A/N: I haven't written anything in a while, so I felt like writing something tonight. Just some small snippets – some more recent than others. Hope I do Blake's part justice. Enjoy :)

~~ Kellan ~~

It was not easy to walk to meet the Queen and her helpers that night, for Kellan knew what would be the result. They'd had some success in removing part of the Rune that linked him to his brother the previous time they'd tried, and if the night went smoothly, then it would be the last time they'd need to meet.

Swallowing, he followed the guard to the field, where the Seelie faeries waited, the area lit by soft candlelight. The Queen turned to him when he approached, and he inclined his head in a respectful manner in return. While she may have been his mother, he still made sure to respect her position.

"Kellan, are you ready to proceed?" she asked, and her gaze scanned him as she started closer. He always felt like she could read him with ease, as if his emotions were written on his face.

He nodded, after a pause, but she sensed his hesitation. "While this is not easy on you, I know that you understand what is best for your family."

"I know this is necessary," he sighed, trying not to think on it for too long. "So I will not back out. They need me to do this one last thing."

"They are lucky to have such loyalty," she replied, and he could have sworn that he felt her fingers brush his cheek for a brief moment, but once he blinked, her hand was gone.

Collecting himself, he walked over to the circle, sitting down and slowly taking his shirt off. He was still a little self-conscious, like the first time, but he did not feel like he was being judged. The Seelie were good at keeping their expressions even. Inhaling, he placed the shirt beside him, before staying still, as they gathered around him. Crouching, one of the Seelie mages pressed her hand against his chest where the Rune marked his skin, and he tried not to flinch. There was a hum of sound as the faeries began to chant, a light growing from their palms. The words were from an ancient fae language, he imagined, and they sounded beautiful, even if he did not know what they meant.

His skin started to grow warm where the Rune was, and his breathing quickened as the feeling intensified, growing uncomfortable. There were hands on him everywhere now, but he could not concentrate on them. Closing his eyes, he could see an image of Zach in a meeting room with a number of unfamiliar faces. He tried to hold onto the image, but it was soon gone, other flashes of images taking its place.

He started to feel like he was burning up as the chanting reached its crescendo, and he cried out in pain, feeling as if something was being ripped from him. He had never experienced anything like it before, and while he tried to keep a grip on reality, he could feel it slipping away. His thoughts scattered as his muscles tightened and it became difficult to breathe. Unable to stop it, his eyes rolled back and all he could see was black.

ooOoo

Slowly, Kellan awoke to the sound of crooning, able to feel a hand gently brushing his hair back from his face. He blinked a couple of times, his vision finally coming into focus as he pieced it together. He was on the ground, although his head rested against the Queen's lap. A bandage was already wrapped around his chest to cover where the Rune had been; a dull, empty feeling remaining. It took him a moment, before he finally noticed that the other faeries were gone. He tried to say something, although he wasn't quite sure what, his words failing him.

"Shh," she whispered, her hand soft against his forehead as she urged him to rest. "Sleep well, my child."

He couldn't help but think that it was the first time she had held him – at least that he remembered. Her hands felt cold and different to his father's, but somehow, they were calming. Eventually, his eyes fell shut again, and he was lulled into a deep sleep, his thoughts finally able to shut off.

~~ Savannah ~~

Pulling the rubber band out of her hair, Savannah let it fall over her shoulders, before laying down on the bed in Mason's room. Propping her head up so she could see, she watched Mason as he worked at his desk. The lamp was the only light in the room, and it flickered across the walls. Being the top two of the class, they had their pick of dorm rooms, and they didn't need to share with anyone else.

"Come to bed," she urged, sighing as she watched him ignore her words, jotting down some more notes instead. He was insistent with his studies, and it was harder to distract him than she'd first realised when she'd asked him out. She'd thought it would be easy – with the other boys, they could not take their eyes – or hands – off her, and they never needed much persuasion. Mason however, was more concerned with his grades and his family image. Not that she wasn't concerned with the same. She knew an alliance between their families was a strong one, so it was certainly mutually beneficial for both sides. Besides, they were both always jostling for top of the class, and she had been sure she would be able to distract him enough from his study. It seemed she had been wrong.

Sitting up straighter, he tapped his pen against his notebook, finally answering, although he didn't look back at her. "I need to finish these revision questions. It's likely that some of them could be on the exam."

