Knight-Captain Cullen checked the list one last time. More and more recruits were disappearing. Some leads placed them at the brothel; others mentioned Darktown. He'd tried to recruit others to help him investigate the matter, but Captain Emeric was busy looking into the disappearance of two mages, and Captain Thrask was doing the same in the alienage. Sometimes he wondered if being their superior was actually worth something. People rarely paid attention to what he said. He'd heard the rumors about him, and they were all true. How he'd survived the other Templars back at Kinloch Hold, when most of them had died at the hands of abominations, or even worse, they'd succumbed to their darkest desires and willingly consorted with those demons. How he'd been dismissed after suffering from a mental breakdown. How the Knight-Commander had made him her second-in-command in such a short time. He didn't care. If they actually asked him about what had happened, he'd speak to them freely. But nobody ever got too close to him.
So when the news about Keran and Wilmod arrived, especially after the disappearance of their captain in Darktown the week before, Cullen decided to make a move, even if he was on his own. No stone would be left unturned, and he would start with the undercity.
"The temperature seems normal, but are you sure you're feeling fine?" Irina asked, concerned. Merrill was paler than usual, and after the incident at the clinic she appeared to have become fearful.
Merrill wrung the scarf and looked down. "I've done something…"
Irina stared at her. "Mer… Blood magic again?"
The young elf winced as if the words had hurt her. "I did not mean…"
"Then why did you do it?" Irina sounded disappointed, and Merrill wondered if that was the right time to tell her what she'd done. "If Carver were here–"
"But he isn't," Merrill blurted out. "He's not coming back, is he? I can see it in your eyes. I know you know something, but you don't think you should tell me…" Her fingers caressed the edges of a box. There was a certain longing in that action that confused Irina. She knew that Merrill and Carver liked each other too much, and Leandra had even started to think of Merrill as a daughter. Before leaving, Carver had even hinted at the possibility of taking Merrill to live with them at the Amell estate. Irina had asked him if he planned to marry her, and Carver had replied that it depended on Merrill and whatever customs the Dalish had.
"I don't have anything against you," Irina finally said, more to herself than to her friend. "I mean… It's not about you…"
"But there's something you know, am I right?" Merrill's green eyes looked anguished. The shadows under them were more and more frequent.
"We don't know if he's coming back," Irina said. She told her what Bodahn had told them, but she tempered her story with her mother's hope that Carver would still find his way back to them. Even though she tried to sound calm, she saw Merrill's distress grow with every word. The elf looked stunned, and Irina regretted having told her about it in the first place.
"There's something you must know…" Merrill started, but she was interrupted by Sebastian's arrival at the clinic. The brother groaned when he saw the two women standing at the back of the room.
"For the love of the Maker, will there ever be a moment in which I can be pleasantly surprised to see you anywhere but here?" he grumbled as he strode towards them. "One of the merchants told me they saw a Templar in the area. It would make my life significantly easier if you two stayed out of trouble." He moved the crate in front of the secret door and signaled them to enter.
"No," Irina said firmly. "Not me. Hide Merrill if you can, but I won't go through that carnage again."
"Don't be silly," Merrill protested.
Sebastian watched her, a curious look in his eyes. "Are you finally willing to join the Circle?"
"Yes," the mage replied, not shying away from the brother's look.
Sebastian smiled. It was strange to see him like that, Irina thought. He'd smiled at her before, but this time it felt as if he was really looking at her, and not just as a parishioner or a magic disaster waiting to happen. She felt as if his eyes were looking past those things, seeing the woman within.
"You're worth keeping close," he told her after a while. "Now please, hide."
"This is no time for trials, Anders," Senior Warden Stroud said. "But I will give word to your Commander that you're alive. Whether he wants to seek you out or not is his problem."
"I appreciate it," Anders had muttered, a tinge of shame in voice.
Varric and Fenris were standing near Carver. For some reason, they couldn't think of something to say. It felt as if they were standing beside a dying man, and yet, he wouldn't be dying. Not if he survived the Joining, whatever that was.
"Stop looking so guilty," Carver grunted. "It wasn't your fault."
"This whole venture… Cursed from the very beginning," Varric muttered. "I always knew the Deep Roads would never be any good. And I appreciate your words, but I found Anders and his maps. I sought you out. Hard not to feel guilty, Hawke."
"Sometimes things happen," Fenris said quietly.
Varric stared at him and then smirked. "Well, that was deep."
