In some ways, Magnus is an open book. When prompted, he will explain his story—he will show you his scars and will tell you of how his own body had bled out. He will tell you how it felt to lie there on the beach and feel your life drip from your skull, how it felt to know that death was around the corner and its teeth were at your throat. They are not fun truths, but they are not truths he feels compelled to hide. Were you to ask, he would yield to curiosity and tell his story. He had done so before and would do so again.
But in other ways, he was deeply personal. He kept certain cards close to his chest, hid them away in the back of his mind. He kept them pressed close to where he would not have to focus on them. It was easier to deal with his own personal failures when he kept them there, buried deeply. He did not want to have to shed light on his bloodthirsty soul, on the feverish excitement that used to swell in him when war was on the horizon, on the selfishness of his heart, on the black and white vengeance that would steer his hand.
These were the black parts of his soul. These were the secrets he didn’t divulge.
And these were the parts he tucked away quietly as he looked at her, brushing away the sadness from his gaze like one might push aside cobwebs. “I am so happy to hear that.” He glanced toward the horizon, to where the sun was beginning to climb further and further into the sky. Part of him wishes that he could stay here forever in the quiet solitude he now shared with her, but he also knew that there were other things he needed to attend to—duties he needed to uphold. So he glanced back toward her. “I must go now, unfortunately. I have fairies to talk to about creating a home,” a smile, “for us both.”
He dipped his head. “It has been a pleasure meeting you, Lucrezia”
Then, before he walked away: “I will come find you soon.”
magnus
i figured we could pretend magnus found / told her about tephra and she can meet him there? <3
![[Image: gqYjsHr.png]](https://i.postimg.cc/KjqNDKxc/gqYjsHr.png)