Savannah rolled her eyes. "You already know it all. Besides, the exam is in just over a day. How much else are you going to retain between now and then?" It was certainly hypocritical when she would still do some more study herself, when she was alone, but he didn't need to know that.

"You know as well as I do how important it is," he replied shortly, and she could catch a hint of annoyance in his tone. He didn't like being distracted. That much was obvious.

Finally getting up, she walked over to him slowly, grazing her fingers against the back of his neck, and leaning down to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. "Are you sure?" she replied, her tone low and inviting.

Stiffening, he pushed her hand away. "I'm sure, Savannah."

Resisting the urge to sigh again, she straightened, smoothing her expression, not that he was looking at her. "Suit yourself," she replied, pausing for a long moment, before she started to the door and slipped out. Walking down the hallway, she headed back to her room.

It was time for her to do her own study.

~~ Caspian and Kane ~~

Waiting at the usual clearing where they met to keep their skills sharp, Kane watched as Caspian came into view. Now that he knew who he was for sure, Kane found himself studying him for a little longer than usual. It was strange, having a son he couldn't remember.

Caspian was oblivious to his thoughts, coming to a stop and giving him a brief nod in greeting. "Let's make this a quick one," he said, his eyes alight in anticipation of the fight, "I have to lead a training group this afternoon." He was already adjusting the staff in his hands, and adopting a fighting stance.

Kane however, did not yet draw his sword, pausing for a long moment. "I know," he said simply, and Caspian stared at him in confusion for a moment.

"… You know what?"

"I know you're my son," he clarified, watching as Caspian froze, a variety of emotions flickering across his expression before he hid them.

He still looked hesitant and uncomfortable, his gaze flickering to the side. "... How could you know?" he said, looking trapped.

Keeping his expression even, and his words steady, Kane's gaze did not drift from him. "Your… friend told me. Although he said little else. I was hoping you might be able to tell me the story yourself."

Shaking his head, Caspian's grip tightened on his staff and he took a couple of steps back. "I have to go."

Kane moved forward quickly, catching his arm. "Wait. You do not have to tell me now. I will wait for you to tell me in your own time. I will not force anything." Inhaling, he considered his words carefully. "If I have done anything to wrong you in the past, then I apologise."

Caspian pulled his arm away, gritting his teeth. "I can't right now. I… have to go," he repeated, staring at him hesitantly for a moment, before he turned and started away, before Kane could say anything else.

Sighing, Kane ran a hand through his hair, watching him go. It was difficult when he could not get any straight answers, but he was patient, and he could wait. He assumed something must have happened, and that was understandable, when they had ended up in rival factions. Staying there a while longer, in case Caspian changed his mind, he then made his way back towards base, wondering when – or if – Caspian would want to see him again.

~~ Blake ~~

In his dream, her hands were all over him, and his own hands were full of her. Her dark hair tickled his cheek as she leaned over him, and he could smell a hint of coconut from the shampoo she used. When she brushed her lips against his in a tease, he made a disappointed sound in the back of his throat, although it was abruptly cut off when she finally kissed him again. Her kisses were demanding and heated, but he didn't mind, easily surrendering to them. He could focus on nothing else but her, his senses fully attuned to her movements so that he would not miss anything. His fingers moved to her side, grasping at her, and he could feel the remnants of a scar from a Rune. She encouraged him, and his hands traversed over new territory. He grew breathless as the kiss deepened, moaning slightly as she moved against him. There was a hunger inside him, that he did not know he still possessed.

His eyes flew open at the sound of something falling from the table beside his bed. He'd knocked it down in his sleep, and he sat up quickly, his cheeks still heated, and his breathing shallow. Feeling embarrassed, even if there was no one else there to witness him, he rose to his feet, trying to cool himself down. Why did his dreams have to focus on such a thing? Trying to calm himself, he walked into the bathroom, shaking his head. He still felt guilty for doing such things with her. If the Unseelie knew, they would distrust him, and rightly so.

When had kissing her become a kind of strange comfort? He did not understand how his emotions could betray him in such a way. The night they had been together, he hadn't even had a drink to blame his actions on. No, they had been purely his fault. He could not blame her for that fact that he had succumbed.

Making it to the sink, he leaned against it, turning the tap on and splashing some water against his face to wake himself up. Leaving the tap running, he inhaled for a moment, unable to push down the annoyance he felt towards himself. What the hell was wrong with him?

It would be best if he did not see her again. That was the only way he could be sure he would not act rashly like the last time. Still, he did not know how long it would last.