied into a knot, but Garrett snapped him out of it as he slapped a hand against the mat again. The crack echoed off the walls, bringing Arlon crashing back into himself.

“Well, c’mon then,” Garrett crowed, his smile bright. “Let’s break it in.”