Essence of Quinn Parts 3 & 4 (MxM)

A Flicker in the Dark

Quinn sat hunched at the black marble breakfast bar, food plated in front of him but untouched. Calista perched nearby at the corner, while Air leaned against him, an arm draped around his back. The warmth of his skin was grounding, but Quinn struggled to find the words for Calista. 

“So, you had a vision. About Amaya...” she prompted carefully. Quinn huffed, running a hand down his face and sitting back in the stool. “I need to know, Quinn,” she whispered. “Don’t keep things from me when it comes to her.” 

Quinn scowled and slid his eyes to where he could see a vague impression of her outline. 

“I’ve been having it for a while now. Months, maybe? It was always the same. Flames. Pain. Loss. But then something changed.” He looked away from her and closed his eyes. “I sensed Agrat there. And Amaya.” Calista’s breath hitched, and she reached out for his hand. He took it, running his thumb over the delicate skin absentmindedly. He took a calming breath. “The night we used the spirit board, it opened something. I was sent to the ether, where Madam Bucur was trapped. She tried to show me. She was trying to warn me...” 

He paused, and Air’s arm tightened around him. 

“It’s okay,” he murmured. “Tell her what you saw. She needs to know.” 

Quinn turned towards Air and kissed his temple softly, before focusing on Calista again. 

“I think the human was trying to warn me that Amaya is in danger. Whatever happens, I think...” He frowned, glancing down at the plate of French toast. The pale ceramic stood out in blurry contrast against the dark marble. It was one of the first shapes he could truly make out after the recent darkness. A small thing, but solid. Real. He squeezed Calista’s hand and said the words out loud. “I think we could lose her.” 

Calista stood abruptly, her stool scraping against the slate floor. Her hand slipped from Quinn’s, and something sharp cut through her emotions. Panic first. Then betrayal. 

“How long have you known about this?” she said, hurt bleeding from her words. Quinn stayed silent. “How long?” 

Quinn turned to her, blinking and willing his sight to suddenly kick in so he could look her in the eye properly. Didn’t happen. 

“Since I woke up blind,” he said, voice quiet. 

She huffed a laugh, but there was no mirth in it. 

“So that’s what? A month and a half now? Two?” 

“Cali,” Air said, to pacify her. 

“No!” she snapped. “You’ve known our kit might be in danger all that time, and you kept it from me. Both of you.” 

“Calista,” Quinn tried, “you know how the visions work. It could have been nothing, so I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.” 

She scoffed at that. 

“Nothing? Are you serious? It’s never nothing, Quinn. You dragged yourself to the other side to meet with Boreas about this. That’s a big fat juicy nothing, isn’t it?” 

And just like that, the rift between them widened. 

“Cali, please,” Air tried again. “It came from a good place.” 

He stood and went to her, but Quinn sensed her shrug away from him. She moved to the other side of the breakfast bar, putting a barrier between them, and she started pacing. 

“You have to stop doing this, Quinn.” 

“Doing what?”  

“Constantly keeping things from me because you think I won’t be able to handle them. I took the head of the witch who’d wronged our kit without a second thought, and you still treat me like I’m some kind of fragile china doll.”