"I mean it," Fenris insisted. "Who can say where the road will take you when you start walking? I had been running away from Danarius for years before I met Anso by chance. He smuggled me into Kirkwall and one night I heard someone talking about the Red Iron. You know the rest."
"Do you ever regret it?" Carver asked. "Putting your business with Danarius on hold?"
Fenris pondered for a while. "No. I guess I needed time to think things through. That does not mean that I've forgotten about him. Bringing him down is something I will do, however long it takes me."
"What will happen with my sister, then?" Carver's blue eyes appeared to be slightly feverish, but his voice remained calm.
"I will look after her," Fenris replied, but said no more.
"We all will," Varric said, patting Carver on the arm. "Looks like Blondie's done talking with the Wardens," he pointed out.
Anders approached them. "They are set to go," he said quietly. He was looking around, and his hands were fidgeting with the buckle of his belt. He was surprised to feel Carver's arms around him.
"Take care of her for me," Carver murmured in his ear. Anders patted him and nodded in silence.
They saw him limp away. One of his legs had started to go numb, and in spite of that, he had insisted on carrying his own bag. Varric had suggested that he should take the gold to compensate the Wardens for the detour he was forcing them to take, since according to Anders the Wardens were always in need of resources of all kinds. Carver had asked them to pay the investor back, lest his family got in trouble over his debt. But other than that, money was not something that would be of concern to him, ever again.
"Needless to say," Anders added, once Carver was gone and they were back in the surface, "everything we've gathered will go to his family. Well, everything minus what it takes to hire an assassin."
"You can say that again," Varric smirked. "Though I'm sure we're pretty good at the whole killing business by now, so we could save some money by looking for Bartrand ourselves."
"Why not? We've already got Danarius on our list," Anders joked.
"Danarius is mine," Fenris replied quickly. "When I find him, I'll be the one to carve his heart out of his sick body."
"Rather you than me," Anders murmured. "I've already got my hands full with the Templars…"
Varric stared at both men. He shook his head. "I'm always stuck with nutcases," he sighed.
"How did we get into this?" Aveline sighed.
"You mean how you got into this, don't you?" Isabela huffed as she turned around the body of a highwayman who had tried to kill them and looked for valuables. "Same way as me, I guess. Stupid promises we make…" She looked up and saw Irina giving her a guilty look. "Sorry, sweetcheeks, but it's true. Keeping an eye on you didn't mean that we had to follow you when you went out looking for danger."
"Mostly because you're not the type who goes on crazy ventures like this," Aveline pointed out.
"I couldn't say no," Irina lamented. "Macha's family was so nice to us when we first arrived in Kirkwall… Knowing that her brother was lost…" She blinked the sudden tears away. They were right; what was she thinking when she'd agreed to find the lost templar recruits? Had her judgment been clouded by her feelings for Carver?
"Well, let's see the positive side of it," Merrill smiled. "We are chasing a Templar for a change!" Leaving the city had had a positive effect on her. Her cheeks looked rosier, and she seemed to have left behind the morose girl that she'd become since Carver had left.
Isabela arched an eyebrow. "That's the spirit, kitten."
"Why do you call her 'kitten'?" Sebastian asked.
"Well, isn't it obvious? She a cute little thing… With little claws that trap little men…"
"Shall we go on?" Irina asked nervously. Sometimes she hated the verbal exchange between her brother's lovers.
"Relax, little Hawke." Isabela was smiling. "If I hadn't learned to leave certain aspects of my past behind, I'd be a bitter old woman."
"I'm sensing that's directed at me," Aveline sneered.
"Oh, I'd never go behind your back, Lady Manhands. If I've got a problem with you, fear not, you'll know about it." Isabela patted the guardswoman on the back and winked.
The sound of struggle nearby caught their attention. Sebastian and Aveline dashed forward and found two Templars, with one having a clear advantage over the other. Sebastian looked at his companion, who nodded and yelled at them.
"Oh shit," Isabela muttered.
"What's the problem?" Irina asked.
"That guy… I know him from the Gallows. He's the Knight-Captain." She looked at both mages with apprehension. "I'm not sure it's wise to show off in front of him, you know? Stay here…"
Their voices mingled. Aveline's questioning of the recruit's mistreatment, the Knight-Captain's explanation, and Sebastian's shout. Irina rushed towards her companions, followed by Merrill. Neither of them expected to see the grotesque figure of an abomination breaking free from the body of the recruit, or the Shades summoned by it.
