Page 72 of The Ruins of the Heartless Fae
“I’m not arrogant.”
She snorted and settled herself into the couch. “That’s a lie.”
“I’m not a liar either.”
“Maybe, but you’re definitely arrogant.”
The moonlight bathed half his face in a silvery cast while the shadows of the room obscured the other half. He blew out air. “I don’t trust her because she just seems off. And maybe you’re right—it bothers me how she talks to me like I’m irrelevant.”
Kolfinna couldn’t help the grin that stretched across her face. “Ah. So now you know what it feels like to be a fae.”
“I’m going to sleep,” Blár said gruffly. He threw his blanket over his body and positioned himself so his back was to her. “Good night, fae.”
Kolfinna mimicked him so her back was facing him as well and curled up in a ball and closed her eyes. “Good night, human.”
He made a noise that could’ve been a muffled laugh, but she was already drifting off to sleep.
* * *
Early the next morning,Kolfinna stuffed a handful of berries in her mouth, chewed, and chugged a glass full of water. Blár sat opposite her at the table, with his elbow propped on it and his head lolling onto his hand as he drifted forward before snapping awake, and then repeating the cycle.
“I’m awake,” he said when he caught Kolfinna staring. But his eyes were glassy and glazed over, as if he wasn’t actually seeing anything. He sliced a piece of bread from the serving platter at the center of the table and placed it on his plate, along with a chunk of yellowish-orange cheese.
“We slept about the same amount of hours.” Kolfinna sipped her water slowly and raised an eyebrow as he stared blankly at his plate. “How are you still tired?”
“Shut up,” he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. “Man, I feel like crap.”
“You look like it too.” Revna snickered from the end of the table.
“You shut up too.” His lips curled back and he breathed out deeply. “It’s too early for this.”
Revna chuckled and stirred her cup of tea with a small silver teaspoon. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what? Sleepy?” Blár’s body was rigid as he stacked his cheese and bread together and took a bite. He chewed, watching Revna with barely concealed annoyance. “Yeah, it happens when I don’t get enough sleep.”
Kolfinna quickly cut into the loaf of bread centered on the table. The faster she finished eating, the faster they could get on with training and hopefully get out of this desert dimension. She didn’t know how she had been able to sleep last night, considering all the negative thoughts plaguing her and the excitement coursing through her veins. She was going to learn alost magic.
“So you’re always sleepy?” Revna said, shifting her bright purple eyes to Blár. She folded her hands on top of each other and leaned forward, suddenly interested in him. “That’s highly unusual. Do you have a lot of mana? People who have a higher amount of mana actually require a bit more sleep and energy than the average person because their body needs to replenish that mana.”
Blár’s forehead puckered. “Hm, is that what it is?”
“Can I—” Revna snatched Blár’s hand before he could answer, but he recoiled abruptly, ripping it away from her grasp.
“Don’t touch me,” he snarled.
Her smile was thin and she held her hands up apologetically. “I’m just trying to see something about your mana.” She motioned to his hand. “Can I?”
He stared at her for a few seconds, an uncomfortable silence stretching between them. If it were anyone else, they would’ve likely squirmed under Blár’s icy glare, but Revna simply stared back, unfazed. Finally, he gave a curt nod and held his hand out rigidly.
Revna’s wrinkled hand shot forward and clutched onto Blár’s. He made a sour face but didn’t pull away this time, while she tightened her grip and concentrated, her forehead forming a deep wrinkle. After a second, she audibly gasped and dropped his hand like it burned.
“H-How?” Revna reeled back in her seat and stared at Blár with wide, unblinking eyes. “How is that possible?”
Blár looked just as confused as Kolfinna. “How is what possible?”
“How do you … How much mana do you have?” Revna reached for his hand again, but he withdrew it before she could touch him.
“I told you not to touch me,” he snapped. “And I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
