Ash's POV

My cheeks flush pink but I force myself to meet Xander's gaze. His hazel eyes sparkle and his cheeks also flush as he maintains eye contact with me. He gently tugs my hand toward him until I am standing only inches from his body. His eyes flicker down to my lips causing the pink in his cheeks to deepen. He briefly looks away, but I reach up to gently touch his face. He sucks in his breath as I guide his eyes back to mine. I start to say something, but the clearing of a throat causes me to jump back from Xander.

I whip around to find Aiden casually leaning against the bookshelf behind me. He is staring me down with a smirk on his lips and a glint in his eyes. I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him. He shrugs his shoulders and shoves his hands into his pockets, gesturing with his head for me to follow him.

"Ashlee? What is wrong?" Xander hurriedly asks and I realize Aiden is annoyingly using his powers to keep himself hidden from Xander's view.

I open my mouth to tell him that I am fine, but no words will come out; Aiden is prohibiting my speech. Another one of his annoying powers. So, I use my connection to my brother to speak to him in his head.

'Aiden, please stop. Don't worry him like that.'

Aiden stops walking and glances back at me.

'He's fine. Let's go.'

I scowl, 'Well then let me at least tell Sir West where I am going.'

'No. Come with me.'

'Why?'

He rolls his eyes and lets out a very dramatic sigh, 'Because I said so.'

'That is not a good enough reason, Aiden.'

The smirk drops from his face and his voice loses its edge, 'Fine. Mom needs you. Quietly.'

I immediately understood what Aiden meant so I grabbed his arm and let his powers make me flicker out of visibility too. Xander starts panicking and calls for Finn. When Finn busts into the library, I teleport Aiden and myself out into the hallway. Aiden is stiff and silent beside me as we sneak down the hallway, up the stairs, and to the master bedroom. I hate my brother and he hates me but we both love our mother.

I still love her even if I never want to be like her. I still love her even when she doesn't love me back because she is still my mom and in some weird way, I will always love her. I don't think my mother has the capacity to really love anyone, not even my father. She is not bad; she is just broken.

We reach the room and I ready myself for the sight. Aiden opens the door and as soon as we are inside with the door shut behind us, I drop my hand from his arm and let myself become visible again. He quickly unflickers and when I look at him, his mouth is set in a firm line. His eyes are blank, and the only indicator of his emotions are his hands that are balled into fists at his side. Our mother is lying on her bed, bruised and bloodied. This is not the first time I have been called to treat her injuries. The King is nowhere to be found but I know he did this.

I am silent as I move to her. I can feel Aiden's eyes on me, and I know he wishes he could help too but he can't. His only physical power is flickering. All of his other powers are emotional. While I don't have the physical power of healing, I have the emotional power of pain relief. I can't immediately heal wounds, but I can relax the person enough that they feel less pain. I still don't know exactly how it works and since I can't heal her with my magic and the King does not let any of the healers touch his wife, I have taught myself some basic medical care.

"Get the supplies from the bathroom. She needs stitches on her forehead," I whisper.

Aiden sighs in quiet frustration but follows my directions and disappears into the en suite to gather the supplies that are stored under the sink. I turn my attention back to the Queen. She has bloody lip and a nasty gash on her forehead.

She is either unconscious or sleeping but when I touch her arm and she does not stir, I know it is the former. Aiden wordlessly hands me a dampened cloth and I gently wipe the blood off her face. With the blood gone, I can clearly see the gash and seven stitches later, she is as good as I can get her. I put some ointment on her lip while Aiden throws away the bloody cloths. I move my hands in a circle, producing a warm yellow light. I guide the light over her injuries and let my magic seep into the wounds.

I close my fists, fizzling my magic out and Aiden sighs again but this time there is some hidden relief in his exhale.

"She's been through worse so she will be fine with some time," I say gently and Aiden hums in agreement.

"We can go?" he asks, and I nod my head. He offers me his arm and again, he flickers us out of visibility. We start to head back to my room, so I can change my clothes since there is blood on the sleeves of my dress. Aiden remains silent but some of the tension he held earlier has left his body.

I break the silence and speak to him through our sibling bond, 'You have really improved your flickering.'

'Yep.'