Merrill shouted something that Irina didn't understand, but it sounded Elvish. The ground seemed to come alive, and the grass seemed to stretch into tendrils that ensnared the Shades. Irina saw the Knight-Captain watching them, before he himself cast some kind of power that weakened the demons, but also threw the mages off balance. Merrill fared well, but Irina fell on her knees. Dazed, she shook her head, and looked up just in time to see the abomination targeting her. Sebastian dashed to her side and stood in front of her, giving her time to stand up and summon her wisp. She took a vial from her cinch and gulped it down, trusting that she'd gotten the right one.
She felt the liquid quickly rushing down her veins, firing her up. "A'ruinn'abasch," she whispered, letting the word of power fill her up before transferring to the abomination, making it fizzle. The creature shrieked as the spirit power burned it from within. She concentrated on her second spell. "Math'ruy'carh'har," she muttered, and raised her hands to hold the crushing prison in which the monster was trapped. Aveline and the Knight-Captain attacked it, whereas Isabela, Sebastian, and Merrill finished the other summoned creatures.
Panting, Cullen turned to them. "Wh-Who are you?"
"I'm the Captain of the Guard, Aveline Vallen, and these are my companions," she answered. "We're looking for one of your recruits, Keran. Family business."
Cullen frowned. "I wasn't aware… You were the one who exposed the corruption in Captain Jeven's office, weren't you? But I heard the Guard is still acephalous."
"It was shorter to say that Ser Aveline was Captain," Sebastian interceded. When Cullen looked at him, he added, "I'm Sebastian Vael, prince of Starkhaven."
The four women stared at him, eyes wide open. "Blimey," Aveline muttered.
"I've heard of you and what happened to your family, Brother Sebastian," Cullen replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "My condolences, though I must admit I thought you were sworn to the Chantry now." He'd hit Sebastian's weak point.
"I was given leave till I solved the situation in Starkhaven. That's my first duty," Sebastian replied, and then said no more.
Cullen watched Irina and Merrill. "A Dalish, far from her clan."
"And in a mission in their name," Merrill lied, without hesitation. She held Cullen's look defiantly. "Do you wish to talk to the Keeper of my clan?"
"It is not my mission to chase after elves… But I wouldn't go around giving out the location of your clan so easily if I were you. Others might be interested in it." Cullen's hazel eyes landed on Irina. "You, however… You're not a Circle mage."
"She's from the Circle of Ferelden," Isabela lied. "She's here on a mission as well."
"Oh really?" Cullen raised his eyebrows. "I used to be stationed at Kinloch Hold. Who was your mentor there?"
"Shit," Isabela muttered. Irina placed a hand on her arm and pressed it gently. She let out a sigh and looked at Cullen.
"I'm no Circle mage, Knight-Captain. I'm sure you can tell."
Cullen stared at her for a long time. "Captain?" he said to Aveline, without taking his eyes away from Irina. "Are you willing to vouch for this apostate's behavior?"
"We are," Sebastian replied in her stead. She nodded.
Cullen lowered his eyes. "Very well. I will overlook your use of magic for the moment. I'm more interested in finding out what is happening with my missing recruits." He told them about the leads that he'd found and how the Blooming Rose seemed to be involved. "The name 'Idunna' appeared recently in my investigation, but every time I go to the brothel to ask after her, she is not there. Perhaps you'll be lucky where I was not," he told Sebastian, who blushed.
"Me? In the brothel?"
"I know. I share the sentiment," Cullen said, shaking his head.
Isabela snorted. "Pfft. Prudes. I'll do it. She's a pretty little thing. Nice breasts. I saw her once. Couldn't afford her." The two men stared at her with a mixture of horror and fascination. She laughed. "I'm just joking. Though she does have nice breasts…"
They were camping. It was the last night before getting to Kirkwall.
"I still don't understand why we can't walk the last stretch tonight," Fenris grunted. "I didn't know I was traveling with such weaklings."
"Elf, the only way that we could travel at night and see shit on the road would be if we made you mad and you walked in front of us, with your glowing tattoos lighting the way." Varric laughed at his own occurrence.
"Very funny," Fenris scowled, stoking the fire.
"He doesn't only glow when he's mad," Anders said, looking at him through the flames. "He does it for Irya as well."
"Ooh, then it must be some question of the heat underneath…" Varric teased Fenris, who grunted but said nothing. "Come on, Broody. Tell us, what will you do with all the money you've made? Will you sweep her off her feet with one of the jewels?"
