[open] Magnus, Any;

[magnus]

although this world is made of fearsome beasts that bark and bite
we were born to put these creatures through one hell of a fight

If Ruan and Magnus both knew of each other’s history, they may be surprised to know of the similarities between the two—the guilt and the anger that brews beneath the surface, that heavy weight of duty that rests on their shoulders, the ache for all of their shortcomings. Magnus has watched as nature and fae have ripped apart his homes, and he’s beaten himself black and blue for not being able to save those he loved.

Of course, they do not share such thoughts, and he has no way of knowing everything that simmers within Ruan—all of the resentment and the betrayal that has morphed over the years to settle into his chest.

All he sees is the wolfish stallion with the clear, hard gaze and the rare humor that tilts his smile up.

“I am glad to hear that you have all been safe,” he offers before shaking his head and dismissing the apology. “You are fine. I have been exposed to so many facets of the plague that I’m surprised that I don’t have symptoms of it yet.” He has no way of knowing that it simmers in his veins, but he doesn’t fear it in any way that it may show. “Tephra is a safe place in that it won’t spread further.” A safety bought with the blood and the sacrifice of Warrick—a safety that Magnus was not keen on forgetting any time soon.

“But we also do not have any healers. Not yet.”

He shrugs, feeling the familiar pang of self-hatred. He needed healers to call Tephra home so that he could keep the rest of his kingdom safe. They had been graced with the help of Cress and then Brennen, but they still didn’t have any residents within their borders who could help when it was needed.

“Your family is sprawling then,” he says with a grin. “Good. That’s good.” His gaze wanders out across Tephra and a slight frown touches his brows before it washes away. “My family is…expanding.” He finally settles on a word. “I have more children than I ever thought that I would but they are independent and roaming and it’s difficult to keep tabs on all of them.” He feels it a pinch of regret and then a slow burn of it as he looks to ruan. “I have never been a terribly perfect father. I wish I was better at keeping them all together so that I could keep an eye on them, but they all have a mind of their own.”

magnus