Nicolai looks at Kaeda like he doesn’t believe her. 

     Of course he doesn’t. Why would he believe that she nearly incinerated a man with magical fire when only royals have magic and she is definitely not a royal? She’s the one who did it, and even she had a hard time believing it.

     Later, after she’d burned that male, and after she’d calmed down enough to think clearly, she remembered the shattered glass and burning liquor on the bar - the fear in that stranger’s eyes as he’d delivered Queen Nola’s threat and departed. He hadn’t been smoking. It had been her who’d accidentally done that.

     As for why she’s able to summon and wield fire? Still no idea. 

     She calmly looks into Nicolai’s eyes as she raises her right hand and wills a warm light about as bright as a common fae star to appear on her palm. HIs face goes slack, staring at the magic. She turns that little light into a ball of flickering golden flames, and he scrambles back and off the bed in alarm.

     “I would never hurt you.” she assures him, though she completely understands the fear, and she snuffs out the flames. 

     He looks slightly ashamed by his reaction, as he sits back down on the edge of the mattress. “How is that possible, Kaeda?”

     “I don’t know. And that’s not all I can do. One day I was foraging for berries and wishing the bushes had more fruit to offer, when suddenly I could feel the plant I was picking from - like it’s life, like it was mine to control, and I just… willed it to grow more berries. And it did, in a matter of moments, it grew new berries right before my eyes. After that, I discovered I can grow any plant, anywhere, as long as soil is present. For all I know, I could be capable of other things I haven’t realized yet.”

     “Even if you’re somehow distantly from a royal bloodline, this doesn’t make sense. They only get their powers once they’re crowned. Why would the Gods give powers to one random common fae? No offense, Kae, but as far as we know, you are common.”

     She huffs a laugh. “I am definitely common. My Aunt Morinne was a seamstress. She told me my mother was also a seamstress, and she wasn’t sure but she suspected that my father was the husband of a client. They would not have had any royal clients.”

     “No, I don’t suppose they would have. There must be a reason though, why you’re Gods blessed. And this is why Queen Nola is after you.” 

     It isn’t a question, but she answers anyway. “Yes. It’s also why you were taken four years ago. Instead of simply inviting me to meet with her, she tried to set a trap. It’s all my fault.”

     Nicolai sucks in a deep breath and sighs, reaching across the bed to take her hand, a little warily. “None of this is your fault, Kae. You didn’t ask for any of this. I certainly don’t blame you.”

     Tears well in her eyes and she shakes her head in disbelief. “I don’t know how Queen Nola knew about my magic before me, or what she wants to do about it, but if I didn’t have these abilities… none of this would have happened.”

     “But these things did happen. We can’t change that. All we can do is decide how to move forward. We’ll make a plan together once we’re settled in Tavedor. And, Kae…” he pushes her chin up with gentle fingertips and brushes his thumb across her cheek. “This magic doesn’t change how I feel about you. Never think that. Also, remind me not to get on your bad side.”

     She laughs, and he laughs with her. 

     “How did Draik react to your power?”

     “Not how I would have expected.” she responds, drifting back into her memories.

     When the flames stopped erupting from her hands, she stood staring at the charred remains on the floor before her, until she felt a hand wrap around her arm and she looked to Draik. His eyes were wide with shock, but she could see the urgency there too, as he pulled her back towards the stockroom - to her room, where she’d left her bag half-packed. 

     “We have to go. Right now.” he declared, as he finished filling her bag for her. “We need to get far away from here.”

     He didn’t ask her how or why, not right then, he only wanted to protect her. So, they mounted their horses, and they fled southeast. They rode until their horses were flagging, deep in the Gribb Forest, far from any roads or trails, and then they made camp. 

     When the horses were taken care of, and they’d had a chance to settle themselves, then he finally asked his questions.

     Was she a royal? Was she from a royal bloodline? How had she summoned fire? 

     Kaeda didn’t have any answers for him. She wanted answers just as much as he did. 

     Finally he asked, “Are you okay?”

     “Yes. Physically. But, Tomas…oh, Gods. Who will say his Departing Prayer?”

     “His nephew will come. The people of Arbold know him. They will write to him, and he will come. He’ll take care of the tavern too.”

     They fell silent in their separate bedrolls, and eventually she heard his breathing shift into the steady cadence of sleep.

      She couldn’t join him in sleep though. Her mind was whirling with so many thoughts and questions without answers. She would never see Tomas again. She’d probably never return to Arbold again. Where would they go now? How had she made fire come out of her hands? And it hadn’t even hurt! It’s not like she’d made a conscious decision to hurl fire, it had just happened - just like it had before, on a much smaller scale,to that glass of liquor when she’d panicked. Could she learn to control it? She had to learn to control it. Why was this happening to her?

     On and on her thoughts twisted around in her aching head.