"There will be no sweeping involved," Fenris said distractedly. "Actual sweeping. Or any kind. Why are we talking about this?"
"Because now we have to care for her," Anders replied. "And it's our job to make sure that she's safe and happy. If you know her, then you know how she's going to take the news of Carver not coming back."
"That's why we're not that eager to get to Kirkwall faster," Varric muttered.
Fenris looked at both men. They were right. Knowing what her relationship with Carver was like, she'd be sad beyond words. With nobody there to protect her, however… He looked up at Anders. "Is there a chance that she might join the Circle?"
"What are you talking about?" the mage frowned.
"You may have changed her mind when it comes to magic, and I might have helped her out a bit with the pain, but… The only reason she's become more acquainted with magic is to help Carver. She was going to come to this expedition until we returned from Sundermount. If Carver's not there–"
Anders shook his head. "She didn't practice her spells for Carver. In fact, she learned the healing spell for you."
Fenris blinked. "What?" he said dryly.
"She saw me healing you one day in Darktown. That made her want to learn the word." Anders snorted and muttered, "I swear, people sometimes don't know what they have… Should I be so lucky to have someone who cares for me…"
"What? What would you do? Would you abandon your struggle against the Templars?" Fenris asked skeptically.
"No," Anders replied sincerely. "But at least I wouldn't be alone."
Varric watched the two men stare at each other in silence. Those two were more similar than they thought, and he hoped that one day they would put their differences aside. He knew that both were interested in Irina's happiness, and she seemed to be the kind of person who could bring them together. She was a little bland for his taste, but Varric attributed that to Carver's dominant personality. Any younger sibling would surely have been overshadowed by such a strong Hawke.
"What did she mean, Merrill?" Irina muttered, holding the Dalish by the shoulders and pinning her against a wall. The witch, Tarohne, had set her against the elf by mentioning the presence of another being within Merrill. "You promised you'd stop it! You said there would be no more blood magic–!"
"It's not a demon!" Merrill cried and hid her face in her hands. Irina let go of her.
Isabela looked at both women and then walked closer to Merrill. "Kitten? Is it… a baby?"
The party saw the elf nod, her face still hidden in shame. "I'm sorry…" she sobbed. "I should have said something before… I wanted to…"
Irina's eyes darted over the elf's face. A baby. "Is it Carver's?" she asked.
"Of course it is!" Merrill cried, sounding slightly offended. "He was my only… I'd never…!" She saw Irina beam and wrap her arms around her. She let her resistance come down and circled the mage in a tight embrace. "What if he's not coming back, Irina?" Merrill asked. "We'll be so alone!"
"We'll be together," she replied. "You are part of the family, and your baby will be a Hawke. You'll never be alone again, Merrill."
Aveline cleared her throat. "This is all very touching, but…" She pointed to a gleaming sphere hovering nearby. "What are you going to do with the trapped recruit?"
"My sister already had the money to petition the Viscount for the restoration of our status," Gamlen explained to the three men. "My nephew left her enough to do so, in case…" He looked away and sighed. "He said this might happen." He rested his head on his hands. "Leandra and Irina… They thought that all of you were missing, possibly dead. The dwarf said so."
"What dwarf?" Varric asked, looking at his companions.
"The one with the strange son. He told Leandra about it; that's when Irina made her choice…"
"What choice was that?" Fenris asked.
Gamlen sighed. He told them about the Templars that had died in the clinic and how affected Irina had been after learning the news. "We told her that she wouldn't be a burden to us, but she said that if Carver didn't return, she'd join the Circle. You can imagine how distressed Leandra–" He stopped when Anders and Fenris stood up.
"Where is she now?" Anders asked.
Gamlen looked at them both. "She's at the Gallows."
"I knew, I knew we should have returned sooner!" Fenris shouted as they ran towards the docks. "But no, we had to spend the night on the road!"
"It's nobody's fault!" Anders shouted back. "If anything, it's her decision! Her irrational, useless, unbelievably stupid decision!"
"For once, we agree!" Fenris shouted over his shoulder. Varric had fallen behind, making them stop.
"You go on…" the dwarf panted, "without me… Ancestors… I think I'm gonna die…"
Fenris hesitated, but Anders pushed him forward. "You go. She needs to see you alive." The mage's amber eyes were serious, and without waiting for the elf to reply, he walked back to where Varric was about to pass out.
