I counted my blessings, now I'll count this curse; oksana

[magnus]

you and I both know that the house is haunted
and you and I both know that the ghost is me

‘Just don’t hurt anyone I love.’

His heart shatters in his chest at the request, but the anguish doesn’t show on his features. His eyes blaze a little brighter, but he fights for control, just nodding. “I will do my best.” Because what else could he say? How could he bring himself to tell the girl with haunted eyes that he had already done that—that he had been weak and brought death to his family? Even explaining it felt foolish to him. To tell her of the way that Makai had looked, so young and covered in the blood of those two mares. How Magnus had simply reacted, how he had done what he would do with any viper—and how he had mourned all the same.

So he locks the secret in his heart, hating himself for the deception. He just closes his bruised gold-flecked eyes, leaning into her touch and letting the warmth of her wash over him, soothing the ache in his bones. Her laugh is deep and rich, and he does not wander at how Makai fell in love with her, although there are plenty of questions of how he let the love slip away. Not that such questions had strong roots. Magnus knew all to well that even the grandest of loves came with a heavy cost for his family. They were often lucky in finding those they did not deserve, but holding onto it was like holding onto the sun.

The men in his family crumbled to ash under its heat.

“It feels like I have been asleep for a very long time,” he answers and there was truth to it; death had indeed felt very much like slipping into a long, restful slumber. “And I don’t know where I will go—but I imagine I will try to find my way home.” He pauses for a second, considering her with a somberness that seemed to follow the rogue stallion around. “If you would ever like to see Heaven, I would very much like to show you around sometime, Oksana.” His voice drops to a murmur, “Anytime you’d like. Just tell me when.”

MAGNUS

once general. once lord. once king.