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He's convinced Briana Matthews is the most beautiful person he's ever laid eyes on. Every time he looks at her, there's something new to admire, some little trait that he's never noticed before and now can't unsee. She's radiant. Every little piece of her.
Briana's the type of girl you can get drunk on.
First, there's her eyes. They're a chestnut brown, and when they catch the light just right, they sparkle like you wouldn't believe. He swears he can see little gold flecks sometimes, when he really concentrates.
And then of course her laugh. He wouldn't call it pretty, but he would call it perfect. When Bree laughs, she throws her head back and cackles, unrestrained and loud. Even though he'd never admit it to her, or anyone for that matter, her laugh never fails to make him smile, even just a little.
Walking with her at Volition in the fading light, Sel feels peaceful, or at least as peaceful as one can feel when they're on the run from the people they trusted the most, who they're realizing are actually monsters that never gave a shit about them or they're loved ones. It's cool. He's fine.
He's walking with Bree around the perimeter at Volition, and if anyone asks, it's because he's patrolling. someone has to make sure they're safe. Bree's only here to keep him from slacking off. That's his story, and he's sticking to it. Of course it's a load of bullshit.
Really he just wants her near.
Bree looks over at him for a second and smiles. The light from the setting sun catches on her necklace, and Sel's mind takes an unwelcome turn.
Nick and Bree. Bree and Nick.
Why was it that when he thought of one, he couldn't help but think of the other? He'd known Bree for so much less time than he'd known Nick, and yet the two were so tightly woven together in his head. Sometimes, he'd be thinking of Nick, and suddenly Bree was just there, like she belonged in some category with Nick in his mind. It didn't make sense. The two were as different as the night from the day, and yet he couldn't stop making connections.
Nicolas Davis. His... friend? brother? king? None of those seemed right anymore. The lines in his mind were blurring between fact and fiction. Was everything he thought he knew about the Order and his place in it false? And if he wasn't to be Nick's mage, then what?
Well, he knew what he wanted to be. But whether or not Bree would let him fight with her and for her was not his decision. That didn't stop him from wanting to be her Kingsmage. His instinct to protect Bree was almost as fierce as his instinct to protect Nick, and seeing as the need to shelter Nick from danger was literally imprinted into him, that was saying something.
So where did that leave Nick? Without a kingsmage and without a crown.
But even if Sel couldn't be Nick or Bree's mage, he could still be there for them. Right?