Timeline: a Wings of Fire fanfiction (COMPLETED)

18.

Clearsight

"Can I ask you something?"

It's the night after the wedding party. I don't even know what time it is; we danced until way too late at night.

I prop my head up with a pillow. "Sure."

"Why are you so scared about Shadowhunter?" Darkstalker meets my eyes--not judgemental, but firm. "What is it? You can tell me. I won't get angry. I promise."

He reaches out, grabbing onto my talon, ever-so-gently. Like I'm some kind of anxious animal he's trying to coax out of hiding or something.

We've had this conversation before, haven't we?

"It's... it's complicated."

"I'm not stupid. And I think I need to know."

I sigh. "It's..."

"You can tell me," he whispers, sounding just like the dragon he used to

I take a deep breath. "I think..."

"What? What is it?" His eyebrows are wrinkled up in concern.

"I think she's going to be an animus."

His jaw drops. "Clearsight..."

"It's not because it's your power. It's because... Darkstalker, I can't even sleep anymore. Because of the nightmares." I rub my eyes. "I can't even tell what's a dream and what's a vision, because everything is terrible. And it's not that I don't want her. It's not that I don't love her. It's not that I don't love you. It's just... I'm scared. I'm scared for her. And I'm scared for this kingdom. And I'm scared for myself. And I'm scared for you. And... "

"Isn't that a good thing? She'll have all the chances--"

"Darkstalker. This is not a good time to be an animus. If it ever got out, do you realize how the queen would react? She would turn her into a slave. She wouldn't ever let her out of her clutches. Not to mention how the IceWings will react. There's a good chance that by the time I have to announce this, they'll--" I rub my forehead. "Oh, never mind--"

"No. I get it. But... can't we keep her safe from all that? We don't have these powers for no reason, Clearsight. She'll have the two most powerful dragons in Pyrhhia for her parents. Who could be safer?"

"We can't keep her safe from everything."

"We'll figure something out. It'll be all right." Darkstalker laces his talon through mine. "We can do this."

Our eyes meet for a moment. I glance down at my scroll, breaking eye contact.

"I hope that's true," I say quietly.

"She'll be the happiest dragon in Pyrhhia."

"You don't control that," I point out.

"We'll make sure no one ever hurts her like they--" his face twists into something, something raw, and wild, and uncontrolled. "like they hurt me. Like they hurt you."

"What do you mean?"

"She won't grow up--like we did. Like--" He lets out a massive breath, unclenching his talons. "She'll be safe. We'll make sure of it. On my life. I promise you."

"It's not that simple."

"We'll work something out. I promise. We stopped an entire war together. How hard can it be?"

"I just--she could grow up to murder us, Darkstalker. This power isn't just a party trick. It could take lives. Do you understand--"

His jaw drops a little bit. "Are you sure?"

"Darkstalker. She's just a dragonet. And--and right now, half of her futures are being enslaved by the queen if her secret gets out, or killing innocent dragons. There are another half that are all right, but... it just..." I rub my temples. How can I be feeling all these things, all at once--exhausted, angry, scared, in love, in hate--

"That won't happen," he says, voice going thick. "I will not let that happen, Clearsight. I--with my life--I'll protect her with my life. I'll protect both of you with my life. I would rather die than watch that happen."

I reach over, and lace his talon with mine.

We're silent for a long time.

"I can't handle losing anyone else," Darkstalker whispers.

When Clearsight, in this chapter, thinks "we've had this conversation before" she really means it, the first chapter of this story had Clearsight saying a very similar line to what Darkstalker says at the start of this chapter, which was very intentional--for some reason, subtle repetition is something I do a lot in this story (and literally no other story).