Fenris took one last look at his companions and dashed to the boats.
"Thank you for your assistance. Here," Cullen said, giving Isabela a sum of money, "for your trouble." He looked at Irina. "I've heard of your family's good fortune, Lady Amell. It was most… timely." His voice was low but not unfriendly. "I have yet to inform the Knight-Commander of your presence in the city. It speaks well of you that the Order has not had issues with you so far."
"And you won't," Irina replied. "All I wish to do is cause no trouble, and help the refugees in Darktown. If you ever think of me as an inconvenience, you know where to find me."
"Fair enough," Cullen bowed and folded his arms across his chest.
"You will not regret this, Knight-Captain," Sebastian smiled, surrounding Irina's shoulders with his arm.
"Irya…" Aveline muttered, elbowing her companion.
Irina turned to see what she had seen, and there he was; looking exhausted, thinner than she remembered, and awfully helpless.
"Fenris…" she murmured. She ran to him, but he stood there, immobile. She stopped right before him, her eyes wandering about his body. She reached out and touched his arm, seeing the familiar glow surrounding him. She looked at him and smiled. "You're here…"
"Please don't do it," he croaked.
"Do what?" she asked, confused.
"I know what I said about the Circle," he blurted out, "and what I think of those mages who do not abide by the rules. I don't like it. It's dangerous to have mages lurking out there, and I still think that they should be locked up."
"Fenris…" she murmured again.
"But I admit it. I'm a hypocrite. Not all mages should be part of the Circle. Not you." He cupped her face in his hands. "Not you."
"I'm not going anywhere," she said, smiling.
He frowned. "But Gamlen said… Then… You're staying with–"
"Yes?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
"With your mother? At the estate in Hightown?" he finished, taking a step back.
In the distance, their companions were watching them. "I told you he wouldn't kiss her," Aveline sniggered. "Pay up."
"Oh, for fuck's sake, elf," Isabela grunted, taking a silver out of her purse and giving it to the guardswoman. Sebastian shook his head, unamused. He watched the scene with interest. It was after a short while that he realized that something was wrong. He strode towards them.
"What's going on?" he asked, resting a hand on Irina's shoulder. She was crying and Fenris was just standing there in front of her, not moving, not reaching out for her.
"I had to convey the news," Fenris muttered. "Carver's not coming back. He's joined the Grey Wardens."
Aveline frowned. "That's not possible. He'd never leave his family. If you're lying–"
"He was backstabbed with a corrupted blade. Joining the Wardens was the best option he had to survive." He looked at Irina helplessly and felt a bitter pang of jealousy. Sebastian was holding her, and the elf envied him. How easy it was for other people to touch, to sense, without having to deal with the pain of the proximity. "If everything goes fine, you'll receive word of it soon."
Irina nodded. "What about Anders and Varric?"
"They're fine. There's a lot we must tell you… Perhaps it would be best if we didn't do it here?"
The letter arrived two weeks later, in Carver's own handwriting. He wasn't sleeping well, but he was alive, and the news rejoiced his family. In time, Merrill went to live with them in the Hightown manor, but she insisted on not letting Carver know about the baby until it had been born. Leandra was ecstatic to know that her son was alive, that she would be a grandmother, and that her daughter would be able to live in the house where she and Gamlen had grown up.
Gamlen had come to the estate to live with them as well, and the old house in Lowtown had been transformed into a small clinic, where Irina could work with the poor in the area, and Varric could easily keep an eye on her.
After being told of the Templars that were fertilizing his plants, Anders was given a key to the Amell basement, in case he needed to make a quick getaway. Irina had offered him a place to live with them, but the mage had refused.
"Can you imagine what Fenris would do if I agreed to that? He already wants to rip my heart out for hosting a spirit, and if I lived with you…"
"Well, if he's jealous, he should do something about it," Irina replied. They were sitting at the pavilion in the garden. "Instead, he just sits there in that gloomy mansion and refuses to see me. I went there to talk to him, several times," she explained. "I felt there were many things unsaid between us."
"Such as…?" Anders's lips curved in a grin that Irina could not help but find contagious.
"Such as the things that Flemeth said when we were in Sundermount," she told him.
Anders sat back. "He knows about that. Varric told us everything."
"E-everything?" she blushed.
Anders nodded. "Even the dirty little dreams you've been having about the elf…" he whispered.
"Flemeth didn't say anything about that!"
"Hah!" Anders laughed, making her go red in the face.