One-word answers from him are all I am going to get now so I give up and match his silence. He only ever speaks to me when he wants something or wants to torment me, which is fine because I don't particularly enjoy speaking with him either.

As soon as we reach my door, Aiden pulls his arm away from me and stalks down the hallway, going wherever he has decided to go. I enter my room and slowly shut my door, being sure to close it as quietly as possible. I breathe out a sigh of relief and lean my forehead against the door. Stress always makes me tired and today has been no exception.

Something shifts behind me and every cell in my body is suddenly aware that there is another person in the room. Without waiting to find out what they want, I call my magic to the surface. It immediately obeys and I spin on my heel, a blast of magic shooting toward whomever decided to enter my room without my permission.

They were prepared for my attack though and already had a shield in place. My magic is simply absorbed by their magic shield, and I ready my hands for another attack when the shield lowers, and blue eyes hesitantly stare back at me.

A whisper leaves his lips, "I just needed to know if you were okay."

"Finn..." I scold, "You can't sneak up on me like that. I could have hurt you!"

He sheepishly smiles and continues to whisper, "I know which is why I was ready. And I didn't announce myself because I didn't want anyone to possibly hear my voice and report me."

Without hesitating, I grabbed his arm and dragged him farther away from my door and into my en suite bathroom. I shut and locked the door behind us, protecting him in case anyone tried to enter my room. No one can see Finn in my room. Especially, since I am sure my wedding invitations have already been sent out.

I let go of his arm and ran a hand through my now tangled hair. His eyes track the movement and when they see the blood on my sleeves, he grabs my hand and pushes the sleeves up.

"Are you hurt?"

I remove his hands from my arms, "No. It's not my blood."

"Then why do you have it on your clothes? Where did you go?"

"I had business to attend to."

He narrows his eyes, "What business?"

"The same business I have every other time I disappear without telling you. And just like every other time, I won't tell you where I go."

He sighs but accepts my answer, knowing I really won't tell him.

"Lord Canmore is extremely worried."

"Let him be worried. He doesn't need to know my whereabouts all the time. I can manage myself."

Finn frowns, "He is your husband..."

"Not yet," I interrupt.

"Okay, he is your not-yet husband. You shouldn't just run off. Business or not."

"Don't lecture me."

"It's my job to keep you safe, Ash. If that means lecturing you, I will."

My magic starts to seep out of my hands, so I clench my fists and try to force it down. Finn notices and lays his hands atop mine. My magic retreats at his touch and I groan in frustration and turn away from him. Why does he have to be so loveable? Even my magic loves him and responds to him.

"Ash..."

"Stop. I told you I am fine. I am not hurt. If you sense anything, I am tired. I just want to change out of my clothes and lay down for a while. And then you can take me to see my not-yet husband again. Deal?"

"As you wish."

I turn back around at the tenderness in his voice and when I see the way he is looking at me, my heart clenches in my chest. He is looking at me with such care that I feel tears start to prick the back of my eyes. He, of course, notices and opens his arms. I step into them. I shouldn't but I allow myself to find comfort in his warm embrace.

"It will be okay. You will be okay. Just give it time. Lord Canmore seems to be a gentleman."

I sigh for what feels like the fiftieth time today and lean my head against Finn's chest, "He is. Before I had to leave, we were actually having a good time. I don't think he is the worst option for me to marry."

"Mmm, and who do you think is a better option?"

You, Finn. You. "I don't know. It's not like I have experience with other suitors anyway so what do I know?"

We are silent for several moments and I let myself breathe in everything that is Finn.

"I want you to be happy, Ash."

I hear his unsaid words. He knows that he can't be my choice. He wants me to be happy even if it means he isn't.

"I want you to be happy too."

"I know," he whispers into my hair, and I bite back tears. Why couldn't Finn have been born a noble? His arms tighten ever so slightly around me before he lets go and runs his uninjured hand through his thick hair. I put some space between us and moved toward the door. I unlocked it and peeked into my room, when I saw it was empty, I waved Finn out.

Finn gives me an encouraging smile before flickering and then teleporting outside of my room. I waste no more time and strip out of my dress, placing it on my chair. I slip into some pajamas and climb into my bed. It doesn't take long for sleep to consume me and when I dream; I dream of Finn.