Magicks & Mortals: Volume One

20 - Autuwan

*Reyna*

Reyna stirred, her eyes sliding open. She stared at Lucian's chest and tried to gather her scrambled thoughts. His wings were draped over her like a blanket, his arm around her waist, his hand tangled in her hair holding her close. She blushed, feeling their legs and tails tangled together against the cold hard stone beneath them.

Where are they? She frowned, peeking her eyes over his wings. They were in some sort of cave or cavern. Jagged bits of rock hung over them and she can hear the wind whipping around them. She pushed his wings off of her and sat up, stretching her wings behind her.

She smiled, looking at her clawed hands and wiggling her clawed toes. Kova was right, she can't remember any of the pain she went through. It feels like she was always like this, always connected to the demon inside of her.

Good morning. Lucian sighed, sitting up, kissing the back of her neck and breathing in the scent of her.

Good morning, where are we? She asked as he wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her head as he looked out at the wind and snow billowing outside of the cave.

"Autuwan. We flew here after your sly demon used your coven's tradition to bind our families together." He chuckled and she laughed sliding her hands over his arms.

"You said I could claim you if I wanted and my demon decided our families being bonded will do for now."

"Cheeky, Kali." He grinned, kissing her head.

"Do we even know what we're doing here? Where are we supposed to go?" 

He laughed shaking his head, "We're supposed to be finding answers and the door to the archive is right behind us." 

She frowned, turning around in his arms to see a large golden door carved into the cave a few feet behind them, "Well that's convenient, how did you know that?" She remembered flying with their clan and flying towards Autuwan but she doesn't remember actually getting here.

"You passed out halfway through our flight and I carried you the rest of the way. I found this cave to rest and it just so happened to be the entrance to the sacred archives. But we both have to be conscious to enter, I tried and the door wouldn't open so that's why we slept out here." He explained and she nodded.

"I think Autuwan was a big flight for my new demon features, thanks for carrying me." She blushed.

"You don't have to thank me for that," he smiled, "would you like to know how to get out of your demon form?" 

As much as she enjoys being in this form, she needs a rest from it. Her demon is very tired, "Yes, I think I need to rest my demon." 

"That's normal for your first change. All you need to do is focus your mind on being a witch, being in your old body. Push your demon back into the fire in your gut." He explained. 

She sighed closing her eyes and concentrated on her body. Slowly, gently pushing her demon back into the fire. It gladly released her and she felt her DiEdaan powers washing over her and rising to the surface. She took a deep breath feeling her features slowly return their humanoid form.  She opened her eyes and smiled at her ebony hands and wriggled her little toes. She grinned, looking at Lucian who was beet red and covering his face.

"Um Kali, this is normal but you're naked." He chuckled. She looked down at herself, bare naked in front of him. Her body still felt so warm she hadn't realised she was naked! 

"Kova! Oh my Mother Goddess!" She shrieked, quickly using her powers to fashion a pair of black jeans and a chunky cream turtle neck sweater over herself and a pair of black boots to cover her feet.