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As soon as he saw that look on her face, he was talking before he could even think it through. It devastated him to his core to believe that she might be misinterpreting how strongly he felt for her. Still, she'd been in shock, and they hadn't discussed it again. He wasn't going to push it.
She knew how he felt now, and even if he was increasingly nervous about it, at least it was out in the open. Ayda had told him more than once that she felt more comfortable doing magic than talking to people, so if she needed more processing time, that was fine with him.
She needs to realize now that it doesn't matter how long it takes, I'll be waiting.
They'd showered together that morning without incident. Ayda was making breakfast while Hùisdean was in charge of tea when Ásví burst in. It'd been so domestic, it stirred Hùisdean's heart.
“What's Stanydale?” Ayda perked up, stirring some sugar into her tea.
“It's one of the Shetland Islands' only sites from prehistoric times. These days, it's only the foundations of a building consisting of large boulders. The human archaeologists say they only assume it was a temple, but magical folks know deep magic still resides there.”
Hùisdean watched Ayda's face as she froze. “Is it the same old magic that I have?”
Ásví nodded, pulling a couple of leaves out of her hair. Her choice to sleep outside under the trees agreed with her. He'd stopped trying to figure out what made his aunty tick a while ago.
“It is. That is some of the most concentrated magic in the islands. If you have any chance of getting Margaret to speak to you, it's there.”
“You think I should talk to Margaret again? We still don't fully understand the prophecy she's given us.”
“Well,” Hùisdean ran his hand through his hair, “if the magic is stronger, you might be able to conjure a stronger apparition. If you're only getting one part of the message, it could be because Margaret lacks enough power to communicate freely.”
Ásví nodded, looking satisfied. “Finally, all that magical training I gave you is paying off.”
“It's a signal boost,” Ayda supplied, staring intently at her tea mug.
“Lovely.” Ásví clapped her hands together, looking pleased. “Well,” she grabbed a piece of toast Ayda had prepared, “I’m off. Best of luck getting to Stanydale. If you need anything, figure it out for yourselves. You're both adults.”
Ásví disappeared as quickly as she had come, pausing momentarily to exchange her jacket for a kimono before heading back towards the woods. Ayda watched Ásví leave through the kitchen window, biting her thumbnail.
Hùisdean came up behind her, putting his hands on her shoulders.
“Penny for your thoughts?” he asked gently, sensing the anxiety practically emanating from Ayda. She relaxed under his touch, and part of him preened.
“What does Ásví do out there?” Ayda deflected, nodding towards the wizard as she disappeared into the trees. “Nangroth isn’t exactly pleasant.”
“Your guess is as good as mine.” Hùisdean sighed. “Maybe she’s trying to get the rest of the lingering darkness to clear out. I have a different theory.”
“Oh?” Ayda perked up but didn’t turn around. “Do you want to share with the class?”
“Hey,” Hùisdean bit the shell of Ayda’s ear playfully, “you’re starting to sound like Calum.” Ayda shuddered.
“I don’t think you want to compare me to a fae prince.”
“You’re not wrong.” Hùisdean laughed, lifting the mood. “Ásví had a partner. Years ago, before I was even born.”
“Really?” Ayda turned around in Hùisdean’s arms, looking shocked. “I didn’t think she was the type to settle down.”
“You’d be right. She isn’t anymore. My parents only told us about it once. We’re still not sure entirely what went wrong or how she died… but it’s believed she died while battling the necromancer in these woods. Ásví could save her spirit only by trapping it in a wych elm. She abandoned her position at my father’s court not long after that. We don’t mention it. Instead we say she was blowing too many things up at the castle. She now spends most of her time in the woods.”
“Oh my god.” Ayda was quiet for a second, leaning on Hùisdean’s chest. “I don’t know if that’s the most horrible or romantic thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Often, it’s both.” Hùisdean shrugged. He waited a moment, enjoying the silence and the feeling of Ayda in his arms. “Now, do you want to tell me how you’re feeling? Because that was a deflection if I’ve ever seen one.”
Ayda picked her head up and scowled at him before sighing.
“It’s…a lot. You know?” Ayda sighed. “I’m trying to keep up with everything, but it's a lot of new information. I don't know.” Her voice sounded tight, and Hùisdean wanted to bundle her up and whisk her away, far away from any curse or the burdens of lost magic.
“That's putting it lightly.” Hùisdean scoffed playfully. “Ayda, you had ancestral ties to the Shetland Islands that you didn't know about. My aunt woke up dormant magic in your blood. You came to see if you could help, I don't know, pick apart a curse or some wards, and now we're off to an ancient magical temple to see if a dead monarch will be feeling chattier there.”