"I mean…! There are no dreams!" She hit him on the arm. "Oh, you're a terrible man!"
Anders chuckled as Irina laughed. She looked genuinely happy. He knew that she felt something strong for Fenris. He shook his head. If only he was younger… If only Justice hadn't agreed to be hosted… He felt the spirit stir inside, reminding him that he was still there. Irina's presence had helped him so much already, and he knew that she'd always be there for him. Always.
"Mistress?" Bodahn's voice interrupted them. He and his son had come to live with them as well, talking about how Carver had saved Sandal and the debt of gratitude he had with her brother. "Master Fenris is here to talk to you. In private," he said to Anders, almost apologetically.
"No worries," Anders said, standing up. "I'll check on Merrill and then head for the clinic. Tell me, Bodahn: is there a chance I could borrow Sandal for an hour or two?" he asked the dwarf, as they walked away.
Irina remained in the pavilion until she heard his footsteps on the gravel path. She looked at him and saw him walking slowly towards her. She noticed that he was wearing boots, and that his clothes now consisted of a long black coat and something black and leathery underneath.
"It's been a long time," she said gently.
"I brought you this," he said, giving her a small purse. She looked at the contents and smiled.
"Beth's handkerchief. You remembered."
"Carver said it was important to you, and now that he's gone, I think it's best if you have it back, as you wished." His green eyes looked serious and something else, something that she couldn't identify.
"How have you been?" she asked after a moment of silence.
"Fine. I've been… hearing things. About Danarius. More specifically, about the presence of a large group of slavers relatively nearby, somewhere along the Wounded Coast."
"Do you think he's here?" she asked, feeling her heart grow disquiet.
"I can't say. I must go and see if the rumors are true."
"I could–" she started saying, but he shook his head.
"I've already talked to Varric and Isabela about it. Sebastian has also agreed to come, since part of the information came from someone who used to work for the Flint Company. Besides, the baby will be born soon, and I'm sure Merrill needs you here."
"And what about you?" Irina asked boldly. "Don't you need me?"
Fenris lowered his eyes. "No," he said.
Irina clutched the purse in one of her hands and felt the sting of her fingernails on the palm of the other. "I see," she replied.
"I can't bring myself to put you in danger," he said. "I promised Carver I'd look after you."
"You did, didn't you? Well…" she said, smiling nervously, "don't you worry about me. I can protect myself. I have survived so far." She walked down the steps of the pavilion. "Thank you for letting me know that you'll be going away. I appreciate it. At least you didn't disappear again."
He grabbed her by the arm as she walked by his side. Her grey eyes refused to meet his look. "I don't need you, but I want you," he murmured in her ear, making her shiver. "I'd never wanted something, someone, so much in my life."
"Then why do you push me away?" she asked weakly.
"Because I don't know how to deal with people. I've never met someone like you. All my life, as long as I can remember… All I've known is hatred, all I've had was despicable feelings for your kind. And then you came along, with your doubts and fears, with your innocence and kindness, and I saw you. I see you..." He stood in front of her and raised her chin. "Even though people protect you and appreciate you, you're lonely, because they don't know how it feels inside. I see that, and I recognize that in me as well." His lips curved in a half-smile. "I'm… I don't know how to act, what to say. I don't know what I feel, but I know this: I want you." He rested his forehead against hers. "And I want you to be safe."
"Can't I want the same?" she asked, stroking his cheek. "Can't I want you to be safe? Can't I want to be with you?" She blushed as she said the last words. "Not 'be with you', but be with you… Maker, I say the most inconvenient things sometimes…"
Something in her frustration made him smile, surprising her. "When I return… We have much to talk about."
"You're not going anywhere without me," she replied hastily. He raised his eyebrows.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You heard me," she said, holding his hand. "You're not alone. I won't let you do this on your own." Having said that, she stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him on the lips. She felt soft and warm, and she smelled of embrium tea. He was so surprised by her action that he didn't kiss her back. All he did was stand there, stunned, until she pressed his hand. "Just promise that we'll wait until the baby's born, and Carver knows about it."
Fenris nodded, and followed her into the house.
...
A/N: Thanks for the reviews and messages :) As you may have noticed, we're going towards Hadriana. The two words of power that Irina uses are my interpretation of the spells, one of them is for Walking Bomb, and the other for Crushing Prison.
Also, there's a very silly Azalea's Dolls pic of Fenris and Irina here: fav. me / d7fp1sl (minus the spaces)
